Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-11

! How Is 1t Tor position on the curtaln?'
asked the detective.
1T should be moved more to the right. >
Cassagne then moved the cross SLOWLY
lengthwise on the table. Once more
Mons Morel. with his eyes fixed on the
moving shadow on the curtain, called
Halt
Come here, Mons. Morel," said Gas
sagne, and see whether you can fnd any
mark on this table at the foot of the
cross
Mons Morel bent his gaze cur1ousIy up
on the smooth surface
Il see nothing" he replied.
Because your eyes, unlike mine, have
not been sufficiently trained. see d small
slitin the table"
| What Of that?"
Once more Mons. Cassagne replied to the
intarrogatory of the artist by Illustration
instead of words. He drew from his
pockets large clasp knife and tied piece
Of wood across the handle. Then he plung-
ed the blade into the slit. The knife
stood upright in the exact position lately
occupied by the wooden cross. It's shadow,
an exact counterpart, fell, precisely at the
same angle upon the window certain.
A sudden CLEAN of intelligence shot
across the face of the artist.
You would imply that Mile. Croizette
was stabbed with just such a knife as that
shadow represents?''
Yes, by knife with cross-piece to it
some o'd-fashiond dagger. When the
two shadows you saw struggling On the
curtain passed from your sight, the MUIR
erer was killing his victim. He withdrew
the blade, all reeking as it was, and stuck
it into the table. It's shadows fell upon
the curtain for few moments are he plu K
ed away and extinguished the light. Lock
here, see where the blood dripped from
the blade
what is the next step?' asked Mons.
Morel
ITO reason as usual from effect to cause.
have not abandoned the Jealous lover
theory, which Mons. Pommard thinks so
untenable. Mile. Croizette was not by any
means the angel she was depicted. Look
heren'
The detective went to the upright piano
and moved it back from the wall Touch
ing a siring door few open. 1t COM
municated with a passageway leading in
to the adjoining house.
Mons Morel was thunderstruck. ''How
did you discover that?'' ne exclaimed.
Il was here this morning eau ly," said
Cassagne, ION my own account and made
complete investigation. Poor men have
been detailed on this case, hitherto. They
should have sounded every inch Of these
walls
Certainly not the murderer of Mile
Crozette. 1t is the Able Froissart He
is famed for his piety and learning. He is
an immaculate person In every respect and
greatly venerated,"
'Um; ah!-perhaps. Tell me, though
How long has he lived in this neighbor-
hood?"
"a bout three years" replied Mons.
Morel.
''Precisely. That is exactly the same
length of time Mile. Croizette resided
here"
How do you know that?'
Because it is my business to know these
things, Monsieur. Mile. Croizette, l
her quarrel with Mons. Chattieu, the rich
banker in the Rue de la Roche"
"What do you propose to do?" asked
Mons. Morel. "Den0unce the Able Frois-
sart as the murderer of Mile. Croizette?"
Such a course" replied Cassagne,
would be the height OF foolishness He
would meet all such accusations with a
calm denial and his reputation would
clear hin. We could prove nothing and
should only cover ourselves with ridicule
know better way than that. II he is
not guilty, what | propose will be simply
regarded as practical joke should it ever
become known. If guilty it will so eff
fectually undermine his nerves, that when
confronted with an accuser he will volun-
tarily confess his crime. | am hungry.
| Let us go now. | will be at your rooms
at II tonight"
At the apr ointed hour, Cassagne knock
ed at Mons Morel's door and was admit
ted. He carried with him a small but ex-
| ceeding y powerful stereopticon. Morel
asked no questions.
About midnight, the Rue de Petits
| Champs became comparatively deserted
Cassagne then placed the stereopticon in
| such a position as to cause a small but
powerful circle of light to fall directly Oh
the window shade of the room occupied by
| the Able Froissart. Running in a small
slide, dagger apparently dripping with
blood, at once stood boldly outlined on the
curtain, and the color of it, as seen in the
mingled glare of the ime-ight and the
street lamps, was blood-red, awful and
awe-inspiring.
Mons. More shuddered The effect was
CHASTITY.
MY Cod" he exclaimed "If were to
wake and see that on my window in the
dead of night, it would drive me mad"
Not if you were innocent, for the inno-
cent sleep; but the eye of the murderer is
seldom CLOSED in the dark The room is
peopled with the image of his victim. 1t
is in every corner. Look, look. Shut off
the light, quickly"
Instantly Mons. Morel threw a heavy
cloth over the stereopticon, just as there
came rushing to the window opposite a
figure, with face as CHASTITY white DIS the
night-robes in which it was enveloped.
One look at that awful, fear-haunted,
blanched and guilty face, convinced both
men that they had found In the Abbe
F'roissart the murderer of Mile. Croizette.
Twice again, at In tervals of an hour or so,
was the same maneuver repeated, with the
same result, until just before dawn, a man,
his nerves utter y broken down, pale,
CHASTITY, looking over his shoulder at every
moment crept from that awful chamber,
where he dared no longer face the symbol
of his dreadful crime.
He did not go far. Hardly had he
turned into the Rue he Rivoli when the
hand of the law was on his shoulder.
mons. Able Froissart. | arrest you
for the murder of Mile. Croizetter'
The wretch at once broke down, and
confessed everything. In fit of ungov-
ernable JEALOUSY he had stabbed the dan
seuse for resuming her former relations
with Mons Chattieu, the banker The
Able Suffered death by the gullotine.
Cassagne found the dagger where the
murderer had hidden it under an old stair