Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-03-04

most imminent,
Still he was silent.
"Madcmosclle d'Arlangc," continued
the magistrate, "has told me all. Nay,
she has told me in dct"il erslythiag that
ed on Tuesday evening.
. Still Albert hcsitatcd.
"I'm not laying Il trap for you," added
Monsieur Daburon. II am speaking to
you as one gentleman would to another.
repeat, then, that Mademoiselle d'Ar-
lange has told mo oN.'
This time Albert made up his mind to
speak.
His explanations conceded exactly with
those of Clare. Either Albert WAS inno-
cent, or, if guilty, she had been his ac-
complce.
The magistrate felt convinced that this
could not be the case IIesknew she was
innocent, and above all suspicion.
Where, then, was he to seek the assas-
"fOu see, sir" said the magistrate, se-
verely, chat you have been deceiving me.
You risk your head, sir; and, what's
worse. you are exposing Justice to most
deplorable error Why didn't You speak
The truth from the very irstl"
"Sr," answered Albert. 'Mademoisrlle
d'Ariange, in granting me an interview.
contdcd to me her honor"
"And you would rather die than speak
of this interview" interrupted Monsieur
Daburon, ironically. "lou are quite a
hero, Monsieur de Valcourt; and, instead
of living in our prosaic times, ought to
have hourishcd in the days Of ellivalry."
I'm not the hero you suppose me TO
be-" said the young man, simply. IF
told you that hadn't counted upon Glare.
7 4 No &,ll f,t. T
was only waiting. l knew that, directly
she knew Of lny arrest. she would brave
all to save me. But thought perhaps
she mightn't have heard of the great mis-
fortune that had fallen upon me--that her
grandmother would haze taken some
means to hiie it from her; so made up
my mind I" keep her name out Of the
who : aif ,r."
There WIS not the slightest tonc OF
hravado III this reply, Monsieur Daburon
regretted his irony, and dismissed the
prisoner with y few kind words. express
site of his hop that his Innocence would
shor b. r.pynl.
"B:ins in G"vr,l. now" said the mag
istrate to his clcrk
The chief of the detective force was
alb ent; but his witness, the man with the
earrings. was waiin% in the corridor.
Accordingly, he was brought in, and
place! in froI:t Of Monsieur Daburon.
A short nan, with neck sunk into his
shorl 'crS, robust, and stllted like IL
dwarf oak His hair and heard, as white
- lhf driven show, made his sunburnt
fac" lo,|i almost the color of mahogany
lie had LARGE hands. mwashci, hard
aai hprny, with knubbly knucklcs, re-
min,li,r one Of the hands of II gorilla
lie wore the dress of a well-:o-lo fisher
man from the north coast Of France; and
carried in his great brown ears Il pair of
enormous earrings, in the shape of an
anchor.
1t required two policemen TO push him
into the magistrates presence
This old sca-dos was very timid and
bashful
He cam" in balancing himself rs though
he were i'll the last stage of drunkenness,
after thc manner of his t"be, rolling his
quid of tobacyo from ona sirie of his
mouth to tn" other, and hitching mp his
trousers. rs if they were in danger of
trm1lng about his knees at every lurch
he made.
Tho moment he entered, Monsieur Da-
buron rcco3 .izai the portra.it drawn Ivy
the Little ra.:anultin witness. at La jon
,here.
"l1e had face as rod as a sliced beet
root. He wore n round jacket, with large
pockets at tae side, and sticking ont of
one was bluc-striped pocket-handker-
chief. He also We're r-iingS-larga ear
rim cs-very large"
The magi rate also recognized that the
man before him was Us good creature
as ever hrcathed
Honesty and kindness bcamed from
every wriukln i'll his bronZsd face.
"four namr!'
"Pirrfe L"rouge."
"Are You any relation to q woman called
Claudine Lrrou~el"
"I'm her husband, your honor"
"What!' thought Monsieur Daburon.
"rhe husband Of the murdered woman is
alive, and yet the police are ignorant Of
the fn..tn
"Dul," resumed the magistrate, ave
always understood she was IL widow. All
her friends said so, and she herself in
particular"
"in course she did" put in the sailor
1--WE mad up that yarn between us. l
| was dead to her, and she was dead to
me-"
"Ah! that was the state of affairs was
itl Yon know, | suppose, that she is dead
for good and all this time! Poor thing,
she has been cruelty murdered"
ave been told all about it, your honor"
said the man. "'rhe gentleman who came
to arrest me told me the particulars.
Here he wiped his forehead with his poe
ket-handkerchef, which, III size, re-
Sembled II tnbic-cloth. "Ah! she was
bad 'un, and no mistaken" She was al
ways fighty, and stuck up, and wanted to
me,tdle in the affairs of her batters. She
used to say that many gold piece was
to be gained in keeping secrets for people
AS didn't know how to keep them for
themselves. Gain? l used to say. you'll
gain nothing but shame and sorrow TO
lend you hand to hide the villaines and
wickedness of the rich--why it's for all
the world like suting your mattress with
thorns, with the idea that you'll sleep the
better for it, But, lor' bless your honor,
she was as obstinate as a young donkey,
and wouldn't listen to II word saidm
"And in what b,!siness was il your wife
got mixed up in, eh" asked the mari.-
trate, "Come, come, my friend. don't be-
gin Il thing wit .out going on with it. You
are here to tell the truth, and nothing but
the TRUTH
Lerouge had placed his hat upon
chair, alternately pulling at his fingers,
and cracking each kuuckle, or, by way Of
variety. scratching his head violently.
This was his way of summing rp his ideas.
"l'm coming to that directly yonr hon
or said Lcrouge, commencing ri his fin
ger joints again, till they went of like so
many crackers. Now we We're getting