The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-07-10

- LES, UuL now was IL zone O. have
been racking my brain for three DAYS.
and only yesterday came to a con-
clusion. Let us examine together and
see if our conjectures present enough
chances Of probability to establish a
starting point"
M. Lecoq abandoned the photograph
Snd, walking to the door communicate
! flg with his bedroom, took the KEY
| from the lock. ~. .a.;..
"Come here, Fanferlot, and stand by
my side. There, very we'll Suppose
that l want to open this door and you
don't want me to open it. When you
see me about to put the key in the
lock-, what would be your first i'm
| pulse?' ..-'< 4. 4 +
ITO put my hands on your. arm and
draw it toward me quickly so as to
prevent your introducing the key.
"Precisely So. Now let us try it..
Proceed"
Fanferlot obeyed, and the key. held
by M. Lecoq, pulled aside from the
lock, Slipped along the door, making an
exact reproduction Of the scratch in
the photograph. E.. -,
"Oh, oh, ohv' exclaimed Fanferlot in
three different tones as he stood star
ing at the door.
"Do you begin to understand now?'
asked NJ. Lecoq.
Understand! why, child could
understand it now. All, what a man
you are! I see the scene as if I had
been present. Two persons were at the
safe. One wished to take the money;
the other wished to prevent it's being
taken. That is certain
Accustomed to triumphs of this sort,
M. Lecoq was much amused at Fan
ferlot's enthusiasm.
" "There you go off half cooked again."
he said good humoredly. "You regard
as sure proof circumstance which
may be accidental and at the most
only probable
mo, a man like you could not be
mistaken. There is no doubt about it,"
''That being the case, what deduc-
tons would you draw from our discov-
ery?'
'1n the first place, it proves the
cashier innocent"
"How so?'
because, at perfect liberty to open
the safe whenever he wished to do SO,
he would not have brought a witness
when he intended to commit the theft"
"Well reasoned. But on this suppo-
sitfon the banker would also be inno-
cent. Think
Fanferlot reflected, and all of his
animation vanished.
1T is so,'' he said in a despairing
tone. ''What can be done nowY y
"Find the third rogue, or, rather, the
real rogue-the one who opened the
safe and stole the notes and who is
still at large, while others are suspect
3D."
Impossible! NJ. Fauvel and his
cashier only had keys, and they al
ways kept them on their persons"
pardon me. On the evening of the
robbery the banker left his key in the
secretary.''
Eyes, but the key alone was not suf-
ficient to open the safe. The word also
was necessary"
M. Lecoq shrugged his shoulders i'm
patiently.
"What was the word?'' he asked.
"Gipsy."
(which is the name of the cashiers
grisette. The day you find a man suf-
ficiently intimate with Prosper to be
aware of all the circumstances con-
nected with this name, and at the
same time on footing with the Eau
vel family which would give him the
privilege of entering NJ. Fauvers
chamber, then you will discover the
real thief; then the problem will be
solved"
Egotistical, like all great artists, M.
Lecoq had never had pupil and never
wished to have one. He hated assist
ants, wishing to share neither the
pleasure of success nor the pain of de-
feat. Thus Fanferlot, who knew his
patrons character, was surprised to
hear him giving advice who heretofore
had only given orders.
"Chief," he ventured to say, ''you
seem to take a great personal interest
| al LAAS aAoAA yOu AdVC 81 ucCp1y SIuu"
led it."
M. Lecoq started nervously and re-
piled, frowning:
"Don't be too curious, Master Squir-
rel. Be careful that you do not go too
far. Do you understands
Fanferlot began to apologize.
'"That will d." Interrupted M. Le-
cog. IF choose to lend you a help
ing hand, it is because it suits me to
do so. 1t pleases me to be the head
| while you are the limbs. Unassisted,
with your preconceived ideas, you
would never have found the culprit.
If we two don't find him, my name is
not LecoQ."
1--WE shall certainly succeed since
you are interested in the case"
eyes, am interested in it, and dur
ing the last four days have discover
ed many important facts. But I have
reasons for not appearing in this af-
fair. No matter what happens, I for
bid your mentioning my name. If we