The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-05-21

1
\ begged me TO take care of her jewels and money
! for her in my box, AZ she dreaded lest her
sordd lover should obtain possession OF them:
/ The last time saw her alive was ON the night
she went 10 the opera. AT what hour she re-
turned know not, for she always had private
| KEY. The rest yOu know.
/ Hence dear friend YOU will understand my
reluctance To have my boxes searched, ana my
eyasve answers AZ TO the money ana jewels
] found in them
Had told the truth, should have been be-
lieyed? No! And how could i say anything
that would dishonor the good name OF one who
has been more than mother to meE Besides,
/ did not even know the name of her secret
lover. and had never seen him. No II Is bet
ter as II is | am ready to die. My secret, 10
all save You, shall die with me. That you be-
ieve in nv innocence is the only comfort have
left. Your unhappy Trend
ERNEsTINE.
"Thank God !" murmred the young
man. pressing the paper to his lips.
Henceforth, 1 will devote my life to
prove your innocence to the world. God
grant it may not yet be too late.
Late though it was, Bernard at once
repaired to the Projects house, and after
some difficulty procured admission. The
Project fortunately happened to be an
old friend of Demands father, and 1t was
because of this that the young man was
admitted at so late an hour.
"But, my friend" said the old man,
after patiently listening to all he had to
say, "believe me, it is "A useless task
/ there is no doubt that the young woman
is guilty either as principal or as accom-
plice Still, rs You SO earnestly wish 1t,
You shall be permitted to search the
apartments of the murdered lady. And
now good night" he added with n smile,
"and let me hear the result OF your III
vestigation.
Early the next morning Bernard, ac-
companied by a gendarme, repaired to
| the Baroness house. Everything lay eX-
actly rs it had been left on the fatal
morning. for the house had been and
was still in the custody of the police.
Not drawer nor cupboard escaped
Bernard's notice. There was no violence
visible on the windows, as if forcible adj
mission had been gained from the out
side. Nothing, i'll fact, presented Itself
which gave the slightest clew to the
mystery.
The search had now occupied several
hours, and Bernard felt that it was use
less to remain there any longer. With
sad and heavy heart, therefore, he
proceeded to leave the apartment. But
III passing out into the entree, which
was quite dark, his foot struck against
something which, on taking up, he
found to be hat Thinking it belonged
to the Baron, he was about to hang 1t
up with the others on the peg from
which he supposed it to have fallen.
"That hat, Monsieur, if you please;
L do not remember to have seen 1t be-
fore. 1t is strange" remarked the
gendarme, as he compared the hat III
question with the others that hung up
i'll the entree, a" it is larger and of a diff
ferent shape from them y
"Let me have it, my good friend
will show it to the prisoner. If it should
chance to belong to this secret lover of
the murdered lady" thought Bernard
to himself, us he huriedly drove to the
prison.
Ernestine was anXiously expecting to
see her friend, for he had promised to
visit her that day again and she wished
to learn from his own lips whether he
still believed in her innocence.
''Do you know that hat, Ernestine q
said Bernard, on entering the cell.
"That hat-good heavens lit is the
very hat the Baron had on the night he
left Paris, said Ernestine, in an excited
manner.
Impossible we compared it with
the other hats-and this is much larger.
| believe it belongs to the Baroness
lover"
"No-no-a Thousand times not is
the Baron's-he bought it the very day
he left. 1t was too large for him, and
he asked me to put some wadding under
the lining for him-see if it is not there!'
But, Ernestine, it must be fancy on
your part-this hat never belonged to
the Baron But-stay-you are right,
said Bernard, as, on turning up the
lining, the wadding fell out, and with it
IA piece of paper which had been used to
add little to its thickness. 1t was
bill written by the landlord of n hotel
at Strasbourg, made out i'll the Baron's
name, for weeks board and lodging.
1t was dated April Just fourteen days
after his departure from Paris.
Ernestine and Bernard looked ut each
other for few moments in silence, us
strange thoughts passed through the
mind of each.
That it was the Baron's hat was now
pIONttt, but llOW IL CoiIlt tilClC lld't
he returned to Paris secretly before the
murder? Was he the murderer
Ernestine turned deadly pale.
"Do you suppose that the Baron"
she gasped.
els the murderer 2" asked Bernard,
finishing the sentence. Yes l do.
But l will go at once to the Project.
For the first time since her condemna-
ton faint ray of hope was kindled in
Ernestine's heart. The sight of Ber-
nard, her old friend i'll happier days, had
indeed excited wish to live i'll her
young breast.
How thankful | am L did not say
anything at the trial. The good God
will protect me y
Bernard now left the prison and hast
ened to the house of the Project.
Well and what did you find? %
asked the old man, smiling sadly at his
young friend, who rushed into the room
without waiting to be announced.
BE good enough to examine this
hat said Bernard rs he handed If To