Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-07-19
SHAD0WED.

Mime. dC POuChcl'S carriage stopped al
the corner of the Avenue dc Mossine.
Madame herself drew up the little cur.
tain behind her and looked out. Hiding in
the opening Of q doorway, in an attitude
of watchful jealousy she perccivod-her
husband. She had been followed.
At this discovery Nine. du Pouchel ex-
perienced u thrill Of indignation. She
adored her husband; she was very happy
with him, but having nothing with which
to rcproach herself she was inCensCd by
this jealousy always on the alert, by this
constant suspicion.
1t annoyed her to be made thus an OBJ
iect of the most odious surveillance.
"Ah, you are following moP' she ex-
claimed to herself in an irritated tone.
I"You have no confidence in me; you are
afraid to trust your honor to my affections
you would like to prevent my doing what
want to do, although l don't want to do
anything wrong. Very well, then. There
shall be war between us; we shall sec who
is going to lose most by this regime Of in
QUESTION"
And sho had herself driven at once to
the Office of the project of police.
borough, friend Of her family and an ad
mirer of herself. Thanks to this rare com
bination of circumstances, she was only
kept waiting whilo her card was being
sent in.
M. le Prefet. she said
"Welll" he exclaimed. "This visit
alarms me; nothing very serious, hope?"
1T is really nothing at oil, but it is
something that must have Can count
on your"
"Oh, my good will without reserve, on
ly you know that the police can do moth
ing. 1t is necessary to have police in Or
der to reassure honest people, but between
u.s.
"Will you promise me to do 1t If you
cam"
II swear it. -
"You must let me have a detective to
follow my husband.
What are you dreaming OFF, cried the
project in CONSERVATION "That can't be
done"
1T was not advice, but service you
promised me. / want q detective who
will follow my husband all day, wherever
he goes, without leaving him for mo-
ment do not know whether 1t could be
done cleverly."
ooh, you may rest assured of that"
II shall not be sorry if my husband sees
him." she continued
Twill you allow me to say
mot word. You are my friend, or you
are not. l am going to prove It'll Yes or
no? Choose
Il shall be obliged to do as you wish,
butt
Tomorrow then, gleefully, there will
be detective on his track.
"Yes, tomorrow then. will write tho
order in your presence"
"That is fine; you are a project Of po-
lice. L shall be indebted to you all my
life"
Tho next day Armand du Pouchel en-
countered several times an individual, of
suspicious appearance, who was dressed IN
a threadbare overcoat, with the rosette of
the Legion of Honor, no gloves, huge
cane and broad brimmed hat which
seemed made to reveal to himself alone
the profession of its wearer.
"Is that what they call the secret po-
lice?" said Armand to himself gayly. Then
he reflected that such persons are probably
false agents, employed to distract the at
tention while tho true police operate by
means less evident. But it was not long
before he asked himself whom the man
was watching. He observed him more at
tentively, and at the end of the day he had
no further doubt upon the subject-it was
he himself who was being Swallowed.
"You don't know what has happened to
me2" he said to his wife on returning to
the house. 1.-THE police are having me
watched"
"Indeedp' replied Nine. du Pouchel,
with difficulty restraining laugh. "That
is nothing to you; you have nothing to
hide"
ooh, it's a matter Of perfect indifRer-
ence to me, " and he thought no moro of it.
But throughout the succeeding week he
still perceived his pursuer, and little by
little he began to find this espionage
strange, tiresome, perplexing and exasper-
ating What were they after and how long
was it going to lastP
However honest man may be, he has
always some little thing with which to
reproach himself. But one wishes also to
preserve ones personal independence.
With this man at his heels everything be-
came difficult