The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-09-13

carriage. They had stopped to enter one
of the stores for purchase.
To the perfect he said: ''The student
lover Adolphe, and Fanchette, the servant
of the miser, are in Paris. They are now
called the Count and Countess de Trou-
Vile"
Suppose they are that fact does not
connect them with the murder of Ribaud.
Monsieur, you do not forget the rag
pickers story of the lost diamonds.
"Well p
yesterday one of them was offered in
pawn at the Mount de Piete by man evi-
IDENTIFY disguised in hair and beard and
wearing shabby clothes Noting look of
suspicion from the bank official, and being
asked as to where he got it, he fled away,
leaving the jewel behind him. That was
one of the lost solitaires of the Due d Au-
male. The officials description of the man
leads me to believe that he was the count
''Then he is not likely to return for it.
Well, proceed"
"Within ten days I will satisfy myself.
IF it was he, then he has the other solitaire
and we have clue to the murderers.
The detective went to work hopefully.
Dressed with faultless elegance he looked
every inch the Partisan swell. In two days
he made the acquaintance of the count.
On the third he eontrived to obtain an in
vitation to his apartments The count re-
ceived him in what he termed his "Den.
a small room luxuriously furnished, save in
one respect. The open CRATE, half filed
with cinders and half-burned Goals, was un-
screened with the usual cover.
"Ah, everybody notices that CRATE. 1t
is my fancy to have it exposed. 1t is a
contrast which, in my eye, makes the sur
roundings appear all the richer. l do not
permit the servants to disturb it. Besides,
you see it is handy receptacle for cigar
ends, paper scraps. ."
Wine was ordered The count was de-
lighted with his new friend. Adroitly the
detective turned the conversation upon dia-
monds, and casually mentioned the incident
of the jewelers. loss of the Due 'Aumale' s
solitaires, keeping his keen gaze upon the
counts face
Instinctively the counts eyes glanced
toward the crate.
The detective poured out glass of wine.
The count did the same
"By the way said the disguised official,
"these diamonds must have been very
large-too large for ordinary use. One of
them, let me see, must have been'-here
the detective glanced at the Goals in the
grate-"as large as-as this piece of half
burned coal" and, reaching down to the
CRATE, he laughingly took up large ashen
lump in his fingers
"Monsieur, your words are an insult.
Either toss the bit of coal back into the
CRATE or l will make you.
The detective took out the lump. Sud
denly dropping it upon the carpet he placed
his heel heavily upon it. 1t cracked apart
beneath the pressure like wood, and there,
as he stepped back, lay glittering the other
lost diamond.
"You can have the coal; | will take the
diamond and your
Before the count could comprehend the
movement the detective, by an adroit trick
peculiar to his profession, spraag upon him,
at his mercy.
"You are my prisoner, Adolphe, alias the
Count de Trouville, as Fanchette, your ac-
complice, will be within an hour arrest
you as the murderer of Ribaud, the miser
of Raincy, and she as your accomplice !"
An instant later and the 'wristlets'
were upon the count.
Like madman the count sprang to
grasp the piece from the detectives hand,
and his face almost became livid
"No, no throw it back. It-it-it
will soil"
~ beg your pardon, monsieur" said the
detectiye, eolly hut really this is the
lightest piece of coal for It's size. Why"
brushing the ashes from it-"why, it is
as light as wood What is the matter,
count ? Are you i'll?
The count stood glaring, trembling. The
detective saw that the bit of coal was lead
ing him to the end of the trail, to the
diamond and the man He examined the
lump of coal carefully, but only for mo-
ment. Then he placed it in his pocket
II will keep this, count, as asouvenir of
my visit. An odd souvenir, is it not ?"
With one bound the Count de Trouville
sprang between the visitor and the door
and drew pistol.
He was like limp rag, he staggered to
chair, into which he dropped, completely
unneryed, without q Word The game was
ppi diamonds were trpmps, An hour
later the woman, Fanchette, resplendent in
silks and jewelry, returned from her after
noon drive, was under arrest, and with her
paramount on her way to prison.
That night she sent for the prefect, and
in tears and lamentations confessed her
guilt as an accomplice to the murder other
master, Ribaud the miser
Briefly twas this: While in his service
she one day came upon him unawares, and,
unseen by him, saw him remove brick
from the jamb of the Fireplace in his room
and take out two large diamonds, and, after
examining them replace them in their con-
eealment.
After this she was stimulated to watch
him still closer, and she at last found where
he had hidden his money under a water
barrel in the cellar Three hundred thou
sand francs, mostly in coin, beside in the
oak chest were 10000 francs in notes.
All this he had amassed while in Paris as
Fagpicker, aud the purchase of lucky
ticket in the Hanover lottery. She told
herlover all. He was poor -unscrupulous.
He proposed to murder him and make
way with the body. She was to admit
him, and the bloody work being done and
the robbery accomplished, he was to gag
and bind her, and leave her there to ward
off suspicion.
All worked well. As the Count and
Countess de Trouville they came to Paris.
The cry that the hostler heard while play
ing cards was the death shrek of the
miser. The weapons used were bludgeon
and bread knife. 1t was the count who
tried to pawn the diamond at the Monte
de Piete. Returning home frightened,
Lost ba;nor fraokad hu tho hank off oiaIs ond