Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-09-29


"Fourth floor, right nand door,"
ais he at home"
nYes.n
M. Mechinet took step toward the
.taircasc, then seeming to change his
mind, Iurned again to the concierge, say
ing:
| at must treat this worthy Victor to
bottle of good wine. Do you know to
what shop he goes"
tThe one opposite"
We rushed across the street, and M
Mechinet with the air OF customer OF
dered-
zone bottle, if you please, of the best;
the green SEAL"
Upon my honor, that idea had never
occurred to me during all this timei And
yet it was very simple.
The bottle having been brought, my
companion produced the cork found on
NJ. Pigoreau's floor, and it was easy for
us to prove the identity Of the wax.
! Positive certainty was now added to
moral conviction, and NJ. Mechinet
knocked at Victor's door with hrm
hand.
"Come in, called pleasant voice.
The key was in the door. We entered,
and in a very neat room / saw man
about thirty years old, with lslight fig
ure, pale complexion and fair hair, who
was working at bench.
Our presence didn't seem to disturb
him.
NJ. Mechinet advanced, and, seizing
him by the arm, said:
''I arrest you in the name of the law"
The man turned livid, but did not lower
his eyes.
Are you playing trick on meT' he
said inst lently. s'What have I done?"
cbrI,rOeI his SbOnlderS
Don't act like n child" said he, your
account is settled. You were seen to
leave Pere Antenor's rooms, and ] have
in my pocket the cork you used to pre-
vent the point of your dagger from
breaking"
This was like a blow to the rascal's
neck. He sank into his chair, stammer-
ing:
~ am innocent"
Tell that 10 the magistrate" said NJ.
Mechinet, coully, "but ] am afraid he
won't believe you. Your accomplish,
Mouistrol's wife, has confessed III"
Victor started up as if he had been
nloved by n s!ring.
" Impossible!' he exclaimed. " She
knew nothipg''~--
"Then you did 1t alone? Very we'll.
That's so much confessed"
Then addressinI himself to me, like q
man sure of his facts, he continued;
search the drawers, my dear NJ
Godeuil, you'll probably find this fine fel-
lows dagger, and undoubtedly his Dull
cinea's lovc-letters."
The mur1erer's eyes cleaned with rage
and he ground his teeth, but n. Mechi-
:,et's broad shoulders and iron grasp ex-
tinguished all desire TO resist.
found In a bareau: drawer everything
! had kOlH me- 70 axDPct
Twenty minutes after Victor, fneatly
hacked" that is the expression, in a
facrc, between my companion and my
; self, was rolling towards the prefecture
OF police.
''Whatt' said I to myself, bewildered
. by the simplicity Of the scene, ais the ar
rest of an assassin, II man doomed to the
, scafrold, so easy as this?" was to learn
afterwards, to my cost, that there were
more terrible criminals.
Victor, when he found himselfin n cell
broke down and related all the particu
+ | lars Of his crime.
He had known Eere figoreaq a long
, time, he said. His principal object Ii
a numbering him WAS to bring the punish
ment for the crime upon NJ ni>tr"i. That
r was why he had dressed like him ant
been followed By Pluto. When the old
, man was once assassimated, he had haf
the horrible courag" o dip the finger o.
= the corpse in the blood to trace the five
n letters, MoniS, which had nearly DIES
= trnye4 an innocent man.
1T was cleveriy arranged" he said
with cynical boasting, 'lf had sue
% ceeded should have killed two bird
with one stone-,.ot rid of my frtent
4. Monistrol, whom 1 hate, and OF whom
am Jealous, and enriched the woman
love"
:, 1t was simple and terrible, certainly.
y. UNFORTUNATELY, my lad, ;" observed N
Mechinet, "you lost your wits at the las
moment. People are never thorough. I
was the left hand of the body that yo'
dipped in the blood"
Victor started up,
"WhatI' he cried, sis that what be
4 trayed mes"
e Precisely"
The scoundrel raised his arms t
II heaven, with gesture Of an unappre
|, ciated genius.
THAT comes of being a real artistP' h
a cried.
- Then, cycling us from head to foot wit
a plying air. he added:
! '"Pere Pigoreau was left-handed."
- The criminals prompt detection wa
owing to an error in the examination.
y This lesson was not lost upon me.
"a fortunately remembered it in other yer
~ dramatic circumstances.
"a Monistrol was set at liberty the mex
day.
70 When the magistrate reproached hiI
"a for the false confession that had expose
an justice to a terrible error, he could get n
20 answer except;
70 81 love my wife; wanted to sacritic
g. myself for her; believed her guilty"
IN Was she guiltyf would swear 1t.
She was arrested, but acquitted by til
IT, same court that sentenced Victor to tt
galleys for life. -
N. NJ. and Nine. Monistrol now keep
wine-shop of by no means good repute &
n. Vincennes. Their uncle's fortune
squandered, and they are in abject po
RI. erty.
THE END.