The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-08-27

- Your servants
s'They know nothing whatever. For
Mademoiselle De Gray's sake, / have
kept these startling robberies profound
secret. After few minutes serious
consideration I said L:
"Madalne, l will watch here nightly
until the mystery is solved" Madame
shook her head despondingly.
6 1t is quite useless, Monsieur. I am
no coward, and have already tried that
plan, and, strange to say, my cabinet
remained intact both times"
6 Perhaps Mademoiselle De Gray
suspected your intentions" I replied.
"This time we must guard against the
possibility. And now, if you please, I
will trouble you for few more details.
About what time do these robberies
take place ?"
Always between midnight and day
break. / seldom retire till II clock,
and on the night of the first theft it was
considerably later. I remember dis
tinctly for, by singular coincidence,
Mademoiselle De Gray and I sat here
discussing the possibility of the very
event which occurred. The recent
Madworth robbery had impressed us
both deeply, and, as / left the room,
babe Mademoiselle lock the door"
Did you lock the other % asked,
indicating one [ had noticed awhile be-
fore.
" 1t might secrete a 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 %
Certainly, Monsieur.
"And since that night ?"
calais Monsieur, I have hidden my
keys in vain
After some further conversation
took my leave, promising to return
aboutmidnight. 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 short absence, she returned
with a. steaming cup of coffee and a
pIaCe OF DuGcn cake.
81 always take cup before retir-
ing" she explained, "and thought you
might find one acceptable" And with
a final goodnight she left me. Feeling
both chilled and thirsty, I emptied the
cup almost at draught. Then wheel
ing chair behind the curtains draping
a bay window, I extinguished 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
tains. She gazed at me in surprise for
a moment, and then smiled little
ironically:
+" Monsieur slept well, perceive. "
=" Yes, Madame, if well means soundly,"
[ replied. "The coffee was drugged."
"Drugged!" she echoed, staggering
back a pace or two.
Yes, Madame. Permit me to ask
who made it ?"
She recovered her face and 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. "Mademoiselle
De Gray! And-and, Monsieur, the
money is gone p
"But," I answered, in some vexa-
ton, =" Mademoiselle, of all others,
should not have known Of my presence
| here &f1
"Ah, Monsieur, I was most careful, .
returned Madame, sorrowfully. .''Tis
mystery how she gained her knowl-
edge. Well. Madame" I answered,
after few minutes deliberation, eve
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 it's
effects. And that night I received an
other steaming cup. But it was re-
ceived only. Consequently I 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
dresslng-gown, and about whose bare
head Heated a few scanty gray locks,
stole noiselessly into the room. She
carried bunch of keys and lighted
taper in a 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?" I thought,
gazing at the singular apparition. emo,
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.