The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-11-30
]. 4. CAsIAIIR GoDEUIL.
CHAPTER x.

CHAPTER X.
Standing a little behind Monsieur
Mechinet, ! could watch Madame
Monistrors face at my leisure, and de
tect the most trifling expressions of feel.
ing.
She seemed overwhelmed with grief,
large tears rolled down her pale cheeks,
and yet at times / fancied I could de
tect, in tie depths of her large blue
eyes, something like gleam of Joy.
Could she be guiltyl l thought
And this idea, which had elready
occurred to me, presenting itself still
more obstinately to my mind, hastily
advanced and said, brusquely,-
But you, madame, where were
you during this fatal evening, while
your husband was going on his useless
errand to Montrouge, to find ais work.
man."
She looked at me with bewildered
gaz7, and answered gently
II was here, monsieur, there are
witnesses who will prove it."
"Witnesses.''
Yes, monsieur. Il was so warm
that evening that l wanted some ice
cream, but did not care to eat it alone.
Sn 7 c..nt ,,y soruanf - ;py;f. t,ro Of
my neighbors, Madame Dorstrich, the
wife of the shoemaker, whose shop ad-
joins ours, and Madame RinaiIle, The
glove-seller opposite. They accepted
my invitation. and stayed here until
b ut pat eleven. Ask them; they will
tell you SO. Amid the cruel trials to
whicu AIN subjected, this accidental
circumstance is special favor of Prov
idence."
Was it an accidental circumstance
This Was the question Monsieur Me.
chinet and | asked each other, with a
glance as rapid as Lightning.
When chance is SO very intelligent,
serves cause SO aptly, it is difficult
not to suspect it of having been a lit
lie arranged.
But this was not the right moment
to recall the depths of our thoughts.
''You have never been suspected,
madame said Monsieur Mechiner
shanelessly.
TIE worst that could be supposed,
is that your husband told you some
thing about the crime before commit
ting it," ..-.sr--..
Monsieur, if you knew us"
stop. Your business is not very
prosperous. we have been told, you
are embarrassed.
Temporarily. yes, but"
"Your husband must have been uu
happy and anxious about this precar
ious situation. He must have grieved
especially for your sake, for you, whom
he worships, you are young and beau
tiful. For you far more than himself,
he must have ardently desired the
Iuxuries and pleasures wealth pro-
cures"
Monsieur, tell you once more, my
husband is innocent
Monsieur Mechinet, rejecting deep
ly, seemed to be filling his nose with
snuff. then he said suddenly
Deuce take it! Then how do you
explain his confession! An innocent
man, who declares him self guilty at
the bare mention of the crime of
which he is suspected, is rare. ma
dame" F-- t-
A fleeting blush crimsoned the young
wife's face.
For the first time her glance, till
now frank and clear, became wonder
ing and troubled.
81 suppose, she replied in an indis-
tinct voice, with fresh ours of Gears,
81 think that my husband, bewiIdereo
at finding himself accused of so great
a crime, lost his senses"
Monsieur Mechinet shook his head
"Perhaps," said he, ''a passins
frenzy might be admitted, but this
morning after a long night spent In
reflection, Monsieur Monistrol persisted
in bis confession"
Was this truel Did my worthy neigh.
Dor invent it, or before calling on me.
had he gone to the prefecture to ge,
the latest intelligence 'ff
However this might be, tie young
wife seemed on the point of faintingr
and hiding her face between her hands
she murmured, s ..s.T -.F .
"Merciful heaven! My poor hus
band has gone mad"
This was not my opinion.
Convinced hepcefor ward. that va:
playing part in a farce, and th=
young wife's despair was only lie.
asked myself whether, for certain reas
m. 49, Iaranfinn Shf