Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-10-19
A. MAN OF TWO LIVES.

Before his dcath-tho result Of solitude
and old age-Jcan Fcrncy kept a dingy
little shop in q certain street near the Rue
Chariot, Paris. 1t was not respectable
ghborhood-indecd the police consid-
cred it very questionable one, though no
crime was ever committed there Perhaps
its i'll rCputc was due to the reticcnce of
its inhabitants and their inclination to at
tend too strictly to their own affairs, to
know or profess to know nothing of their
neighbors, and to have forgotten in u large
measure even their own previous history.
The street was narrow and dark, so
narrow that the sunshine only visited the
pavement while the sun was very near the
meridian, and never succeeded in enter
ing Fcfneys shop farther than the door
Sill. To the right of tic door was a show
window, in which q few old coins and
time stained manuscripts were displayed,
but so covered with dust that it was better
to go within if you should wish to exam
inc them Above the door hung a sign,
81. MaiplaYuct, Expert Chirographist.
Not Jean Fcrncy; oh, mol He had some
years before been seized with an incXplica-
BILE antipathy for that name and changed
it at the same time as his business, place
of residence and wearing apparel, ut the
Same time that he shaved off his mus
tacho, let his beard grow and bleachcd his
hair somewhat. But perhaps we should
not speak of this transformation, as he
never referred to it himself
One day as FGrney, or Malplaquet, to
be more polite, was sitting at his desk de-
ciphering a bit of writing under the light
of his smoky lamp the door opened and
"a man entered. He, too seemed Il rather
secretivc individual, and at the moment
you might have found Il set Of false whisk
ers in his pocket, together with pistol
and q pair of handouts; but that is noi
thor here nor there, for at present he was
without hirsuto adOrnment, he was plain
La Rouche, clad in his ordinary suit of
ministerial black, with his broad felt hat,
as usual, drawn well down over his pierre
ing gray eyes,
Good morning La Rouchc," said Fer
ney, glancing up from his work.
Good morning, Malplaquet, " was the
answer as La Rouche seated himself on
chest at tho side of the desk.
"How is COnstantin and tho detective
force in gencral?'
"Constantin has been missing for the
last thrco days-ono Of his slow but sure
schemes, 1 suppose. He Is interested in
the same case as myself now. Will you in
form mo what sort of person wrote this
scrap, Malplaquct?"
Malplaquct took the paper handed to
him.
"Whore was this unearthod, La
Rouchc?"
at was found in the secret drawer of
the writing desk of the late diplomatist
Jules Forcau. The drawer was discovered
by member of the family only five days
ago."
"The writing" said Malplaquet with
out waiting to comprehend tho answer to
his question in his eagerness to commence
deciphering Il see it bears no date, but
from its state Of preservation, the yellow
stains here in tho right hand corner and
the degree to which the ink has faded it
was written, should judge, about nine
years ago"
Precisely. That was the date of the
doccasc Of the recipient, " said La Rouchc
taking his notebook from his pocket.
Tho characters, " the adept continued,
'are small, Indicating literary tastes. The
peculiar formation of the DIS is undoubted.
ly due to much practice in the writing OF
Greek. The handwriting smacks of the
university, a German university it may be-
since there appears to be slight touch of
German angulurity in the small letters
Tho writer was certainly a scholarly man,
though perhaps a quack in some respects
He was subtle, diplomatic, as is shown by
the indistinct cndings of some of the
words; reticent, shown by the shortness OF
the g and the y. In short, you have man
to deal with, La Rouche-a man.
Another thing which may aid you
This was written by an imperfect hand,
hand mutilatod in some way, q finger
amputated probably.
'Now that we have determined ali that
the chirography can explain, may have
the pleasure of reading the document2"
asked Malplaquet politely. Tho detective
nodded.
To NJ. Jules Foreau:
When this is placed on your study table, your
very dear friend and colleague, Paul Rapin,
will have been dead one hour. His body will
be found lying face downward in the street
near the south end of Pont d'Austerlitz. Nc
signs Of violence will be found He has to all
appearance died Of disease of the heart. The
affair is purely political, assure you. This
letter is to warn you not to attend the assem-.
bly, tomorrow or the day following. OF course
you will not dare in the present state Of the
times TO disclC|' this which havo written,
and to which, therefore, that you may know
instead OF suspect me, without hesitation
atAx my name, FERNEY.
The reading ended.
"Foreau went to the assembly the day
following" said La Rouche. "And died
of heart disease the same evening"" added
Malplaquet, smiling.