The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-06-26
"any cause for believing that NJ. Eau
vel robbed himself? IF you have, say

The pri.ar.er preserved rigid ST.
lence.
II see, monsieur" said the Judge,
''that you need time for reflection.
Listen to the reading of your examina-
ton, and after signing it you will re-
turn to prison." - -..s.. g.. s.~<~.
The unhappy man was overcome.
The last ray Of hope was gone. He
signed the paper without looking at it.
He tottered as he left the Judges Of
flee so that the keeper was forced to
support him.
If Prosper had remained an hour Ion
ger in the gallery, he would have seen
the same bailiff who had called him
come out of the judges Office and cry
out:
Number threev'
Witness No. 3, who was awaiting his
turn and answered the call, was NJ.
Fauvel.
Although he had very slightly ex-
amined Prosper, the Judge was now
scrupulously attentive and particular
in having every question answered.
did you ever suspect your cashier
Of being dishonest?" he asked.
"Certainly not. Yet there were a
thousand reasons which should have
made me distrustful."
"What reasons?''
IN. Bertomy gambled. l have known
of his spending whole nights at the
gaming table and losing immense sums
Of money. He was intimate with a
bad set. Once he was mixed up with
one of my clients, NJ. de Clameran, in
a scandalous gambling affair.""
you must confess, monsieur" inter-
rupted the judge, "that you were very
imprudent not to say culpable, to have
intrusted your safe to such a man."
"Ah, monsieur, Prosper was not al
ways thus. Until the past year he was
a model of goodness. He was received
into my house as one of my family.
He spent all of his evenings with US
and was the bosom friend of my eldest
son, Lucien. Then suddenly he left
US and never came to the house again.
Yet had every reason to believe him
attached to my niece Madeleine''
linen you can see no motive for
your cashiers conductY'
The banker paused to reflect.
1T is impossible for me to account
for it. I have, however, always sup
posed that Prosper was led astray by a
young man whom he met at my house
about this time, NJ. Raoul de Lagors."
"Ah! And who is this young man?"
"A relative of my wife, charming
fellow, but somewhat wild, though
rich enough to pay his way"
The Judge listened attentively to
this, then wrote the name Layers at
the bottom Of an already long list of
his memoranda.
Now" he said, eve are coming to
the point. You are sure that the rob-
berry was not committed by any in
your house?"
"Quite sure, monsieur
"You always kept your key?"
USUALLY I carried it about on my
person, and whenever left it at home
l put it in the secretary drawer in my
bed chamber
''Where was it the evening of the
robbery?''
'In my secretary"
"But them
pardon me for interrupting you,"
said NJ. Fauvel, ''and permit me to tell
you that to a safe like mine the kew
is of no Importance. In the first place,
one must know the word upon which
the five movable buttons turn. With
the word one can open it without the
key, but without the word''-
"And this word you never told to any
one?"
''To no one in the world, monsieur,
and sometimes would have been puz-
zled to know myself with what word
the safe had been Shut
Had you forgotten it on the day of
the theft?'
mo; the word had been changed the
day before, and it's popularity struck
me-"
"What was it?"
"Gipsy- G-i-p-s-y," said the banker,
spelling the name.
NJ. Patrigent wrote down the name.
: Zone more question, monsieur. Were
you at home the evening before the
robbery?''
''No; dined and spent the evening
with a friend. When returned home
about 1 o'clock, my wife was in bed,
and went to bed immediately"
"And you were ignorant of what
sum there was in the safe?'
absolutely. After my positive or
.ders I could only suppose that small
sum had been left there over night. I
stated this fact to the commissary in
NJ. Bertomy's presence, and he &C.
knowledged it to be the case."
''That will do, monsieur
NJ. Patrigent was well Informed of
the high standing of the banker and
knew almost as much of his affairs as
did NJ. Fauvel himself.
He asked him to sign his testimony
and then escorted him to the door of
his Office, rare favor on his part.
Five o'clock struck before the list of
witnesses summoned for the day was
exhausted, but the task of M. Patri-