The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-07-27

OhC uhhhO vi IVA 1ut0hONf 0hu hO Who
strongly tempted to satisfy himself
before he lay down. But he recollected
his promise-he remembered how accur-
ate the intelligence Of M. Fouche had
been on other points-and he resolved
to confide in what had been stated to
him, and to obey every direction.
Having come firmly to this conclusion
he put out the lights and lay down on
the bed. The counsel "not to sleep,"
proved most superfuous in the case of
the honest merchant. His mind and
senses were too much on the alert to per-
NIT him to slumber. Sometimes, with
in the first hour after he lay down he
thought he heard stifled noises, but they
were not continuous, and led to nothing.
At length, however, about halfpast
twelve, the door of his bedchamber was
opened, and glimmer of light fell on
the opposite wall. Having purposely
arranged the bed-clothes about his head
in such way as to enable him to see
without being seen, M. Durance then
beheld three men enter, bearing dark
lantern, and each armed with a dagger
and pistols. One of them advanced to
the bedside and seized the portmanteau.
In this PERSONS face, to his horror, the
merchant beheld the lineaments of his
own servant, Joseph Demaray The
first act of the men was to rip up and
rifle the portmanteau but while they
were doing so together, each being una
BILE, seemingly, to trust his companions,
M. Durance heard them agree upon the
necessity of his own immediate death.
Ignorant of the means prepared by M.
Fouche for his succor, M. Durance felt
the perspiration burst upon his body;
but he was not kept long in this state,
for ere the rifiing of the portmanteau
could be completed, the closet doors
burst open, five or six men rushed out,
and in an instant the surprised robbers
were in the hands of justice. On the
officers coming out, the bedroom door
at the same time was opened, and lights
brought in, showing that all had been
indeed thoroughly prepared for the relief
of the merchant and capture of the
offenders.
"Ah hal" M. Durance would here
say, when narrating the story himself
"what think you of my second adven-
ture More wonderful still than the
first, was it not ?"
Whatever may be thought on this
point, there is obviously less of mystery
in the last incident than in the proceed
ing. The extraordinary degree of infor-
nation displayed by M. Fouche, result
ed simply from the circumstance of the
william Demaray having written from
Bordeaux to Paris, announcing to his
associates the prize which was coming in
their way. 1t may be thought that a
roundabout and dangerous mode for M.
Durance was adopted for the seizure of
the offenders, and this may be in part
true. But it is to be remembered that
the slightest symptom of preparation
would have awakened the suspicion of
Demaray and would thus have prevent
ed, in all probability, the capture of his
associates, who though old offenders,
had long escaped detection by the police
AS to other points, M. Fouche doubtless
had been afraid lest Durance, if inform
ed previously of the treachery of his
servants, and other particulars, might
have prematurely done something to be-
tray the scheme.
The wretch of q servant and his asso-
ciates were punished as they all merited.
M. Durance, grateful for his escape,
blessed the wonderful police of his coun-
try, settled his business to his satisfac-
tion in Paris, and in due time returned
to Bordeaux. 1t was not till after his
return, Notwithstanding many inquir-
les, that he could get any rational ex-
planation of the first of his two adven-
lures. Finally, however, by dint Of
local investigation, the mystery was
solved. And what does the reader think
was the cause of the three hundred louis
being given to him with such strange
and apparently causeless liberality.-
The explanation is simple. In that
wood, on the afternoon in question,
there was to be great sale of cut wood,
which the party of men had come from
distance to buy in concert with one
another They looked for great bar
gain, having reason to hope that nobody
would appear to bid against them. But
on seeing M. Durance on their track,