Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-03

t,on of the person who had ordered the key to
be fabricated, and directed me to discover the
locksmith."
ssAnd you made inquiries!" prompted Bile
nv. whose aide spoke in a mOnotonous voice,
with the infection of one who repeats lesson
by rote.
~ begin by consulting the directory and
visiting all the Iocksmiths within the radius.
No result. l widen my circle; still no result.
| begin again by inquiries into the private life
of certain lockslniths. VINO are in the habit Of
doing work at home; still there is no clew l
begin to despair of satisfying Monsieur, when
| make lucky find. Passing along the Rue
St. Louis observe small shop whose shut
tiers are closed its exterior is freshly painted;
above the door is a sign: Il. Benoit, Lock
smith ! make inquiries. l learn from the
neighbors that Renoit is a young man, very
sober, very industrious, who came from Lin
oges to Paris about three months ago and
opened this shop. About fortnight ago he
had injured his hand with one of his tools,
and had been taken to the Hotel Dieu for
proper treatment. | conjecture that this may
be our man; the fact Of his shop being so re-
Gently opened accounts for his name not being
in the directory. l go to the Hotel Dieu, but
am told that | cannot see him; he is suffering
from blood poisoning and is very i'll I ask
who is the doctor attending him, and am
informed that it is the Doctor de Bourbon. NJ.
de Bourbon, as Messieurs will remember,
was one of the medical witnesses at the inquiry
into the murder of Meissner. | see him. | tell
him that my mission is connected with the
affair of the Passage de Mazarin. NJ. de
Bourbon takes an interest in that affair; he
allows me to see his patient This is Be
motifs story: About month after he had
opened his shop-that is, about two months
ago-on dark and wet night, gentleman
drove up to his door in cab and came into
his shop. The gentleman asked him whether
he could, in less than an hour, fabricate key
exactly like one which he showed him. The
key was of simple construction. Benoit said,
Yes easily and at once went to work. The
gentleman waited. He was a foreigner of
that Benoit is certain, but cannot guess the
country to which be belonged. He was in
evening dress, and wore fur cloak. The
locksmith noticed specially his dark eyes
and sallow complexion; could indentify the
stranger if he met him again, especially if he
heard him speak. When Benoit had finished
the key, which he did in half an hour, the
stranger gave him three francs, the sum
asked, and at once drove away. l showed
Benoit the key of Meissners room, now lying
Oh that bureau; ne declared it to be the same
size and shape as the one which had served
him for model"
Here Pilotin stopped, as If he had run
down.
lis this Benoit available as a witnesss
asked Sapinaud, who like myself had listened
with close attention to Pilotin's narrative.
IN. de Bourbon says that he will live,
answered Pilotin tersely.
''Messieurs,n said Blery, ''you have heard
now you shall s->-Pilotin, fetch cab. We
are on the eve of a discovery"
We took our seats in the conveyance with.
out asking any questions. Sapinaud and
exchanged glance which said, Let us leave
the revelation to II. Blery; he has an eye fol
dramatic effects.
Pilotin mounted on the box; I noticed that
he carried q short crowbar The coachman
had evidently received his directions before
hand He drove us up the steep, narrow
Rue st. Jacques, into the very heart of the
Latin Quarter. He stopped at last where the
Rue St Jacques intersects the Rue Cujas, at
pork-butcher's shop, with the name Pajol
over the door Pilotin alighted, and held
open the door Of the cab while we got out.
NJ Blery entered the pork butchers shop
and presently reappeared with N. Pajol, fat
faced and blue aproned.
''Messieurs, said Blery, an. Pajol will
now take us to the room of that tenant of his
who, since Christmas Day, has disappeared y
NJ. Paio bowed, smiled biandly, rubbed his
fat hands, and led us up the dark, moldering
staircase.
When we had reached the sixth story Sapi-
maud and paused to take breath. "a little
higher, Messieurs, if you pleased" said NJ.
Biery We toiled up with many stuInblings
after the detectives. until we reached the gar
rets, in the very top Of the roof. The stair
way leading to these was little better than a
ladder. where the hands had to assist the feet
of the climber.
This is the door" said Pajol.
Pilotin took big bunch of keys from his
pocket and tried them one after another; none
fitted
mo matterw said Blery. ''See, place the
crowbar here-now, a little force-and
presto, we have the door opened"
Sapinaud and I followed the detectives into
tie room, Pa jol bringing up the rear. The spec.
tacle which met our eyeS was a strange one
The small window in the roof, thickly coated
with CRIME and SCOT, admitted only a very
! feeble light into the garrett deep layer OF
dust rested on everything. In the centre OF
the garrett stood a brazier, filed with char
coal ashes On the wretched truckle-bed lay
heap of clothes, as if they had been thrown
hastily down Three large travelling trunks
occupied about half the entire space of the
! chamber.
We looked on in wonderment while the de
tectives made business-like inspection of the
room before touching anything.
Suddenly Pajol plucked Blery's sleeve, and
pointing to the charcoal-brazier-'It was
| with that same brazier he did it'll" he whis-
| pered
! Blerv nodded ''Now, Pilotin," he said
''let us begin our search.-Approach, Mes
sieurs, if you please. | have the idea that
among these clothes here pointing to those
on the truckle-bed-''we shall, perhaps, make
discovery"
| Sapnlaud and l drew near, ard looked on
curiously. The clothes consisted of dress
! suit. a fur paletot, and crush hat. Blery
! felt the breast pocket of the coat, and, with
! smile of triumph, drew out dagger sheath
made of green silk and lacquered wood, in
shape like closed fan.
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