Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-05-01
continued from last aoeek. ]

COItCtfCU6Ct .JTOHt GoOoo eo"O'o'J
1naJ evening L went to the house Of NJ.
Beauvais, member of the institute, in the Rue
dAnjou, Faubourg st. Honore I lad OBJ
tanned letter of introduction to him from
one of my acquaintance, who declared him
to be the most distinguished Orientalist in
Paris. M. Beauvais received me courteously,
and professed himself most willing to give me
the information required.
EsBoth daggers," he said, after examining
my tracings, shave an identical inscription in
the japanese character on one side of their
blades. This inscription establishes the curl
GUS fact that they are from the hand of the
same maker; it is to the effect that this steel
comes from the anvil of the smith Tokotaru
in Yeddo.' On the other side of the blade of
each is a representation of the kilzu, or chrys
anthemum flower, which is the crest of the
Mikado Of Japan. They must, therefore,
have had at one time royal owner. The
single word beside the flower on the blade of
the De st. Florent dagger means 'Evanes-
cence;' that on the blade of the other weapon
means Illusion These are sacred words of
the Buddhist creed. From the shape of the
characters, should suppose these weapons
to be several centuries old.'
I thanked M. Beauvais, and noted down
what he had told me.
ssYou are the second visitor" he said,
sswhom I have had on this same business.
Evidently these daggers are to be feature
Of the case"
Here ALSO then, there had been some one
before me!-some one working on the same
lines as myself
''Might 1 ask if Monsieur is acquainted
with the name of his other visitor? have
reason for wishing to known
Certainly. 1t was M. Blery, the we'll
known detective officer, who came to me mo
later than last night, and submitted to me
tracings exactly like these. l told him what
have told you now"
What could this mean9-Biery? I had
heard the name somewhere; III connection
with some case, thought. A ''welllznown
detective officer" This was worth looking
into.
Monsieur will pardon the singularity of
the question" said, "but this M. Blery-is
he a little man, sharp-featured, who wears
gray coat?'
''You describe NJ. Berry" said the great
Orientalist with a smile. ''Good evening, M.
Marsal, and good issue to your labors for
your friend! By the way, your friend had
book of mine-an English book"
''Ah, pardon, Monsieurl I had forgotten
about the book-forgotten even that it came
from you. Since that night when you gave
it to Girard, my mind has been SO occu-
pied"
vais, kindly, 81 understand. At your con-
venience return the book-at your con-
venience. Good-eveningr'
That night sent letter to NJ Blery, Rue
Jerusalem, asking him to meet with me on
the morrow, either at the prefecture of po-
lice or at the Rue Dauphine, in connection
with the affair of the Passage de Mazarin.
CHAPTER x
Before ten o'clock next morning M. Blery
had appeared. He was a little man, very
shabbily dressed, with napless felt hat and
q gray overcoat, the sleeves of which were
made too short, yet revealed no linen. His
features were thin and sharp; his eyes were
keen and restless; his mouth was habitually
pursed as though secrets must ooze out If he
opened it.
He came up to me quickly, bowed, and cast
glance around him which seemed to take in
myself, the room and all it's contents in Sec
ond of time
''M Marsala-Ah Then have the honor
to salute the gentleman who assaulted my
friend Ply, is it not sos'
confessed to this with smile, but pleaded
that the assault had been involuntary-that I
lad not known it was the friend of Monsieur.
mo NATTER" said M. Blery; ''and what,
then, does Monsieur think of the exploit of
my friend Py?-the achievement that has
covered him with glorys"
HYou mean the arrest of M. Girard?'
"Certainly! that is what mean"
sSince Monsieur asks me, think that his
- e4o1-o 4l,a4
"a. Won. I have some hope that Monsieur may
be I, If the same opinion!'
M. Blery gave me crafty look out of his
little sila1-p eyes, then he said, slowly:
"My friend Ply is very clever man; he has
GREAT sgacity, and brain-ah, admirablel
But he / elieves too much in his good fortune.
All. Mon Ieur, one should never believe in
that nv friend Ply goes to the native town
of the m ordered man; he finds out the
nenhew,s n, une-cones back to Paris; finds
out his dc micie-comes here; finds the
nephew him. self, asleep, no wrist-button in
one of his slee ves-arrests him. All, it is all
so simple, SO tasyl No, things should not
happen SO in our line; when they do, one
should saw to hi. nself, halt!-this goes on too
ymootbly-the Sc co1d step is seen almost be-
fore the first is ta.ten-it is one piece of luck
after another-be,vare Of a trickl Ply did
not do this; he trusted his good fortune, and
you see! Yes, it issas Monsieur says, he has
made a mistake"
'sYou have, then, been following the case,
NJ. BleryT'
sI have made inquiries, +" said the detective,
still very slowly, and giving me curious,
cunning look as he spoke-''yes, have made
INQUIRIES. I have even reached certain
point in the case, but I can go no further"
"For want of evidence"
:'No, Monsieur, not at all For want of
money!"
"AIl That isall? Well, If money iswanted
it will be Forthcoming. And If M. Girard's
innocence were established this would become
valuable document, is it not 500"
The detectives eyes twinkled as he read the
paper signed by Raoul, offering a reward Of
twenty thousand francs for the detection Of
the criminal He did not ask where the
money was to come from.