The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-08-28

kept these startling robberies profound
secret. After few minutes serious
consideration L said
"Madame, will watch here nightly
until the mystery is solved. Madame
shook her head despondingly.
cit is quite useless, Monsieur. L am
no coward, and have already tried that
plan, and, strange to say, my CABINET
remained intact both times.
"Perhaps Mademoiselle DE Gray
suspected your Intentions" L replied.
t" This time we must guard against the
possibility. And now, if you please, L
will trouble you for few more details.
About what time do these robberies
take placer"
Always between midnight and day
break. / seldom retire till II o'clock,
and on the night of the first theft it was
considerably later. l remember dis
tinctly for, by singular coincidence,
Mademoiselle De Gray and | sat here
discussing the possibility of the very
event which occurred. The recent
Madworh robbery had impressed us
both deeply, and, as left the room, l
babe Mademoiselle lock the door"
did you lock the other ?" asked,
indicating one had noticed awhile be-
fore.
1T might secrete burglar, however.
That is only store closet"
eyes, Monsieur but it did not.
was in there very few minutes before
we retired"
"And the key of the door here-did
Mademoiselle know where you put it p
Certainly, Monsieur.
"And since that night ?"
"Alas Monsieur, L have hidden my
keys in vain.
After some further conversation /
took my leave, promising to return
about midnight. did so. Mademoiselle
and the servants had retired, and, as
previously arranged, Madame answered
my light tap herself. She ushered me
into the private room, and soon babe
me goodnight.
After a short absence, she returned
with a. steaming cup of coffee and q
plate of Dutch cake.
81 always take a cup before retir.
ing" she explained, land thought you
might find one acceptable" And with
a final goodnight she left me. Feeling
both chilled and thirsty, / emptied the
cup almost at draught. Then wheel
ing chair behind the curtains draping
a bay window, / extinguished the light
and sat down to await the appearance
of the unknown thief.
But saw nothing. Just at day break
Madame softly entered the room and
spoke to me. / rose unsteadily to my
feet, and stepped from behind the cur
tains. She gazed at me in surprise fol
moment, and then smiled a little
ironically:
Monsieur slept well, / perceive. ,
" Yes, Madame, if well means soundly, .
/ replied. 1.-The coffee was drugged. >
Druggedw she echoed, staggering
back pace or two.
Eyes, Madame. Permit me to ask
who made il ?"
She recovered her face and hands fol
an instant, and then dropping them,
reeled over to the cabinet. In minute
she was beside me again.
"Who made it ?" she repeated, in
deep, hollow tones. Mademoiselle
De Gray And-and, Monsieur, the
money is gone ~
But" L answered, in some vexa-
ton, Mademoiselle, of all others,
should not have known of my presence
here"
"Ah, Monsieur, was most careful, u
returned Madame, soTowfully. "Tis
a mystery how she gained her knowl-
edge" Well, Madame" / answered,
after few minutes deliberatiop, "we
will meet Mademoiselle on her own
ground. Permit her, if you please, to
prepare another cup of coffee tonight.
She will, no doubt, count upon its
effects. And that night received an
other steaming cup. But it was re-
ceived only. Consequently l was not
found mapping. / had watched patient
ly for two hours or more, when the door
softly opened, and pale, slender, little
old woman, wrapped in crimson
dressing-gown, and about whose bare
head tioated few scanty gray locks,
stole noiselessly into the room. She
carried bunch of keys and lighted
taper in small bronze candlestick.
Closing the door carefully behind her,
she proceeded at once to the cabinet.
"Can this weird looking woman
be Mademoiselle De Gray?" thought,
gazing at the singular apparition. No,
it cannot be. Certainly, Mademoiselle
is young. This might be some old
relative or friend of Madame" Quick
ly and noiselessly she approached the
cabinet, and in a moment it was I'M
locked and the secret compartment
open.
After carefully withdrawing the notes
deposited there by Madame few hours
previous, she snapped the spring and
reclosed the desk. Then turning quick.
ly away, she went over to the store
closet.
L now left my hiding-place and eau
tiously followed. When L reached the
door she was in the act of removing the
false bottom from large iapanned box
in one corner. Dropping it on the floor
beside her, she took from the box a roll
of notes, and, after adding the one just
stolen, returned the bundle to its place
again. Then hastily restoring the box
to its former order, she rose and turned
away.
L stepped back pace or two, with
the design of seizing her outside the
closet.
In moment she appeared and con-
fronted me, and for the first time L OBJ
/ tanned fair view of her features. But