Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-03
CHAPTER II.

The old housekeeper, Mother Dondaine, as
 she was called, at her usual hour began her
 duties in the little cottage which had been in
 Eabited by Larouette. As she went about
 shc discovered, somewhat to her surprise
 that the windows were open, and when she
 had finished dusting and sweeping she went
 to arrange Larouette's room. But she stood
 petriied upon the threshold, with her eyes
 starting from her head, as she saw stretched
 upon the floor in tho midst of the
 broken and disordered furniture, the secre-
 tary open and apparently riHed, her master dead with ball in his breast. Everything pointed to murder and not suicide. The first emotion passed, Mother Dondaine
 regained her coolness. Shc bent over the in. animate form of Larouette and felt for signs of life, but saw at once that there was but c rigid corpse before her. and she ran as fas, as her years would permit to the police sta tion, telling every one she met on the way oi her terrible discovery. An hour later M Lacroix, the commissary of police at Yer sailles, arrived with Dr. Martinaud, of Vile d'Avray. The two men and the woman en-
 tered the house, while crowds gathered around it.
 M. Lacroix questioned Mother Dondaine but she could give him no information. @Do you know," said he, 1whether M. La, lu
 his secretary"
 q do not, sir. He was not a man to con. flde his business secrets to any one.n M Lacroix made search of the premises while the doctor examined the body. @The victim defended himself,n said he @Look, here are traces of finger nails and other marks which prove that they have tried first to strangle him, and because hs did not die quick enough they finished him
 with pistol shot, which proves that we ars not in presence of the deed of a vulgar assassin, but man in haste to finish, and who must have lost his head, for a detona, tion in the middle of the night is very i'm prudent. The house is not isolated The Villa Montalais is but two steps from here
 If M. or Mime. Laroque or their servants were not in bed they must have heard the pistol shot,"
 "I will question them directly. Can you give any idea of how long he has been deadr "He must have been dead since between Ii and 12 o'clock. The murderer doubtless used a small pocket pistol. Here is the ball, which found in the heart. Death must have beer instantaneous" And the doctor gave Lacroix the bit of fattened lead. Lacroix had mads package of all the papers in the desk, and
 they prepared to leave. aWe have nothing
 more to do here" he said, and they closed tn: doors and went to the house of Roger Laroque. When Victoria announced NJ. La croix Henriette grew deathly pale @Greai God!" thought she, "do they suspect already r At this thought she felt as if death had seized her, and she gathered her courage and crepi into the parlor as though weighed down by | an invisible burden, yet resolved to bear it. Excuse me, madame. for troubling you
 but last night, here at a few steps from you house, was committed dreadful crime. A
 man was assassinated, doubtless for the pur
 pose of robbery, and have come to ask feu questions of you"
 "Of me, siri What can tell your l TO BE CONTINUED.