The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-06-19

ASAoO WILL ulIu twenty LILIES LOT DelQg
tardy, and his circumstances have no
effect upon him whatever"
| ''And with reason-he knows he can
get anything he wants out of the chief.
| Besides, how could he come any soon
lr? He sits up all night and leads a
fast life. Have you noticed how pale
he looks this nSrningY'
The cashroom door opened, and the
cashier appeared before them with tot
tering step.
'Robbedv' he gasped out, II have
been robbedv'
Prosper's expression, his hollow voice
and trembling limbs betrayed such
fearful suffering that the clerks got
up from their desks and ran toward
him. He almost dropped into their
arms. He was sick and faint and fell
into chair.
| His companions surrounded him and
begged him to explain himself.
"Robbed?" they said. "Where? How?
By whom?"
Gradually Prosper recovered himself.
Cali had in the safe.''
"All?"
eyes, all-three packages, each con-
tanning 100 notes of thousand francs.
and one package Of $4,000. The four
packages were wrapped in a sheet Of
paper and tied together
| With the rapidity of lightning the
news Of the robbery spread through
out the bank. The curious clerks rush
ed in.
did you find the safe broken open p
said young Cavaillon.
''No; it is untouched"
"Well?
yesterday I put $4,000 francs in
the safe, and this morning it is gone"
A messenger had already informed
M. Fauvel Of the disaster, and at this
moment he entered the room. NJ An
DIRE Fauvel appeared to be a man of
fifty, inclined to corpulency, of medi-
um height, with iron gray hair, and,
like all hard workers, he had a slight
stoop. Never did he by single action
belle the kindly expression of his face.
He had an open countenance and
lively, frank eye.
"What's this I hear?" he said to the
clerks, who stood before him respect
fully. "What's happened?'
The sound of NJ. Fauveps voice in
spired the cashier with the energy of a
great crisis. The dreaded and decisive
moment had come. He arose and ad-
vanced toward his chief.
Monsieur" he began, ''having, as
you know, a payment to make this
morning, yesterday drew from the
Bank of France 100000 frances
"Why yesterday, monsieurr' inter-
rupted the banker. 1T seems to me
that have hundred times ordered
you to wait until the day of the pay
ment."
II know, monsieur, and I did wrong
to disobey you. But the evil is done.
Yesterday evening I locked up the
funds. They have disappeared, and
yet the safe has not been forced"
"You are crazy" exclaimed M. Eau
vel, "or you are dreamingv'
II am not crazy, neither, unfortu-
nately, am I dreaming. I am simply
saying what is true"
This calmness at such a moment ap-
peared to exasperate NJ. Fauvel. He
seized Prosper by the arm and shook
him roughly.
"Speak!' he cried out. Speak! Who
do you say opened the safe? Answer
mel"
II cannot say"
mo one but you and I knew the Sc
cret word. No one but you and 1 had
keys"
This was a formal accusation. At
least, all the auditors present so under
stood it. Yet the cashiers strange
calmness did not leave him. He gen
tly released himself from the chiefs
grasp and said:
I'm fact, monsieur, 1 am the only
one who could have taken this money"
unhappy manv'
Prosper drew himself up and, look
ing M. Fauvel full in the face, added:
"Or your
The banker made threatening ges-
ture, and there is no knowing what
would have happened If they had not
been interrupted by loud and angry
voices in the entry. A man insisted
upon entering in spite of the protesta-
tons of the employees and succeeded
in forcing his way in. It was M. de
Clameran. The clerks stood looking on,
bewildered, motionless, in profound ST.
lence. 1t was easy to see that some
terrible questions question of life or
death-was being weighed by all these
men. The iron founder did not ap-
pear to observe anything unusual. He
advanced, his hat on his head, and
said in the same impairment tone:
1T is after 10 o'clock, gentlemen"
No one answered, and M. de Clame-
ran was about to continue when he
FOR the first time saw the banker. He
went straight to him. ..~..~
"Well, monsieur" he said. 81 con-
graduate myself upon finding you in
at last. have been here once before
this morning and found the cashroom
| not opened. tho caShior ro+ orr;-o5