The Indianapolis journal., 1889-06-02

such a room. that willnot describe what
/ saw, but come at once to the extraordin-
ary conversation which passed between ME
and the magistrate charged with the in
struction" of my affair"
After he had asked me my name, age, and
profession, and received my answers with
credulOus indifference, he opened drawer
in the table at which he was sitting, took
out an object, and laying it before me. said:
do yOu recognize this jewelf'
Certainly" i answered. lit is my scarf
pin. 1t was taken from me. with all my
other belongings, at the police station this
morning.
Can you tell me when and how this pin
came into your pOssessionf"
There You puzzle me-" / said. Il
don't remember. It's a curious fact"
added, smiling at the Judge, but true.
have no idea where that pin comes from.
l don't remember having bought it,"
WAS it given to yOuW
mo. At least / don't remember ever
having received such a gift"
Perhaps you picked it up in the street."
said the magistrate. with q slight touch of
irony: o!y.. merriam. did rn,. !. al, know
about it; few days ago, in turning over
the contents of an old portmanteau, found
this pin. L did not care very much for its
style, and can only account for my wear
ing it by the fact that dressed in great
hurry on the evening that left London, and
that the first tie that came under my hand
was the one into which had stuck 1T when
found it,"
Have you written that statement'" This
to the clerk.
"Yes. It's all down."
well, then. let us continue. Perhaps
you know when and how you came into
possession of this books" said the magis-
trate, producing volume and laying it be-
Oirs of Able de Croisy,' which had brought
over to Paris with me, and had left in my
valise in the hotel.
"Yes." said. II remember that picked
it up on a bookstall on the Quai des Grands-
Angustins about seven years ago. 1t
About seven years ago?" said the magis-
trate slowly, as if to give his scrivener time
to get my answer written down.
Eyes. 1t was the first bargain | made,
and that gave me taste for book-hunting.
/ got it for two francs, and 1t is certainly
worth two hundred. 1t is the first edi-
Where were you living in Paris seven
years agOw
II don't remember. 1t was some hotel in
the Latin Quarter"
"And what were you doingp
Il was trying my hand at belles-letters."
The magistrate here rose and touched a
bell. To the usher who answered his sum-
mons he gave the order to introduce the
Marquis de- Kergaradec.
1t was the old gentleman who had been
my travelling companion that morning.
He bowed very politely to the magistrate,
and gave me what suppose was meant to
be whitening glance:
Monsieur le Marquis" said the magis-
trate, do you recognize this pinf
II do. 1t is one which belonged to my
late brother, the Comte de Kergaradec. He
brought this stone back from China; and
had it mounted Ill the Rue La Paix. / rec
ognize it all the more easily lnasmuch as
the setting, which is by no means a COM
mon one. was executed from design gave
him."
"And this bookf"
the Count. On the fyleaf is a dedication
from the Abbe to Nine. de Poranouc, our
ancestor in the time of Louis XIV. Besides,
the Kergaradec arms are stamped on the
cover"
Quite satisfactory. These two articles
stolen from the Count, your brother, at the
hotel III Senlis on the night when he was
murderedF
They were. But my declaration to the
police. made at that time. must be still in
existence. / set down the entire contents
of that valise, which i could do all the
more correctly that had packed it my
SELF
THAT declaration is in my hands i only
asked you for the form. Now. monsieur"
continued the magistrate, look at the
prisoner. Do You recognize him!"
I'll saw him for the first time in my life
this morning"
You are certains"
~ ann
now is to sign the paper on which my
greffier has written my questions and your
answers. You can then withdraw"
The Marquis signed and departed. with
another bow to the judge and another
withering glance at me. :,