Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-29

John Andrews"
Your friends name?"
Pardon me. madame, I will confide that
to NJ. Droubet.'
She nodded. and glanced at doorway at
the back of the little room.
Come tomorrow at o." she said. and
turned to her book with an unmis taxable
air of dismissal.
hood walked through an allsy and salts
fed myself that the building contained a
rear room much larger tan the one [ had
seen.
entered the fruit store. and found the lady
settled in the same spot and seemingly as
intensely interested as before in her story
AS she saw me come in she reached for
ward under the counter and 1 heard the
faint tinkle Of a bell some where in the
distance. l remained immovable and soon
heard door opened and closed and the
sound of approaching footsteps. Then the
rear door of the shop opened and a man
appeared in the doorway.
He was a small man, with STOPPING
shoulders, a scraggly beard, and small keen
eyes. which fastened themselves upon my
in low voice:
viii monsieur please step this way?'
bowed and entered the rear room the
man holding open the door and closing il
carefully behind me.
The room I stood in was d,mly lighted
and entirely without furniture 1t was
probably about ten feet deep and directly
back of the first door 1 saw another, but
made OF heavy oak and bound in stout
irGn-a suspscsous-lookingd door, l thought
Nj. Droubet was still searching my face
with his sharp eyes, and l had no chance
to observe further.
What is your WISH m sier?"
l had prepared my story over night and
now answered readily:
I am diamond cutter by profession,
and only lately arrived in Paris 1 was
Ia yyh otrl,y
offer me employment. l assure you--''
stopped abruptly. alarmed at the set
lcok OF NJ. Droubets face. His eyes Were
staring at me with painful fixity and large
drops of persp,ration broke out upon his
forehead. He noticed my surprise, and
drew MS sleeve across his brow, while he
mo.stened his lips with his tongue and le-
Piled:
"a diamond cutter! Surely, m'sier you
are mistaken. What have 1, a poor fruit
erer to do with cutting diamonds? An
error. m sier,' speaking more confidently,
evidently a serious error! May l ask who
sent your
This 1 also was prepared for 1 must
invent some fictitious reference, and as
no one was less likely to be known in
Paris than my sweethearts father, 1 used
his name for convenience. Il was recom-
mended to you by NJ. Jules Croneau."
He gave cry and started back with
an expression of unm:stakable fear upon
his pale face, and 1 was about to improve
my advantage. although 1. too. was sur
prised and mystified when an answering
cry came from the front room.
M Droubet dashed open the door, and
over his shoulder l saw that Mother VI
dcaux'S barrel of cocoanuts was standing
in the middle of the room.
Evidently it had just been delivered to
its cons:gnee, but what arrested my at
tention was the form of the woman ben,l-
irg over the barrel, her hands pressed upon
Der bosom and staring hxedly at the bold
ly written tag of direction.
M. Droubet moved swiftly to her side
and fixed his eyes also upon the tag.
Mon Dieu!' he cried, the warn.ngp'
In an instant she clapped her hanl over
his mouth, but it was too late; the mis-
CHEF was done. AMI she knew it.
She walked calmly behind the counter
Put on q shawl and Dor net, and without
a word passed out into the street and dis
appeared.
Go be concluded tomorrow)