Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-07-25
CHAPTER XIV.
CUNNING MEETS CUNNING


Before quitting Paris, Dick wrote perhaps
+, the first deliberate and eold-bloeded lie Of
his life. 1t was contained in a brief note to
| Lydia that ran thus:
| ~ am Mortified to hear from Baudray Of
the abduction of the Princess Natalie. What
does it means 1t is the most daring, and at
the same time dastardly and outrageous,
thing have ever heard. l have written
my friend, Mr.. Fairfax, about it, and pre-
sumo my letter will reach him soon after his
arrival in America. | see, by the way, that
his name is in the list of passengers that
sailed from Havre, via the Vile de Lyons
on the 29th inst.-the very day before the
abduction.
'tPoor Fairfax, hope some day he may
attain his wish-tO become a man of inflUi-
ence. Bis has been peculiarly annoying
and trying career 1 shall often think of
him far away in that quiet little village of
Drifton, in Pennsylvania. Please God, we
shall have him here in q year or two again,
although he says not"
This depression in his letter upon the sub
ject of Fairfax, the unselfish Richard had
inserted TO please his own whim. The first
paragraph of the note was really Fairfax
own composition.
Oxford said he had observed his friends
name in the list of passengers who sailed
from Havre by the g Vile de Lyons u on the
10Th INST
So, too, had Jean Lonvait, the detective,
for that individual, failing to make any
headway in his efforts to convict Oxford
and the valet, had turned his attention to
Fairfax.
There it stood in clear black and white
"Arthur Fairfax, Drifton, Pennsylvania
And, what is more, one of the wharf off
lcials said he himself had seen Mr.. Fairfax
lgo on board ut the last minute before the
isteamer's departure, and had observed him
on the vessels deck as it moved off.
| tHere again the tireiess conspirator's
forethought had planned to his gain. TAX
ing the utmost advantage of Mr. Ncbbitt's
offer of assistance, he had made arrange
ments by which one of the officers of the
"Namovna " secured passage to New York
from Havre, and registered as Mr.. Fairfax.
AT New York the officer expected to meet
tho yacht, a day or two after his own ar
rival therel,
Foiled again, Louvait now turned his at
tention to the discovery Of the vessel by
which the conspirators had evidently
escaped. After numerous mistakes and tho
pursuit of false clews. he at last hit upon
what he was convinced must be the right
one.
y de-
have found it, quoth he to himself
But, alas, for his pains, the sfNamovna -
after Fairfax's conversation with Nebbitt
had been ordered to steam direct for the
harbor OF Brest on the extreme northwest
ern coast Of France Leaving that port
with the publicly announced intention of
sailing directly westward for New York,
she once again, when out of sight of Brest,
turned Numerically back upon her course
and sailed for the island off Chateau Neuf.
lwhence--as we have read-she proceeded
to America with the abducted girl.
"So can't prove it was the .Namovna,' u
iaised 1ouvait, sadly, "a for there stands
THE opposing proof that she was far at sea,
stcaming to America, when the deed was
committed
He confessed himself defeated at all
points. His penetration and instinct had
shown him plan by which he believed that
the Princess had been abducted. Yet, be-
cause this theory, when practically applied,
failed TO work, he refused to reject it. He
only confessed that Fairfax had outwitted
bum a. every STEP
In G !aw-eourt 1t would be quite irnpossi.
bic to prove any thing whatever against the
latter. Tc convict the abductors was work
of time, Louvait saw. He must wait and
work In silence He declined to accept any
other theories broached with regard to the
famous case, being perfectly satisfied with
his own.
As soon IS he came TO the conclusion that
twas useless TO do any thing except watch
and wait, fearful lest any one-Leroi, for In
stance might anticipate him, he wrote 9
note to the Minister of Police Upon the ex
terior was the direction:
sNot 70 be opened until the abauctors @.
1.-THE Princess Natalie shall have been capt
ured, being the theory of Jean Isosivait as Il
the abduction and the ahduetorsn
Then followed the speculation This, b
tee main, 80 ysen agreed with the reality O
u cdte, that il could scarcely have bee,