Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-03-11
THE
ParjjSii2nDctcCtivo
on,
A DESPERATE DEED.
ERSKINE BOYD,
AUTHOR OF "THB STOLEN CHILD" "DRivKs
FRox HOME" &c, &c.
CilApTf.E X-iXVII.
WHO WAS THE GUILTY MANI

M0lS' 'ur DaD''oa was ns'0lll"u III
the rc.el....on tina. nad jist bc1.i ...,.Ie "
HIM.
After walking up and down the roo:r
for Il miaiie or two, during whIci HI
nautical friend occupied himself i'll clean
ing his face with L i,':a OF brown papH,
which he "haul.d" out of his pocket TO
the purpose, the magistrate suddenly re-
turned 20 basin .ss.
"Anl wh.re's th.,. declaration. or rather
affidavit, which AL of you 81 'aeIf'
al is, your honoc. :. .''rr g
vrc' at NJ. ~
me that I'd get into trouble it didn't go
straight and above-board with your"
"Give me the paper"
After fumbling about in pockets that
seemed unfathomable, Lerouge tished up
an old pocket-book, tied round with n bit
of tarred rope; and, after unknotting it
with his teeth, lie took out piece of fold
ed paper, yellow with time, and carefully
sealed in four places with what was evil
dently his own thumb-mark.
The magistrate took the paper, and, as
he unfolded it, some sand-"the sands of
time" he thought-that had been placed
upon it crumbled upon his fingers, and
fell to his feet.
Monsieur Daburon sighed as he looked
at the old sailor. II wonder what has be-
come Of the witnesses who signed this
papar?"
Lerouge thought the question addressed
to him.
"Germain is dead" he said-"drowncd
been murdered; but the other nurse Is
still alive"
'Whrre does she livc"
"In a cottage ON the De Valconrt cs-
tatcs."
"iler namcl"
"Eros"t;r"
"An,l what h~rrcncd after the night in
question:" i; l"d the magistrate, as he
wro'" Gown the name and address of the
second nurse
"The next day. your honor. Claud;ne
had long talk with me, and succeeded
in making me promise to kcri, the whole
business secret, The baby was only a
little feverish after the wound I'd given
it: but, ms said before, it was marked for
Lfe'
"Anl Madame Grrly - Gil she ever
know Of the scene that passed III the vii
lagc i"n!"
III cont think that she ever did. How
ever, I'd rather not cnter into any CONVEX
sation upon that point. never prosper
cd after that miserable night. Money i'll
gained brings no profit. My wife took to
drink, and my home became Il shame to
me-"
"And what did you do thenl' asked the
mig strate.
"Ncl, yoGr honor, did the next best
thing l could do. l left her, taking my
son with me-"
"And what became Of her after that"
al I 60 A.
she left her cottage in Normandy about a
year after did,
"And You never saw her againl"
"Neycr."
"Comc-comew said Monsieur Daburon
-"refrcsh your memory. You were seen
at he: house Only a day or two before the
murder"
$50 wasv' said the man, scratching his
head confusediy; ''but, you see, l only
went because l was forced to so. And IL
deal of trouble and money it cost me to
find her. No one knew what had become
of her. 1t was like trying 10 find Il needle
in bundle of hay. Luckily, a lawyer
fellow as l knew. who had managed busi-
ness matters between me and my wife,
found out the address of Madame Gerdy,
and it was through her traced Claudine
to La Jonchcre. A friend of mine, Ger
vais by name, offered me a place in his
barge, and that's how l came to Paris.
All, your honor! l shall never forget the
day when l saw her again. She didn't
recognize me in the least Shed made up
her mind was dead, and when told her
my name, she fell back in a fit"
"All this doesn't explain in the least the
cause of your visit to your wife,"
at was only about our son, your honor,
that called upon her. Our little one had
become man, and wanted to get mar
ried; but according to our laws, your
! o ,or, he couldn't do that without the
consent of his mother, so brought her
deed, prepared by a notary, which she
siene 1, and here it is"
Monsieur Daburon took the paper. and
examine d it at,cntively Then he said,
suddenly. HAS it ever occurred to you
as TO who could have been the murderer
of your wifel"
Lerouge made no answer.
"Have you no suspicionsi" persisted the
magistrate.
"None whatever" said the sailor, simply,
Ave sometimes thought, howsomever,
that the rich people, whose secret she'd
got hold Of, had got tired Of her and her
evil tongue. and had paid somebody to
put her out of TIE way"
This being ali the evidence the man had
to give. Monsieur Daburon dismissed him,
with orders that he was to remain in Paris,
in case he might be required; but, at the
same time, he~swas to be under super
vision of the police, and kept at the ex-
pense of the Government.
$50, them" thought the magistrate, a.
returned to his desk, feeling utterly dis
pirited at the turn affairs had taken,
"guilty. or not guilty, Albert de yalcourt
is the legitimate son of the Count de VAL
court, and Noel is the son of Madame
Gerdy."
The magistrate felt he had acted with
too much precipitation, and that he had
placed himself in position that bordered
Oh the ridiculous.
The first step that it was incumbent up
on him to adopt was to send for the Count,
and explain to him how matters stood.
He would be obliged TO say to the old
man, "Sir, your legitimate son is not the
one that thought, but the other" What
n situation! Not only painful. but simply
absurd. The only consolation is that
Clare's lover is innocent. Noel. also! He
would have to be told the bitter truth. All
his bright hopes dashed to earth, just as
they were soaring TO the skies. What