The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-11-30


understand that she would dispel man!
preiudices by assisting with a gooc
grace in a minute examination Of hel
lhome.
Sue seized upon this opening with
an eagerness that was evidently un
f-igned.
Look, gentlemen said she, ''e1
anime, rummage everywhere. You
will do me a service. And it won,
take long. We have only the shop,
the back shop, where We are now, our
servants room in the sixth story. and
little cellar. Here are the keys"
To my great astonishment, Monsieur
Mechinet accepted them, and appeared
to be making the most thorough and
/ patient investigations.
What was his object? He must have
some secret purpose, for the scar eh
would evidently end in nothing.
When he had apparently finished, he
said,-
"The cellar is still to be examined" g"
'I'll take you there. monsieur" said
Madame Monistrol.
And instantly, taking a lighted Can
die, she led us across courtyard upon
which a second door in the back shop
opened, and guided US by a very clip
perry staircase to a door, which she
unlocked, saying
"Here it is walk in gentlemen.
began to understand.
Ny worthy neighbor had scrutinized
the cellar with a rapid, prae,ised
glance. 1t was in wretched order. A
small cask of beer stood in one cor
ner, and directly opposite, fastened by
sticks of wood, was a hogshead of
wine, furnished with wooden tap.
On the right were ranged about fifty
full bottles.
Monsieur Mechinet did not lose sight
of these bottles, and found an oppor
tunity to move one after another.
What | saw, he also noticed; not
one was sealed with green wax.
So the cork had picked up, and
which had served to protect the point
of the murderer's weapon, did not
come from the Monistrois' cellar.
"Well," said Monsieur Mechinet.
feigning disappointment. find 9TH
iDg-we can go back
We did SO, but not in the same order
that we had gone down, for in return
ing went first.
/ therefore opened the door of the
back shop. and the Monistrols' dog la
stantly rushsd at me, barking so fur
iously that l started back.
''The deuce! it's your savage dog"
said Monsieur Mechinet to the young
wife. The hgd already driven it away
by a wave of the hand.
No, indeed, he isn't savage" she
replied. "only a good watch dog We
are jewellers, more exposed to thieves
than other shop keepers, SO we trained
him."
Mechanically, as one alwas does after
having been threatened by a dog, /
called this one by its name, which |
knew.
Pluto! Pluto"
But instead of approaching me, the
animal drew back, growing and show
ing IFS sharp teeth.
''Ah, it's useless for you to call him."
said madame thoughtlessly, "he won't
follow you"
why so:"
Because he is faithful, like all dogs
OF that breed, and will obey no one but
his master aud myself"
1.i= apparently uuinportant remark
was a flash of light to ine. W;:hou.
refiectin2, far more hasty than should
be now, exclaimed
''Then where was this faithful dog
on the evening of the crime, madame!"
This point-blank question produced
such an effect upon her, that she al
most dropped the candlestick she sill
held in her hand.
81 don't know" she stammsred, Il
don't remember"
Perhaps he followed your hus
band"
why, yes, now l seem to recollsct."
Then he is trained to follow carri
ages. for you told Us you went to the
omnibus with your husband"
She was silent, and | was about to
continue, when Monsieur Mechinet in
terrupted me. Far from taking advan-
tage of the young wife's agitation, he
seemed to be trying to soothe her, and
after having urged her to obey the
summons of the magistrate, drew me
away.
''have you lost your senses" said
he, when We were outside.
The reproech wounded me.
rs it losing my senses" l retorted,
'to find the solution of the problemi
l have it. Monistrors dog will guide
Us TO the truth" e..- --
My eagerness drew smile from my
old neighbor, who answered in faith
erly tone,-
"You are right" said he, ''and !
understand you perfectly. Only if
Madame Monistrol has guessed our
suspicious, the dog will die or vanish
before this evening"
CHAPTER III.
| had certainly committed great
piece of imprudence, but nevertheless
l had found the weak point in the
armor, the joint by which the most
solid system of defence could be shat
tered. ...s
l, a volunteer, had seen clearly
where the stager in the detective force
vas merely cropping his way. = -,
Another man would have been jeal-
Gus and borne me srudge. He was
not one of that sort.
He thought only of turning my lucky
discovery to account, and, as he said,
it ought not to be impossible, now that
the case turned upon fixed fact.
We therefore entered a neighborins
restaurant, to consult about the matter
while brsakfasting.
This was the state of the problem,
xuI hAsrr haf~~a Ia1 cSafnoI