The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-04

distant and dignitied Madame Brienville
herself. Her neighbors were of two hum
BILE class to call upon the widow in a
social way. And 50 matters stood up to
the spring of 1910, when Nannette, by
chance, let out the fact that the family
were about to go to the Town of Dieppe,on
the coast, for the summer, in hopes it
might improve madame's health. -,
SIS madame Brienville ill2" asked one.
She is in delicate health" answered
Nannette.
"Why does she not call in Doctor Fou-
chet?'
"Oh, she is not i'll in the way to require
medicine. A little change of climate and
scene for a few months will make mad
anne all right again." answered the SER
want
"And when do you go to Dieppe?"
asked a listener.
AT once"
''To-day?"
"No, but very soon, Madame did not
say when," replied Nanette, as she gath
cred 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 figure.
''She's close one" was the answer.
81 would not like to live alone in the
stone house if I were those women; there
was robbery only last week, over the
lake, you know" r
'''That is true, and I have seen madame
with diamond solitaires in her ears when
she has been walking" remarked the
other neighbor.
otis true the stone house can be fasten-
ed up very securely at night; every win
dow has its bolt and bars and outside
shutters, as we'll as those within.'
'Where's the house these rogues can
not enter if they have mind?" asked the
other. "To overcome bolts and bars is
only the least part Of their trade" :
Eyes, and then once inside of the stone
house, ro3ber has only three women to
contend with; they have no man there,
and the house is rather isolated"
Cali OF which is probably as we'll
known to the robbers as it is to you and
me-" was the response of the other party.
This was all very true, and, as We have
intimated, the vicinity of the Bots de
Boulogne was a locality with a proverbi-
ally 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 al
ways have crop Of dangerous and des-
perate men. ,.---.-s--
Still Madame Brieniy5ille and her COM
panions had lived unmolested here for
some two years. True it was observed
that at night particular care was taken to
fasten up all the doors and windows in a
very secure manner, so that after night
fall no light, or no evidence of the stone
house being inhabited, could be discov-
cred from the outside. At the close of
the twilight hour the place always as
sumed the aspect of deserted old man
sion house. =
In was on pleasant morning of early
summer of the year 1910, when the neigh
.borhood observed the windows of the
stone house still remained closed and
fastened, long after the sun was up,
quite contrary to the usual custom. One
or two stopped in their daily passage from
one place 10 another, to observe tie fact
anG remark upon it. <.e4 ,.r.-
"Oh," said one, ''thcy have gone to
Dieppe, as Nannette said they were to do,
though they have slipped away very
have been getting ready"
"They couldn't do anything like other
people they must even make a. mystery
Of going away said another.
Queer people," added still another.
"They must have gone in the night,'
said fourth person.
That's just it," responded one of the
first speakers, "where there is so much
secrecy there is sure to be some. good rea-
son tor it. No one knows ANYTHING
about this Madame Brienville and her
pretty daughter, though she has lived
among us these two years and more" j
"She is regist red by the police, and if
there was anything wrong about her they
would find it oat," said another.
Every rue responded another of the
group, who was discussing the matter.
'Leave madame in peace. If she chooses
to go to Dieppe by night, let her 90.
And SO the subject was droDped by the
neighbors. If anyone asked about the
stone house, sw hich presented the aspect
OF a dwelling Theoretically sealed, he was
told that the pccupants had gone to
Dieppe to pass the summer by the sea-
side, on account of Madame Brienville's
failing health, and SO several months
passed on 8h-t .rsur b. tI rd
By and by the summer was gone and
winter set IN, but still Chg. people who in
habited the stone house did not return
from Dieppe: ! When Madam Brienville
had first come to the place, it was remem-
bered by the inquisitive ones that she had