Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-05-13

last night l picked it up, to return it to its
owner. / was idly lingering the pages,
thinking Of the visit ] had just paid to N.
Beauvais, and Of the information he had
given me regarding the words craven on the
laggers and their meaning. All at once it
dashed through my mind that here, in this
Yery book, l had seen something-I could
lot recall distinctly what, but still l was sure,
omething-which connected itself in my
mind with the words Erdnescence and H.
usion. l searched through the book; at last
found this paragraph, which ! translate
TLAKUNA, THE THREE SIGNS: There are
Mree Things on ,chich the mind of the
Ascetic ought to d,ceu .forerer;; Anitya.
Eronescence; Anotmd, Illusion; Dukha,
Sorrop These three Signs belong to every
s.cisting thing
"Here, YOU will OBSERVE are three words
taken from the sacred writings of the Bud
dhists-the mystic number Three. We find
the word for Evanescence inscribed on one
iagger-blade; the word for Illusion on an
other. What is the natural assumption? Is
it not that the smith Tokotaru in Yeddo
forged three daggers, on each Of which he
chased one of these mystic words? If Mon
sieur succeeds, as I do not doubt he will, in
finding the dealer in curiosities to whom
Girard sold his weapon, 1 venture to predict
that he will find craven beside the flower on
its blade the remaining sign of the three-the
word for Sorrow
"Admirablel" said NJ. Blery again; ''Mon-
sieur, this is more than ingenious; it is sub
tile. You call your discovery ahappy.chance;
doubtless, to certain extent, it was so. But
the inference you draw from it-ah, that Is
quite another thing! 1t is, repeat, admira-
BILE; Monsieur should certainly have been q
detective!''
disclaimed the compliment; but M. Blery
politely insisted that it was deserved, and as
sured me that, had l only had the proper train.
ing, might have reached a grade in the pro-
fession scarcely second to his own.
'Your discovery" he said, supplies an
important link in the chain of evidence. The
theory of the crime which we have both of
us formed, each independently of the other,
determines the line Of action to be followed.
1 shall begin to-day; before week is over, if
our theory proves correct, shall have laid
my hand ON the assassin"
gave NJ. Blery little roll of notes; I had
contrived to borrow some money for this
special purpose. When apologized for the
smallness of the amount
''Do not speak of it." said M. Blery; 'sthis
| criminal, as hope to do L receive five thou.
sand francs from the authorities, twenty
thousand francs from your friend-a suff
ciert reward. Besides, l take an interest in
7 TIE csfse, N NJ. 6irsad, and in tina charming
| young lady, his betrothed. And shall have
| q satisfaction, | confess it, in Overthrowing
the theory of my friend Py. All, it will be
beautiful beautiful A child might see the
difference between our methods. Is it not so
! MonseurF'
Certainly. The judge and your friend
| Py start from the assumption of Girard's
guilt; we start from the assumption OF bis
| innocence.
''Oh, 10. Monsieur" exclaimed M. Blery
| whom this answer seemed to disappOlnt
greviously-''no We start from no assump-
ton; we assume nothing. 1t is this; let me
explain: Py and the judge look out for facts
! to support their theory; we discover facts
and construct our theory from them. Py
says it is all easy, simple, straightforward,
the evidence lies at your hand; we say, no, il
is complex, difficult, obscure; you have to 60
in search of the evidence, possibly far"
SO saying, NJ. Blery bowed himself out
taking with him the key of Meissners door
and the tracings of the daggers, and promis-
ing tc communicate with me at the end of IL
days, if not sooner. l did not inquire what
his plan was; L could see that he would have
disliked such a question. And l had now
great confidence in NJ. Blery.
TO BE CONTINUED.