Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-23


 | villainous husband. He had pursued his evil career for long time with impu- nifty, but some time previously he had been captured and proved guilty of the crime of which he was accused. He had been confined in the prison at Lyons, and there she believed him to be until his evil face had appeared before her that morning.
 Such was the story which Marie told | M. Dumont, telling him also what had | passed between herself and NJ. Germenil when he gave her the money, and how it was to avoid telling the sad story which she had just related that she had wished 1 to leave that morning before he could see her to renew his questions. M. Dumont was deeply moved by the story she told him and assured her of his belief in her innocence, saying that he felt convinced now that Macaire and his confederate had murdered M. Ger menil, and that they must leave no stone unturned to prove her innocence He | agreed that there was no need that | Charles should know who his father was. | And he went on:
 II am sure that in keeping this knowl- edge from him and letting his marriage with Clementine go on l will be best carrying out the wishes of my poor friend. Before it takes place, however, l your innocence must be proved. It would not matter so much did no one but our selves know, but it is now indispensable that you should be cleared. Clementine knows nothing as yet, and we will keep the knowledge from her as long as pos sible, in the hope that she may hear the ! charge and its refutation at the same | time. l fear, however, we will be unable to conceal what has transpired and your relationship to Charles more than few hours"
 As he finished speaking Charles came into the room looking very sad, but he quickly cheered up when M. Dumont assured him he was quite satisfied of his mothers innocence and repeated to him what he had just said about his mar riage to Clementine.
 AS to me-" he went on won will always be my son, my boy. You will only be so much the better off because you will have mother too
 But the proofs of Marie's innocence and of the guilt of the real culprits were soon to be made apparent
 Pierre's conscience had been reproach- ing him for his overzeal ever since Ma rie's arrest and the discovery that she was really the mother of M Charles. He felt that it was principally his fault that suspicion had attached to her, and he felt he would like, if possible, to help to clear her of the charge
 He was angry with himself for having been so easily imposed on by the two strangers who turned out to be such villains, and whom he now began to sus- pect of being the real murderers.
 Why, yes, he remembered now that they had had access for a few min utes to the bunch of duplicate keys quite long enough-and he, fool that he was, had never suspected anything Twas surely they who had taken the key of M. Germenils room off the bunch. Tiens. If he could only find it. Well. he would search. So off he went to the room which the strangers had occupied and there instituted thorough search.
 There was not a corner of the room he did not thoroughly ransack-every fold of the window curtains of the bed cur tains, the mattresses, the pillows. He turned up every rug and ran his hand round the seat of every chair. He even examined behind every picture, opened and turned out every drawer and press, but all in vain, and disheart- ened and disappointed he stood look ing vaguely round him at the disor- der he had created, and scratching his head wondered what he would do next, when his eye lighted on the fireplace. There had been no fire, and yet the coal looked as though it had been disturbed. He did not quite take it in at first, and then as the thing formulated itself in his mind he ran to the grate. eagerly re- moved one piece of coal after another and presently. with an exclamation of joy, sprang to his feet with the missing key ill his hand.
 He ran down st&i,. ,i:l burst into the room wher, T. D.;-.uut. Charles and Marie were. and hardly able to speak with excitement cried:
 "M. Charles! not bourgeois. Mime. Marie! It is not you. I mean-I am sure, enfin I have discovered the assas- sins! Here it is!' flourishing the key. With somo difficulty they managed 10 get coherent explanation from him. having heard which NJ. Dumont sent Charles at once in search of Roger. They returned together immediately, and the brigadier, having heard Pierre's story as to where he had found the key, declared he would at once have Macairo and Strop searched to sec if they had any of the stolen money upon them. After short absence he returned, carrying tho stolen notes. Charles on i seeing this proof of his mothers inno- 1 cence was too much overcome to speak and turned to clasp her in his arms, but she had tainted. The shock of this sud- den relief from the terrible accusation which had been hanging over her had | been too much for her overwrought nerves, She soon revived, however, and then came the thought of the wretched man who would have to suffer the pen ] alty of his crime, whose life had been such q tissue of evil deeds and had so blighted her own. She shuddered as she thought that even now chance word might reveal all to Charles.
 The brigadier said that he should now take steps to remove the two prisoners to the gendarmerie, and to that end he should at once send one of his men for a cart and an additional escort, as he did not care to risk anything with such des- perate ruf1ians as these were known to be. It was now getting toward evening, a.1d it would be quite dark by the time the.< had got all done.
 Macaire had submitted in sullen si- lence to be searched by the gendarmes and had not answered so much as by word when they had told him it would be useless any longer to deny his guilt, giving q glance of utter contempt at his miserable companion, who writhed on the floor at their feet, grooming and i'm ploring mercy in the most abject terms.