Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-07-16

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for q moment. and then in proud. al
most scornful accents, replied, that I,
above oil others, should know whether
she was capable Of snch deed.
z" And is ghe esacquainted with the fact
OF your having secured her services 2"
Z / "Ohy yes,T monsieur, I hoped it
would frighten her into o full! confes-
sion"
'GYour servants 2" =; sa rT
"Thsy know nothing ssksscvar. For
Mademoiselle de Gray's sake I have
kept these startling lrobberiea pro-
found secret"
After a few minutes serious consider
! f'Madame, 1 will watch here nightly
until the mystery is solved"
Madame shook her head despond-
ingly. III ,is-G.taft'i - ~" .. Tips
cit is quite useless, monsieur. I am
no coward, and have already tried that
plan, and, atrange to say, my cabinet
remained intact both times q. .,r
I" Perhaps Nam emoiselle de- ~ sus
peotedh your intentions,p p replied.
ssThis time weSmustagaard against the
possibility. And now, if you please, I
will take, few more, details. About
what VIII ,5t time do ao these srobberies take
",Alwsys between midnight and day
break. i seldom retire till twelve
O'Clock, and on the night of the first
theft it was considerably later. T re-
member distinctly for by q singular
coincidence Mademoiselle De Gray and
1 sat here discussing the possibility of
the very event which occurred. The
recent Madworth robbery had impressed
ns both deeply, and as we left the room
I bade mademoiselle look the door"
HDid Seulock the other" 1 asked,
indicating one had noticed awhile be-
fore.
"That is only store closet"
1t might secrete burglar, how
eyes, monsieur; but it did not. I
was in. there avery few minutes before
we retired"
F ''And the key of the door hero-did
mademoiselle know where you put it p"
Certainly, monsieur"
"And since that night?"
"Alas monsieur, 1 have hidden my
keys in vain"
After some further conversation I
took my leave, promising to return
about midnight.
I did SO. Mademoiselle and the SER
wants had retired, and, as previously
arranged, madame answered my light
tap herself. She ushered me into the
private room, and soon bade me good
After q short absence she returned
with steaming cup of coffee and n
plate of Dutch cake.
81 always take cup before retir-
ing," she explained, "and thought you
might find one acceptable"
And with final good night she loft
me. Feeling both chilled and thirsty,
emptied the cup almost ut draught.
Then wheeling chair behind the our
tains draping bay window, I extin-
guishsd the light and sat down to await
the appearance of the unknown thief.
But / saw nothing, Just at daybreak
madame softly entered the room and
spoke to me. rose unsteadily to my
feet and stepped from behind the cur
ta'ns. She gazed Mt me in surprise for
n moment, and then smiled little iron
ically:
" Monsieur slept we'll, perceive"
/. Yes, madame, if we'll means sound
ly," I replied. "The coffee was drug
ged."
Drugged!" she echoed, staggering
back pace or two.
8" 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 minute
she was beside mo again. y itt ~ h,
Who made it ?" she repeated in
deep hollow tones. Mademoiselle
De Gray And-and, monsieur, the
money is gomez"
But" I answered, in some vexation,
"madamoiselle, of all others, should
not have known OF my presence here. y
Ah, monsieur. was most careful. "
returned madame, sorrowfnlly. TITS
a mystery how she gained her knowl-
edge -
few minutes deliberation, "we will
meet mademoiselle on her own ground
Permit her, if you please, to prepare
another cup of coffee tonight. She will
40 doubt connt upon its effects" /.
And that night I received another
steaming cnp. But it was received only.
Consequently I was not found mapping.
1 had watched patiently for two hours
or more, when the door softly opened
aud pa.e, slender little old woman
wrapped in crimson dressing gown,
and about whose bare head floated a
few scanty gray looks, stole noiselessly
into the room.
She carried q bunch of keys and q
lighted taper in small bronze candle
stick. Closing the door carefully be-
hind her, she proceeded ut onco to the
cabinet.
Can this weird-lookil q old woman
be Mademoisello De Gray ?" I thought,
gazing after the singular apparition.
No, it cannot be. Certainly madcm.