The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-09-14
The Treasure Of FPanchard.
By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER vi.

The next morning there was most I'M
usual cutlery in the doctors house. The last
thing before going to bed, the doctor had
locked up some valuahles in the dining room
cupboard; and behold, when he rose again,
Us he did about O'clock the cupboard had
been broken open and the valuables in ques-
ton had disappeared Madame and jean
Marie were summoned from their rooms, and
appeared in hasty toilets; they found the
doctor raving, calling the heavens to witness
and avenge his injury, pacing the room bare
footed, with the tails of his night shirt flirt-
ing as he tui'Aed,
"Goner he said; "the things are gone, the
fortune gone! We are paupers once more.
Boy what do you know of this, Speak up,
sir, speak up. Do you know of it! Where
are theyf' He had him by the arm, shaking
him like II bag, and the Loy's words, If he
had any were iolted forth in inarticulate
numbers The doctor, with revulsion from
his own violence, set him down again. He
observed Anastasie in tears. "Anastasie,"
he said, in quite an altered voice, compose
yourself, command your feelings. / would
not have you give way to passion like the
vulgar. This--this trihing accident must be
lived down. Jean-Marie, bring me my
smaller medicine chest. A gentle laxative is
indicated"
And he dosed the family all round. leading
the way himself with double quantity. The
wretched Anastasie, who had never been i'll
in the whole course of her existence, and
whose soul recoiled from remedies, wept
floods of tears, as she slipped, and shuddered,
and protested. and then was bullied and
shouted at until she slipped again. AS for
Jean-Mare, he took his portion down with
stoicism.
81 have given him less amount" OBJ
served the doctor, "his youth protecting
him against emotion. And now that we
have thus parted any morbid consequences,
let us reason"
81 am so cold," walled Anastasie.
"Cod!" cried the doctor. IL give thanks
to God that | am made of fierief material.
Why, madame, blow like this would set a
frog into Transportation. If you are cold
you can retire; and, by the way, you might
throw me down my trousers. 1t is chilly for
the legs"
ooh, mol" protested Anastase; 81 will stay
with you"
NAY, madame, you shall not suffer for
your devotion" said the doctor. III will my
self fetch you shawl" And he went up
stairs and returned more fully clad and with
an armful of wraps for the shivering An
astasie "And now," he resumed, ''to inves-
tigate this crime. Let us proceed by induc-
ton. Anastasie, do you know anything that
can help us!' Anastasie knew nothing. "Or
you, jean Marie!'
mot l." replied the boy steadily.
Good" returned the doctor. ''We shall
now turn our attention to the material evil
dences Il was born to be detective: I have
the eye and the systematic spiritD First vio-
lence has been employed. The door was
broken open; and it may be observed in pass
ing, that the lock was dear indeed at what l
paid for it.: crow to pluck with Master
Goguelat. Second. here is an instrument en-
ployed, one of our own table knives. one of
our best, my dear; which seems to indicate
no preparation on the part of the gang-if
gang it was. Thirdly. / observe that nothing
has been removed except the Franchard
dishes and the casket; our own silver has
been infinitely respected. This is WHY it
shows intelligence, a knowledge of the code,
a desire to avoid legal consequences. | argue
from this fact that the gang numbers persons
of ability-outward, of course, and
merely outward, as the robbery proves. But
| argue second, that we must have been OBJ
served at Franchard itself by some occult OBJ
server, and logged throughout the day with
a skill and patience that | venture to qualify
as consummate. No ordinary man, no occa-
sional criminal, would have shown himself
capable of this combination We have in our
neighborhood, it is far from improbable, a
retired bandit of the highest order of intelli-
gence."
Good heaven" cried the Mortified Anas-
TASTE Henri, how can you'll"
'My cherished one, this is a process of in
duction," said the doctor. IF any of my
steps are unsound correct me. You are 81
lent. Then do not, | beseech you, be so
vulgarly illogical as to revolt from my con-
clusion We have now arrived" he re-
sumed, lat some idea of the composition of
the gangfor incline to the hypothesis of
more than one-and we now leave this room,
which can disclose no more, and turn our at
tention to the court and garden. jean
Marie, ! trust you are Observantly following
my various steps; this is an excellent piece
Of education for you) Come with me to the
door, No steps on the court; it is unfortun-
ate our court should be paved On what
small matters hang the destiny of these deli
cate Investigations! Hey! What have we
here? | have led you to the very spot, he
said, standing grandly backward and indi-
eating the green gate. IAN escalade, as you
can now see for yourselves, has taken place. y
Sure enough, the green paint was in several
places scratched and broken; and one of the
panels preserved the print of nailed shoe.
The foot had slipped, however, and it was
difficult to estimate the size of the shoe, and
impossible to distinguish the pattern of the
nails.
1.-THE whole robbery" concluded the doctor,
''step by step, has been reconstructed.
Inductive science can no further 60"
sit is wonderful" said his wife. You
should have been a detective, Henri. l had
no idea of your talents"
''My DEAR" said Desprez, condescendingly
"a man of scientific imagination combines
the lesser faculties; he is detective just as
he is pubicist or general; these are but
local applications of his special talent But
now,' he continued, ''would you have me GO
further? Would you have me lay my finger
on the culprits-or rather, for | cannot
promise quite so much, point out to you the
very house where they consorts 1t may be
a satisfaction, at least it is all we are likely
to get, since we are denied the remedy of
law. / reach the further stage in this way.
In order to fill my outline of the robbery,
require man likely to be in the forest
idling, require a man of education, re-
Quire man superior to considerations OF
morality. The three requisites all center in
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