Middletown transcript., 1897-01-02
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a keyhole, and meeting me just as
have made mistake in MY room, you
suspicious have been not unnaturally
aroused. Still if you are the chival
rous gentleman your appearance pro-
claims you TO he, you will accept tht
word of a lady when 1 assure you thai
/ have never been to Switzerland and
that have never used the name Of
Cambria; and you will permit me tC
pass out"
sThat is not my intention. You
are in error when you say [ saw
the Young woman only once through a
keyhole, for the lady with the surgical
scissors sat opposite to me both The
day before and the morning after pass
ing her night in the unusual operation
1 have described. Nor have the least
intention Of letting you leave thisroom
until you restore to Mrs. Yates the
money you have stolen from her,
At these words Madame completely
changed her tone, and replied, in low
voice.
tCertainly the name of the sheep,
which your protegee, Mrs. Yates, so
aptly bestowed upon you (for you must
have heard her if you understand Eng
lish) is most applicable. You must be
silly sheep indeed if you think that,
granting I had stolen the purse, 1
should be afraid of risking my liberty
Ito say nothing of the money!, when
you have no evidence whatever to con-
meet me with the theft"
''As to yeur risking your liberty,
you can be easy upon that score. am
not your judge, nor do take upon my
self the task Of bringing the dishonest
to punishment; but here is country
woman of my own in great distress
through your act. She is a foolish,
woman, no doubt, and her remarks
about me were not complimentary; but
that is no reason why I should not
help her out of the difficulty into-which
you have brought her.n
"Ahl" said Madame, raising her eye
brows, show stupid l am not to see
your hope to get your share of the
money, but then with that face how
could 1 read your true character? Let
me tell you, however, you, too, are a
poor physiognomist if you think will
give you anything"
'We shall see; do not care to waste
further time in explanation. and give
you two minutes to land over the
money" So saying, he pulled out his
watch.
"And tell you at once you can call
up the hotelkeeper and do your wo rst,
and you will then learn that it may be
dangerous business to make charge
without little of evidence to support
it,n
The Pink Sheep looked at her steadily
for moment. 81 think you are not
French in spite Of you good accent. 1
may be wrong, but 1 should take you
for an Italian; still, assume you know
something of the French law. In an
other minute I shall ring the bell and
tell the servant to ask gentleman
from the Bureau of Police (who must
be here by this time, for l sent for him
Immediately after dinner) to come up
stairs. will Fay to him. Here is a
lady whom have found in my room.
All l know of her is that in SwitZer-
land she passed under the name of
Cambria; in London she calls herself
the Marquise de Montereau, and at
this hotel she incribes herself as Nine
Camboux.' You probably know that
you will be arrested and detained until
inquiries can be made. Your luggage
will be searched, and no doubt your in
teresting case of instruments will be
found"
Madame had turned very pale. She
lifted the skirt Of her dress and finding
concealed pocket she drew forth a
handful Of gold, which she handed to
her antagonist.
He took the money and counted it
slowly.
"There are only thirteen sovereigns
here" he said, ''and 1 want twelve
MORE"
tBut how do know that you will
not denounce me when you have
them2n
| "For that give you the word Of a
Pink Sheep-an animal that is not
81 ven to lying. Nay, more, promise
that I will not return the money to
Mrs. Yates before 9 o'clock to. morrow
morning; SO that you may be miles
away from Boulogne before she knows
that the suspicious she already enter
tains are well founded. In case she
should be vindictiye and anxious to
have you punished, there is time for a
woman ofyour resources to disappear. .
Reluctantly Madame produced the
remaining seyereigns. AS she passed
to the door, which was now opened for
her, she said, 81 don't suppose you are
going to be fool enough to give the
money to that empty-headed Mrs.
Yates: but, in any case, rely on your
promise not to do SO before 8 o'clock
tomorrow.
The Pink Sheep made no answer.
That night Madame contrived to pick
a quarrel with Mrs. Yates. She left
the hotel saying that she would
not pass another hour under the same
roof with her, and declaring that she
would take the night boat to London.
The next morning. when Mrs. Yates
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