The Iola register., 1902-03-21


seemed so calm when he first came,
now looked serious. The moment for
taking a decisive part having come, he
hesltated.
"You see, gentlemea," he began, "our
search has only confirmed our first
opinion"
M. Fauvel and Prosper assented.
"And what do you think, NJ. Fanfer-
lotT continued the commissary.
The detective did not answer. Occu-
pied in studying the safe lock, he man.
ifested signs of surprise. Evidently he
had Just made an important discovery.
Noticing this, M. Fauvel, Prosper and
the commissary rose and surrounded
him.
"Have you discovered any tracer
asked the banker eagerly.
Fanferlot turned around with dis
satisfied air. He reproached himself
for not having concealed his impress
sions.
"Oh," said he carelessly, II have dis
covered nothing Of importancep
"But we should like to know" said
Prosper.
Il have merely convinced myself
that this safe has been recently opened
or shut, l know not which, with great
violence and haste"
"Why so?' asked the commissary,
becoming attentive.
"Do you see this scratch near the
lock?"
The commissary took a magnifying
glass that the detective had used,
stopped down and carefully examined
the safe. He saw n light scratch on
the outer coat of varnish.
81 see It," said he. "But what does
that prove?"
"Oh, nothing at ALL" said Fanferlot,
"as said before"
Fanferlot said this, but he did not
think It, This scratch recently made
had for him a Specification that escap-
ed the others. He had discovered a
confirmation of his suspicious. If the
cashier had stolen millions, there was
no occasion for his being in hurry.
The banker, creeping down in the dead
of the night softly for fear of awaken
ing the boy in the anteroom in order
to rifle his own money safe, had every
reason to tremble, to hurry, to hastily
withdraw the key, which. slipping
along the lock, scratched the varnlsh.
Resolved to unravel by himself the
tangled thread of this affair, the de-
tective determined to keep his con-
lectures to himself. For the same rea-
son he was silent as to the interview
which he had overheard between
Madeleine and Prosper He hastenst
to withdraw attention from the
scratch.
"To conclude" he said, addressing
the commissary, II am convinced that
no one outside of the bank could have
obtained access here. The safe Is in
tact. No suspicious pressure has been
used on the movable buttons. / can
affirm that the lock has not been tam
pered with by burglars tools or false
keys. Those who opened the safe
knew the word and had the key"
This formal affirmation of a man
whom he knew to be skillful ended the
hesitation of the commissary.
THAT being the case," he replied, II
must request a few moments conver-
sation with M. Fauvel"
81 am at your service" said the
banker.
Prosper foresaw the result. He
quietly placed his hat on the table to
show that he had no intention of at
tempting to escape and passed into the
adjoining Office. Fanferlot also went
out, but not before the commissary
had made him a sign and received a
response. The sign signified, you are
responsible for this man." The detec-
tive needed no admonition to make
him keep an attentive watch. His
suspicious were too vague, his desire
for success was too ardent, for him TO
lose sight of Prosper an instant. There
fare following the cashier into the Of
flee he seated himself in a dark corner
of the room, and, pretending to be
sleepy, he fixed himself in n comforta-
bic position for taking a nap, gaped
until his jawbone seemed about to be
dlslocated and finally closed his eyes.
Prosper seated himself at the desk of
an absent clerk. The others were
burning to know the result of the in
quiry. Their eyes shone with curiosi-
ty, but they dared not ask a question.
Unable to restrain himself any longer,
little Cavaillon, Prosper's defender,
ventured:
"Well, who is the robber?"
Prosper shrugged his shoulders.
Nobody knows" he replied.
Was this conscious innocence or
hardened recklessness? The clerks OBJ
served with surprise that Prosper had
resumed his usual manner, that sort
of icy haughtiness that kept people at
distance and made him enemies in
the bank. Never would a stranger en-
tering the room have supposed that
this young man, idly lounging in a
chair and playing with pencil, was
resting under an accusation of robbery
and was about to be arrested. He
soon stopped playing with his pencil