The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-08-17
commeut among he people of the

4 III fdu AcIe stii Lilc dltcHlpto III lIio
! interyiewers of odd Sanette, when she
daily went with her basket upon her
arm to the nearest market. These cur
ious ones were only gratifed by a repe-
tition Of the old story. over and over
again, until they gave itap in absolute
despair They had all come from the
department of the Rhone; Madame was
widow. That was the sum total Of the
information which old Nanette could or
would communicate .ssiC
The natural conclusion was that goo
and substantial reasons must exist for
such reticence, and this acted as spur
to the inquisitive people, to whom any
mystery was a delight None would
have presumed TO force their presence
upon the distant and ,dignified Madame
Brienville herself. Her neighbors were
of too humble class to call upon the
widow in social way And so matters
stood up to the spring of 1910, when
Nanette, by chance. let out the fact that
the family were about togo down to the
town of Dieppe, on the coast, for the
tssmmer.-in hopes it might. improve
madameIs health.
sIs Madame Brienville ill?" asked one.
"She is in delicate health" answered
Nanette.
why don't she call in Doctor Fou-
chet?7
"Oh, she is not i'll in the way to require
medicine. A little change of climate
and scene for few months will make
madame all right again." answered the
servant
"And when do YOU go to Dieppe?" ask
ed a listener.
"At once"
To-day"
NO, but very soon. Madame did not
say when," replied Nanette, as she
gathered up her purchases and departed.
THAT woman knows all about the
family, but she has been tutored TO hold
her tongue said one neighbor to
another, looking after the departing fig
ure.
She's close one" was the answer.
Il would not like to live in the stone
house alone if | were those women;
there was robbery only last week, over
the lake you know"
That is true, and have seen madame
with diamond soltaires IN her ears
when she has been walking" remarked
the other neighbor.
"It's true the stone house can be fas-
tened up very securely at night; every
window has its bolt and barsand outside
shutters, as well as those Within
where's the house these rogues can
not enter if they have mind" asked
that other. To overcome bolts and bars
is only the least part of their trade"
ayes, and then once inside the stone
house, robber has only three women
to contend with; they haye no man
there and the house is rather isolated"
"All of which is probably as well
known 10 the robbers as it is to you and
me-" was the response of the other par
ty.
This WAS all very true and as we have
intimated the vicinity of the Bois de
Boulogne was q locality with proverb-
tally bad name, and where the law was
very frequently outraged, even in the
hours of open day. One would hardly
like to pass among its labyrinths un
armed, after nightfall in our own time
for the neighborhoods of large cities nj
ways have a crop of desperate men.
Still Madame Brienville and her com
panions had lived unmolested here for
years. True, it was observed that at
night particular care was taken to fasten
up all the doors and windows in very
secure manner, so that after nightfall no
light nor evidence of the stone house be
ing inhabited could be discovered from
the outside. At the close of the twilight
hour the place always assumed the as
} pes, ri Il deserted old mansion.
II Hs-, tii ~ - ali u 81 tltii- a'f '.---
Summer in The year $50. !il; III
neighbors observed the windows of the
stone house sill remained closed and
fastened long after the sun was up and
quite contrary 20 the usual custom. One
Or two stopped in their daily passage
from one place to another to observe the
fact and remark upon it.
"Oh,' said one. the family have gone
to Dieppe, as -Nanette said thev were to
do, though they have slipped away very
quietly, that's fact But we know they
have been getting ready"
They couldn't do anything like other
people; they must even make a mys-
terry of going away" said another.
Queer people, added still another.
They must have gone in the night,
said fourth.
That's just it, responded one of the
first speakers, where there is so much
secrecy there is sure to be some good
reason for it. No person knows any
thing about this Madame Br;enville and
her pretty daughter, though she has
lived among us these two years or more. >
"She is registered by the police, and il
there was anything wrong about her
they would find it out" said another.
Very true" responded another of the
group, who was discussing the matter.
Leave madame in peace. If she chooses
togo to Dieppe by night, let her 60
And so the subject was dropped by
the neighbors. If anyone asked about
the stone house, which presented the as
pect of a dwelling hermeticallysealed he
was told that the occupants had
gone to Dieppe to pass the Summer by
the seaside, on account Of Madame
Brienville's falling health, and so several
months passed on
By and by the Summer was gone and
Winter set in, but still the people who
inhabited the stone house did not return
from Dieppe. When Madame Brienville
had first come to the place, it was re-
lmembered by the inquisitive ones that
she had purchased the establishment, so,
there was no landlord to be looking after
the rent. There was neglected and
crumbling look gradually settling down
over the stone house and its surround
ings, by the following Spring, but then
that was the owners business, and no
one need fret over the matter if it tum
bled to the ground. A sentiment which
: the neighbors fully expressed.
The isolated situation of the house
prevented the fact of Its remaining so
long shut up from being the cause OF
much remark, and the years from 1S4O