The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-04-25


the result he expected Raoul and
Clameran stood perfectly still about
twenty steps off. not daring to ad
vance. Twenty steps! That was as
much start as the clown wanted.
While talking with the sergeants he
had pulled the bell of the door before
which they were standing, and its
sound apprsed him that the door was
OPEN He stepped into the house. A
minute later the sergeants had passed
on, and Layers and Clameran in their
turn rang the bell When the porter
appeared, they asked who it was that
had just gone in disguised as clown.
They were told that no masked person
had entered and that none of the lodg-
ars had gone out disguised that night.
However" added the concierge, 81
am not very sure, for this house has a
back door which opens ON St. Denis
street."
eve are fooled" interrupted La
gors, "and will never know who the
clown is"
"Unless we learn it too soon for our
own good" said Clameran musingly.
While Layers and the forgemaster
were full of anxiety the clown hurried
up the back street and reached the
Archangel hotel as the clock struck 3.
Prosper, who was watching from his
window, saw him in the distance and
ran down to open the door for him and
led him up stairs impatiently.
"What have you learned?" he said.
"What did you find out? Did you see
Madeleine? Were Raoul and Clameran
at the ball?"
But NJ. Verduret was not in the hab-
it of discussing private affairs where
he might be overheard.
''First of all let US go into your room
and get some water to wash this cut,
which burns like fire."
"Heavens! Are you wounded"
Eyes; it is little souvenir of your
friend Raoul. All, l will soon teach
him better mannersv'
Prosper was surprised at the look of
merciless rage on his friends face as
he calmly washed and dressed his arm.
NOW, Prosper, we will talk. Our
enemies are warned, and we must
crush them with the rapidity of light
ming"
NJ. Verduret expressed himself in a
quick, imperious tone, which Prosper
did not understand.
81 have made Il mistake. have been
on the wrong track. 1t is an accident
liable to happen to any man, no mat
ter how intelligent he. may be. l have
taken the effect for the cause. The
day l was convinced that culpable re-
lations existed between Raoul and
Nine. Fauvel l thought l held the end
of the thread that must lead US to the
truth. l should have been more doubt
full. 1t was too simple, too natural"
do you suppose Nine. Fauvel to be
innocent"
Certainly not, but her guilt is not
such as supposed. imagined that,
infatuated with a seductive adventur-
er, Nine. Fauvel had first bestowed
upon him the name of one of her rela-
tives and then introduced him as her
nephew. This was an adroit strata
gem to gain him admission to her hus-
bands house. She began by giving
him all the money she could dispose of,
later her jewels, which he pawned.
Finally, having nothing more to give,
she allowed him to steal the money
from her husbands safe. That is
what thought"
"And in this way everything was ex-
plained?"
'No, this did not explain everything,
as l well knew at the time. How is
Clameran's position to be accounted
for under my first theory?"
"Clameran is Layers accomplish"
"Ah, there is the mistake! / for a
long time believed Layers to be the
principal person when, in fact, he is
nothing. Yesterday in dispute be-
tween them the forgemaster said to
his friend, And, above all things, my
friend, would advise you not to resist
me, for if you do | will crush YOU
That explains all. The elegant La
gors is not the lover of Nine. Fauvel,
but the tool of Clameran. Besides, did
our first suggestions account for the
resigned obedience of Madeleine? 1t
is Clameran. and not Layers, whom
Madeleine obeys."
Prosper began to demonstrate
NJ. Nerduret shrugged his shoulders.
To convince Prosper he had only to
utter one word. He had simply to say
that three hours ago Clamcran had an
nounced his coming marriage with
Madeleine. But he did not.
"Clameran," he continued-"Clame-
ran alone has Nine. Fauvel in his pow
err. Now the question is what terrible
secret is the basis of his mysterious
power? ] have positive proof that
they have not met since their early
youth until fifteen months ago, and
Mime. Fauvers reputation has always
been above the reach of SANDER.
Therefore we shall not know all till
we know Clameran's past All, to-
night when | mentioned his brother
Gaston's name he turned as white as
If he had seen Il ghost And then re-
membered that CASTOR died suddenly
while his brother Louis was making
him Il VISIT
"Do you think he was murdered?"
Il think the men who tried to assas-
sinate me would do anything. The
robbery, my friend. has now become a
secondary detail. 1t is easily explain
ed, and if that were all to be account
ed for would say to you: My task is
finished. Let us go ask the judge of