The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-03-27

and who, if 1 had been asked the ques.
ton, l should have put down as one Of
tie ordinary flaneurs on the boulevards.
The Sous Chef introduced me to him,
saying he was an individual well up in
all the rascality of commercial Paris
and that il, 1 would go with him and
tell him my whole story he could,
no doubt, help me, and, if it were
possible to do, would recover the
bonds. He then took me by the hand,
wished me "bonne chance" said he
would be glad to see me again, and
hoped that I'would be able to give q
good account of the Paris police On
my return to London. 1 then went
forth with my new guide, thinking how
utterly unlike both he and his Chief
were to anything l had seen in the way
of police detectives in London.
l asked the individual under whose
care had been put to come with me
to breakfast at certain restaurant in
Place du Havre, where usually eat
my midday meal when staying in the
pleasantest of European capitals. My
companion promptly accepted the
profered civilitY, and, as we logged
thither in q fiacre, l explained to him
the nature of my business in Paris, and
how anxious was to recover the lost
bonds for my friends without letting
the public know that the latter had
been robbed.
The detective said that he did not
think there would be any difficulty in
the matter. After coffee, cigars and
chase, we separated, my comrade
walking with me as far as the Grand
Hotel, where he took leave, promising
to see me about o'clock on the after
noon of the next day at the hotel where
I was lodging, the Bedford, in the Rue
de rArcade. During our walk be-
tween the Place du Havre and the
Grand Hotel I was anxious to see
whether my companion was recognized
by several sergents-de-ville that we
met on the road; but nothing of the
kind took place. No one, whether of
the police or not, appeared to have the
slightest idea that this individual was
anything more than one of the we'll
dressed loiterers who may be counted
by the thousands in Paris. He was
well-dressed, but not in any way dam
dified; and from the crown of his hat
to the sole of his boot there was moth
ing whatever about him that spoke of
his profession. If l had been asked to
guess who he was, should have said
he was q clerk in some merchants
Office or bank, and that, although not
wealthy, he was q tolerably prosper
Gus and well-to-do man. His manners
were good and free, without being
presuming; he spoke to me as being
quite my equal, and yet with nothing
but what was savored with true French
politeness. He never in any way so
much as limited at money or money
worth being needed to carry out his
work, and when I spoke to him of the
expenses he would incur in making
this inquiry, and of my willingness to
place some in his hands for that purpose,
his answer was: "Those are matters
which you will arrange by-and-by with
the Chief. l am only acting under his
ORDERS"
After leaving the detective officer
whose services were thus placed at my
disposal, l walked back by the boule-
wards to the Madeleine, ON my way to
the Rue de rArcade. Happening to
pass linen-draper's shop, and notic-
ing some socks which took my fancy,
l went in to look at them. Not being
certain about the size and whether or
not they would fit me, the woman of
the shop very civilly offered to send
round some pairs of different sizes from
which could select. l gave her my
address at the hotel, which was but a
short distance off, and had hardly ar
rived at the Bedford before one Of the
walters tapped at my door and an
nounced that a man had brought me
some socks to look at from a shop on
the boulevards.
l desired that the man should be
shown up. He brought his parcel in
with him and stood facing me as he
undid it, talking about the weather, of
the few strangers that were in Paris
and the usual gossip of a would-be civil
Paris shopman. did not look at him
very fixedly, but noticed that he was a
man of about thirty years of age, with
full black beard and mustache, black
and somewhat long hair and respecta-
bly,, although not fashionably, dressed.
He showed me several pairs of socks,
which measured with some of my own
from my portmanteau. / selected a doz-
en- pairs, but dcmurred at the price he
asked me, which was more than double
what l should have had to pay in the
most fashionable west-end shop in Lon
don. We argued the point amicably
together, and, when l produced a 100
franc note wherewith to pay him he
said he had no change, but would 90
down to the bureau of the hotel and ask
for what he needed. l state these par
ticulars to show that the man was some
time in my room, and that we had a
considerable amount of conversation
together. As he was turning TO go out
of the door, he at once pulled off his
wig, his beard and his whiskers, and
stood revealed to me as my travelling
companion from Dover to Paris. He
grinned with delight, having scored
one of the three points he had to make
to win his bet. For my own part was
so astonished l could hardly speak.
The disguise had been perfect, and the
manner in which he had followed me
from the shop-into which a short half
hour before had no idea of entering
was so astounding that told him at
the time he deserved to win the game
from what he had already done. But
this would not satisfy him. A French
man, no matter what his occupation
may be, invariably takes pride in his
work; and this detective was as proud
of having outwitted me as a General
would be of having gained a great VIC
tory. He resumed his wig and beard
so as not to excite surprise in the peo-
pie of the hotel, and going with him to
the bureau l procured change for my
note and paid him for the socks. The
latter, it appeared, belonged bona fde
to the shop where l had been. But
how Monsieur X. had got possession of
them, or why the woman Of the shop
had allowed him to bring them to my
hotel, are mysteries have never yet
been able to solve.
The next morning, while was still
discussing an early breakfast, visiting
card. on which was inscribed the name
"Achille Dubras," was handed to me,
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