The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-07-17

" Certainly, monsieur"
And since that night ?"
Alas monsieur, have hidden m
keys in vain"
After some further conversation
took my leave, promising to return
about midnight.
did so. Mademoiselle and the ser
wants had retired, and, as previousl,
arranged, madame answered my ligh
tap herself. She ushered me into tn,
private room, and soon bade me gooC
night.
After short absence she returned
with steaming cup of coffee and
plate of Dutch cake.
Z" always take a cup before retir
ing, she explained, "and thought yor
might find one acceptable"
And with final good night she lef
me. Feeling both chilled and thirsty
L emptled the cup almost at draught
Then wheeling chair behind the CUR
tains draping a bay window, I extin
guished the light and sat down to await
the appearance of the unknown thief
But saw nothing. Just at daybreaB
madame softly entered the room and
spoke to me. rose unsteadily to nv
feet and stepped from behind the cur.
tains. She gazed at me in surprise fol-
a moment, and then smiled littIeiron-
ically:
" Monsieur slept well, I perceive"
Yes, madame, if well means sound
ly, replied. "The coffee was drug
ged."
"Druggedl" she echoed, staggering
back pace or two.
Yes, madame. Permit me to ask
who made it?
She covered her face with her hands
for an instant, and then dropping them
reeled over to the cabinet. In a minute
she was beside me again.
"Who made it ?'' she repeated in
deep hollow tones. MademoiseIle
De Gray And-and, monsieur, the
money is gone!"
But" answered, in some vexation,
madamoiselle, of all others, should
| not have known of my presence here, I"
"Ah, monsieur. / was most careful. :"
returned madame, sorrowfully. IT'S
mystery how she gained her knowl-
edge"
"Well, madame" I answered, after
few minutes deliberatien, "we will
meet mademoiselle on her own ground.
Permit her, if you please, to prepare
another cup of coffee tonight. She will
40 doubt count upon its effects"
And that night I received another
steaming cup. But it was received only.
Consequently was not found mapping.
/ had watched patiently for two hours
or more, when the door softly opened
and pale, slender little old woman
wrapped in a crimson dressing gown,
and about whose bare head foated a
few scanty gray locks, stole noiselessly
into the room.
She carried bunch of keys and a
lighted taper in small bronze candle
stick. Closing the door carefully be-
hind her, she proceeded at once to the
cabinet.
"Can this weird-lookiIg old woman
be Mademoiselle De Gray ?" thought,
gazing after the singular apparition.
" No, it cannot be. Certainly madem-
oiselle is young. This must be some
old relative or friend of madame"
Quickly as noiselessly she approached
the cabinet, and in a moment it was un-
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.
I 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
be. ide her, she took from the box a roll
of notes, and after adding he one just
stolen, returned the bundle to its place
again. Then hastily restoring the COX
to its former order, she rose and turned
away.
I 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 / Oh
tanned fair view of her features. But
instead of the horror and dismay which !
I had been anticipating, was the one
to fall tack aghast.
NY outstretched arms dropped power |
less as, with swift tread and strong gaze,
she swept past me and ont of the room.
"And this is the solution !" NUT
tered, drawing a deep breath of relief |
as the door closed upon her. "What |
will madame say? Will she readily |
credit the report must give ?"
Without deciding the question drop |
ped on the sofa and made myself COM
Portable for the remainder of the night. |
As on the previous day, madame
sought me early. She locked at me |
scrutinizingly.
"Ah monsieur has had another good |
night, without the aid of drugs" she |
somewhat tartly.
"Yes, madame, a very good one" l |
replied "but first earned the right.
"Ah!" calculated madame again
but this time very tremulously. "Then
you have-you-"
eyes, madame" answered, finding |
she uld not finish the sentence.
" And now will you kindly allow me to
see Mademoiselle De Gray ?"
"No, monsieur no !" she replied,
with hasty emphasis. my poor An
toinette has sinned, no doubt; but she |
shall be protected. You shall not see
nv poor child, monsieur" she con-
cluded passionately. "Heaven and l |
will make good woman of her yet p"
"My dear madame, you quite mis-
take me, +" answered feelifgly. Ma
demoiselle is innocent"
1 was hardly prepared for the little |
Frenchwoman's outburst of Joy.
"My Antoinette My pure darling
NV white dove My wronged angel
Sweet heaven, thank thee she
cried, tearfully.
And before I could say more, she had
darted from the room. In a few min
utes she returned, leading a tall, ele-
CANT, golden-haired girl, whose proud
ewes gil, tered with tears. This fair Wis
ion of youthful beauty left mademe's
side and came to me.
"I thank you, monsieur" she said,
with simple, earnest dignity. " thank
you most truly"
"I have done little or nothing to en-
title me to your thanks, madamoiselle,
I smiled in response. 4" But have you
no desire to learn the name of the
guilty party
"Ah, true I" exclaimed madame. 81
forgot all but my infinite Joy. "Te1l
us, monsieur"
First, madame" answered, "per-
NIT me to restore your stolen money.
You have your keys, l see Will you be
kind enough to open the treasure box 7?
And fastening to the closet brought
out the iapanned box.
Madame knelt down and wonderingly |
turned the key. then lifted the lid
and removed the false bottom.
n