The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1901-04-12
LA DANE A Ia CLEF."
By Walter Littlefeld.


There were three of us one evening
In the reading room OF the Press club
Nj. Paul Blouet, better known as
"Nlax O'Rell' through his sketches OF
French and English life and character;
French, who. by the way, is n littera.
teur of some little note, and myself.
The conversation after various fluctu-
atoms, had assumed a story telling
drift. NJ. Blouet had just related an
amusing anecdote of his Boston So
journ, and we were silently putting in
that agreeable languor that arises from
a good weed and a good story.
On drawing his cardcase from his
pocket NJ. Lebon brought forth a small
bright object that glistened a second in
the lamplight as it fell to the floor. He
stopped for II with rather undue haste;
with so much haste, in fact, that he
otherwise would have passed un-
noticed.
What is IT," inquired NJ. Blouet.
Without a word Lebon handed him
the object he had dropped. but eyed
him carefully as it was examined.
"a key" remarked NJ. Blouet: "a key
and evidently of gold" And lie passed
1t to me.
held in my hand a key of perhaps
an inch in length and half as wide.
There was nothing particularly re-
markable about ii unless it were the
material of which it was composed,
that appeared to be gold. Suddenly
my eye caught sight of a date and an
inscription upon the ring of the key
Ter JUN. 1913. Memento mori."
"A curious key" l suggested as l re-
turned it to Nj. Lebon. Tell us about
IT."
The one addressed puffed ~assiduously
for a moment or two as he twirled the
mysterious key between his forefinger
and thumb, but he made no reply.
Come, come" said NJ. Blouet as he
leaned forward with interest, there
must be something to tell about a key
like that. Why not let us have it|
"You are right, gentlemen. There is a
curious story concerning this key, and
since you desire it | will tell it to you,
for truly, gentlemen, without exaggera-
ton, this little bit of metal that l hold
in my hand has one Of the most re.
markable Of histories"
"Tell it! Tell It," we both exclaimed
in a breath.
Fresh cigarettes were lighted, and,
still holding the key in his hand as If
to bear witness to what he said, NJ.
Lebon began his story.
at was in 1871, just after the surren.
der of Paris. The second empire had
fallen. NJ. Theirs and his party held
the government. Evidences of the ter.
rible commune were on every hand,
still the city was beginning to look like
the habitation OF a civilized people.
One morning lie Journal des Debats
announced the death at Versailles of q
Russian lady who for more than 20
years had kept all the gossips Of the
Paris salons busy concerning a mystery
that seemed to surround her. For rea-
sons that | shall presently explain she
became known as La Dame a la Clef.
Now, q nickname in Paris means q
great deal more than it does here
When one is nicknamed there, n car
ries that name to the grave.
1.-THE notice in lie Journal des Debats
mentioned La Dame a la Clef est
morte.' 1t did no give her own name
That would have signlfied nothing. The
paper concluded by saying that she
died. aged As, in complete solitude. l,
seems that her husband, who was much
| older than she, had visited her regular
ly every six months during the past ter
years and then had disappeared, no on'
knew where. All was mysterious about
this Lady Of the Key One day came
to her the news Of her husbands death
She survived him but a short time, and
1t was whispered that she had allowed
herself to die from hunger. That was
all the notice of her death had to say
about the matter. The mystery still
remained unexplained, and the interest
concerning her grew less and less and
gradually died away altogether"
NJ. Lebon paused to relight his ciga
rette, which he had allowed to go out
After doing this, he settled back in hi.
chair, puffed once or twice, but did not
seem at all inclined to continue the
story.
"Well," | calculated, "go on. That Il
no story. Why, you haven't even sale
what the mystery was, or why she wa:
called La Dame a la Cleft"
"Ah, yes" he replied pensively
"quite right. l had forgotten. Gentle
men, | have not said that she wa:
beautiful, yet such was the case. Hel
face was one of the loveliest that
have ever seen, her figure was perfect
and
"Well?" interrupted NJ. Blouet some
what impatiently.
Gentlemen, l will not bore you
continued NJ. Lebon smiling, "Simply
imagine her beautiful in face and form
then, gentlemen, around her neck
which was of the purest mold, wa,
riyeted a golden chain TO which wa.
attached this key. And, gentlemen
from the LIST Of June. ls4s, to the day