The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-07-22

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"Does Mademoisell do Gray know
Of your suspicion ?" inquired, as
deep sob choked her utterance-
"She does. A few hours before
sent for you I told her of my loss
and entreated her to confess and re
ceive my forgivenessl !"
"With what result ?"
She gazed at me with startled eye
for moment, and then in proud, al
most scornful accents, replied, that I
above all others. should know wheth
er she was capable of such deed"
"And is she acquainted with th'
fact Of your having secured her ser
vices ?"
"Oh, yes, monsieur. I hoped i
would frighten her into a full confes
sion"
"Your servants ?"
"They know nothing whatever
For Mademoiselle de Gray's sake
have kept these startling robberies {
profound secret"
After a few minutes serious consid
Grafton, I said:
"Madame, I will watch her nightly
until the mystery is solved"
Madame shook her head despond
iugly.
ut is quite useless, monsieur.
am no coward, and have already triet
that plan, and, strange to say, my
cabinet remained intact both times.
"Perhaps Mademoiselle de Gray
suspected your Intentions" 1 replied
"This timo we must guard against
the possibility. And now, if yor
please, I will take a few more details
About what time do these robberiet
take place ?"
"Always between midnight and
day-break. seldom retire till twelve
o'clock, and on the night of the first
theft it was considerably later. l re-
member distinctly: for by singular
coincidence Madcmoiselle De Gray
and I sat here discussing the possibil'
ity of the very event which occurred
The recent Madworth robbery had
impressed us both deeply, ant as we
both left the room I bade Mademoi'
selle lock the door,"
"Did you look the other ?" l asked
indicating one ] had noticed awhile
before.
"That is only a store closet"
1t might secrete a burglar, how
ever"
"Yes, monsieur; but it did not. I
was in there very few minutes be-
fore we retired"
"And the key of the door here
did mademoiselle know where you
put ?"
"Certainly monsieur"
"And since that night?"
"AIasl monsieur, l have hidden my
keys in vain" .
After some further conversation l
took my leave, promising 10 return
about midnight.
T did so. Mademoiselle and the
servants had rctired,' and, as previ:
.ously arranged madame answered
my light tap herself. She ushered
me into the private room, and soon
bade me good night.
After a short absence she returned
with steaming cup of coffee and a
plate of Dutch cake.
~ always take cup before retir.
ing" she explained, sand thought
YOU might find one acceptable"
And with final good night she
left me. Feeling both chilled and
thirsty, I emptied the cup almost at
a draught. Then wheeling a chair
behind the curtains draping q bay
window, I extinguished the light and
sat down to await the appearance o1
the unknown thief.
But I saw nothing. Just at day
break madame softly entered the
room and spoke to me. I rose un
steadily to my feet and stepped from
behind the curtains. She gazed at
me in surprise for a moment, and then
smiled little ironically:
"Monsier slept we'll, | perceive"
ayes, madame, if we'll means sound
w." 1 replied. "The coffee was drug
ged."
"Druggedl" |" she echoed, staggering
back pace or two.
ayes, madame. Permit me to ask
who made it ?"
She covered her face with her
hands for an instant, and then drop
ping them reeled over to the cabinet
In a minute she was beside me again.
"Who made ?" she repeated in deep
hollow tones. "Madepoiselle DE
Grayl And-and, monsieur, the moi"
ey is gone"
"But," + answered, in some vexa'
tion, "mademoiselle, of oil others
should not have known of my pres
ence here"
"Ah, monsieur, I was most careful,
returned madame, sorrowfully. "Tis
a mystery how she gained her knowl'
edge"
"Wcll, madame" I answered, after e;;
q few minutes deliberation, 1--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 it's effects
And that night received another
stcaming cup. But it was recslvea s"Sea
only. Consequently I was not found
mapping.
/ had watched patiently for two
hours or moro, when the door softly
opened and q pale, slender little olo
woman wrapped in a crimson dres