The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-12-15

that he rnn away without taking anything,
and forgot his hat and gloves into the bar
gain. Our friend, on the present OCCASION,
must have been nervous. Perhaps he WAS
Interrupted by some one knocking--who
knowsl Pm inclined to this opinion the
more readily from the appearance of the
candle. You see, he didn't leaveit burning,
but took the trouble to blow it ont"
"Fudge" said Leaoq. "I'hat proves
nothing. he may have been man of eco
nomical tendencies
The Investigations Of the two detectives
were continued over the whole premises;
but after the ninutest researches they dis
covered nothing that gave them the faintest
clue. Even the papers of the Widow Le-
rouge. had she ever possessed any, had dis
appeared. Not letter, or an envelope, or
q scrap of paper of any kind could be
found.
Every now and then the disappointed
Gevrol paused to swear at the world at
large, and himself in particular.
"Well, what do you make Of it7" asked
the Judge, out of patience at the slow pace
of the proceedings.
1--WE are sold," replied Gevrol, with q
despairing shrug of the shoulders -"com-
pletely sold! For the present, that is- The
scoundrel has taken no end Of precautions;
but We shall have him yet. Before the
evening Twill Bet my hounds on the scent;
and he'll be run down to dead certainty"
"Th:n, as it appears to me-" observed
Monsieur Daburon, 1--WE are no farther .ad-
vanced than we were this molning7"
"One does ones best, and the best of us
can't do the impossible" said Gevrol sullen-
ly.
"If Old Corkscre,r, now, were only here"
muttered Lecoq, in low voice, which, how
ever. reached the ears of Monsieur Da-
burcn, "he'd draw the cork, if any one
could"
"what could the old fool do more than
We have done7'' asked Gevrol, darling an
angry glance at his subordinate.
tecoq turned away, secretly glad to
have wounded the vanity Of his too conf
dent chief, but too wise to bring his anger
upon himself.
"What's all that1" demanded Monsieur
Dnburon. "And who is this person-Old
Corkscrew, us you call him-that he is like
ly to succeed where experienced men have
failed7 somehow fancy have heard of
him before"
"IIe's wonderful man." replied Lecoq,
not sorry to be thus appealed to. ''To use
his own words, he can get at the heart Of
mystery as easily as another would draw
O cork from bottle"
ale was formerly poor clerk in law.
yer's Office" added Gevrol. "rhe old fellow
has come into money now. His real name
is Tabaret He has constituted himself
sort of detective for his own amusement"
"And to augment his revenues, sup.
poser" sneered the commissary.
"Not he~ answered Lecoq.. ats labor
of love with him. He's never so happy rs
when he's ferreting after some difficult
case, that 'ud make another chaps head
ache for week. We call him Old Cork
q, rev, just as we'll rs we might call him
Old Gimlet, because he can worm himself
into anything. Why, it was he in that bus-
mess of the robbery at the bankers you
know, sir, who asserted that it WAS the wife
who was the thief, and proved it too"
"That's all very WE'LL" retorted Gevrol;
but how about the poor little tailor whom
he accused of having killed his wife, and
nearly got him condeinncdl He's too clever
by half, that he isp'
"Come Gomez interrupted the magis.
trate, impatiently, "we are wasting time"
Then, turning TO I.ecoq, he said, "Fetch me
this Monsieur Tabaret. I've heard great
deal of him, and should like to see him at
his favorite employment"
Lecoq was gone in an instant, while Gev-
rol looked much mortified.
have every right to employ any one that
you may think proper; but"
"Don't be offended Gevrol," said the
magistrate, good-humoredly: at was moi
yesterday that made your acquaintance
Il know your value Only to-day we diff
fer completely in our opinions. You stick
to the tall, dark, elderly man in the blouse,
and I am convinced you're on the wrong
scent"
81 still think am right" answered the
detective, sand hope soon to prove it. I'll
hunt up the rascal wherever he is"
"That's right. Let ua all do orr best"
"Th.rc's only one thing, however, which
hone Won will permit me 10 observe, with
out thinking that I'm taking liberty"
"Whnt's that2"
"WclI sir, since you are so kind. Just al.
low me to warn you against Old Corkscrew -
beg your pardon, Monsieur Tabaret, L
mean
"Tndeed! and for what reason?"
"Becanse The old boy is too hot-headed,
too energetic, too eccentric; and rs he is as
vain as q peacock, he is very likely 10 lose
his temper ard betray everything. The
moment he is made acquainted with
crime-like this of to-day, for instance-he
has the iuipudence to explain every thing
off-hand In short, sir, he'd think nothing
of invent;ng story to suit the situation.
He preteads that from one fact he can bnlld
up the whole scenes OF An ASSASSINATION,
like that learned chap-I forget his name.
who, from the fragment of bone embed.
ded in the earth, was able to reconstruct
upon paper the entire bird. Sometimes he
enesses right, sometimes he gucssrs wrong.
How about that poor little t"ilor2 l assure
you sir, if hadn't inte,fclcd--"
"That's enough" said Monsieur Dabnron.
aim much Obliged to you for your advice;
be sure shall profit hy il. In the mean
time, we must find ont at all hazards where
this widow lived before she came here, and
to what part of France she belongs"
The procession of witnesses brought in
by the bligalirr of gendarme,ie now COM
nieaced to def!e before the magistrate. But
nothing new was discovered.
The Widow Leronge, when alive, must
certainly have been most discreet woman,
considering that, of all the words she had
utiered-and as she was a great ttlker
the number must have been beyond h'I-
man calculntion--not one of any slgniti-
canoe remained in the memory of any OF her
gossiping fricnls. -.
Ali the witnesses. however, were obsti-
nately Lent on making tho magistrate
confident of their convictions and their per-
sonal opinions, and these conceded with
those expressed by Gevrol.
They unanimously. and as with one voice,
accused tho dark nan i!lthe blouse OF hav-
committed the crime.
Every one remembered his ferorious air,
his sinister aspect: and their lively magma
tiops were not slow to add mnnmcrahle de-