The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-05
eG.AU1Noe c'X6fhTLElNns o.. FRANCE"
Copy right. 1896. by Stanley J. weymsn.

he said. well, the dog is in that
closet: and on two conditions 1t Is at
your service"
Amazed before. stared at him now
in a stupor of astonishment.
You are surprised?' he said. yer
| the case is of the simplest. We stole
| the dog, and therefore we cannot re-
store it without incurring suspicion.
| You on the other hand, who are known
| to the bishop and did not steal it, may
safely restore it. l need not say that
we divide the reward: that is one or
| the two conditions
"And the other?" | stammered.
THAT you refresh your memory as
to the past" he answered lightly. IF
| have the tale rightly you saw man
convey a dog to this house an empty
| house i'm a lonely suburb. You watched.
and saw the man leave. and followed
him; he took the alarm, fled, ana
dropped in his flight the dogs coat
think / see it there. ON that you hur-
ried with the coat to monseisneur ana
gave him the address of the house.
and"
"And the dog" | exclaimed.
mo. Let monseigneur come ana
find the dog for himself" he answered,
smiling. 'In the closet"
felt the blood tingle through all
my limbs. "Butsif he comes, and does
not find it," ! cried.
The stranger shrugged his shoulders.
He will find it," he said, coolly. And
slightly raising his voice. he called
"Flore. Flore!" For answer the dog
whined behind the door, and scratched
the panels and whined again.
The stranger nodded, as well pleased.
"rhere," he said. you have it? 1t is
there and will he there. And | think
that is all. only keep two things in
mind, my friend. For the first, a per
son will claim our share of the reward
at the proper time; for the second. l
would be careful not to tell monseig-
neur. the president of the council
again | caught Il faint note of irony
the true story, lest "a worse thing hap
pen"' And the stranger with very
ugly smile touched his throat.
II will mott" | said, shuddering.
"Then-then. l think that is ALL" he
answered briskly. And | may say
farewell Until we meet again adieu.
NJ. Prosper" And setting on his hat
! with polite gesture, he turned his
| back to me, went out into the sunlight.
passed to the left, and vanished. i
| heard the garden door close with "a
crash, and then, silence-silence,
broken only by the faint whine of the
dog. as it moved in its prison.
Was l alone? ] waited awhilet be-
fore | dared to move; and even when
! found courage to rise, stood listening
with Il beating heart, expecting a foot
fall on the stairs or that something
| knew not what-would rush on me
from the closed doors of this mys-
terious house. But the silence endured: {:
the sDarrows outside twittered, the
cricket renewed it's chirp. and at length
drawing courage from the sunlight, /
moved forward and lifted the dogs
coat from the floor. Five minutes later
] was in the streets on my way to the
bishops hotel. the morsel OF velvet
tucked under my girdle.
! have since thought that I did not
fully appreciate the marvel that had
happened to me. But by this time i
was light headed. I went my way as a
man moves in IA dream. and even when
| came to the door of the hotel, suf-
fered none of those qualms which must
have shaken me had l been sensible. L
did not even question how / should
reach mOnseigneur. which proves that
We often delude ourselves with vain
fears, and climb obstacles where none
exist. For as it happened. he was de-
scending from his coach when / entered
the yard. and though he raised his
gold-headed staff at sight of me. and
in a fury bade the servants oust me,
! ndt tnt pdSSiOIl IL Ilot tHt VII W wave
the velvet coat in his face, and cry my
errand before them all
Heaven knows at that there was such
a sudden pause and abOut-face as must
have made the stolen dog laugh had it
been there. Monseigneur in high eX
element bade them bring me in to him.
the secretary whispered in my ear that
he had a cloak would replace the one
| had lost, "a valet told me that my
wife was gone to her fathers. IA sec
ond brought me food and nudged me
to remember him, Others ran and
fetched me shoes and a cap: and all
all from the head clerk, who was most
insistent, dOwnwards, would know
where the dog was.
But had even then the sense to keep
my secret, and would tell my story
only to the bishop. He heard it; I'm ten
minutes he was i'm his coach ON his
way to the house, taking me with him.
His presence and the food they had
given me had sobered me somewhat:
and I trembled as we went along lest
the villains had some disappointment