The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-10-01

$500 oNs 00N LEV oNN6
that proven"
"oh, nothing at ALL" said Fanferlot,
"as 1 said before"
Fanferlot said this, but he did not
think II. This scratch recently made
had for him a Specification that escap-
ed the others. He had discovered q
confirmation OF his suspicious. II the
cashier had stolen millions, there was
no occasion for his being in q 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 rife his w money safe, had every
reason to tremble, to hurry, to hastily
withdraw the key, which, slipping
along the lock, scratched the varnish.
Resolved to unravel by himself the
tangled thread of this affair, the de-
tective determined to keep his on
lectures to himself. For the same rea-
son he was silent as to the interview
which he had overheard between
Madeleine and Prosper. He fastened
to withdraw attention from the
scratch.
L conclude" he said, addressing
the commissary, ri am convinced that
no IL outside of the bank could have
obtained access here. The safe is in
tact. No suspicious pressure has been
used Oh the movable buttons. I can
affirm that The lock has not been tam
pcred 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, ~
must request a few moments CONVEX
satlon with M. Fauvel."
~ am at your SERVICE" said the
banker.
Prosper forpsaw 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. Fanfcrlot also went
out, but not before the commissary
had made him a sign and received n
response. The sign significd, "You are
responsible for this man." The detec-
tive needed no admonition to mako
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
fore following the cashier into the Of
flee he seated himself in n dark corner
of b room, and, pretending to be
sleepy, lie fixed himself in n comforta-
bic position for taking a nap, gaped
until his jawbonc seemed about to be
disloc0tcd 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 Shoue with curiosi-
ty, but they dared not ask a question.
Unable to restrain himself any longer,
little Cavaiilon, Prospcr's defender,
venturod:
"Wcll, who is the robber?"
Prosper shrugged his shoulders.
"NoDody knows" he replied.
Was this conscious innocence or
hardened rccklessncss? The clerks OBJ
served with surprise that Prosper had
resumed his usual manner, that sort
OF Icy haughtiness that kept people at
a distance and made him enemies in
the bank. Never would n stranger en-
tering the room have supposed that
this young man, idly lounging in q
chair and playing with q pencil, was
resting under an accusation of robbery
and was about to be arrested. He
soon stopped playing with his pencil
upon which he hastily wrote q few
lines.
"Ah, hal! thought Fanferlot the
Squirrel, whose hearing md sight
were wonderfully good in spite of his
profound sleep. "Eh, ch! He makes his
little condolences on paper, l see. Now
we will discover something positive"
Having written his note, Prosper
folded it carefully in the smallest pos
sible size and, after furtivcly glancing
toward the detective, motionless in his
corner, threw 1t to little Cavaillon with
n simple word:
"Gipsy!!'
Fanferlot was COMPOUNDED and be-
gan to feel a little uneasy.
"The young man has moro pluck and
nerve than many Of my oldest custom
ers. This, however, shows the result
Of education"
Yes, Innocent or guilty, Prosper must
have been endowed with great self
control and power of discrimination to
affect this imperturbable calmness and
presence OF mind at q time when his
honor, his future happiness, all that he
held dear In life, were at stake. And
he was only thirty years old. Either
from natural Difference or from the
hope Of gaining some ray of light by a
private conversation the commissary
determined to speak to the banker.
"There is no doubt, monsieur" he
said as soon as they were alone, "this
young man has robbed you. 1t would
be a gross neglect OF duty If I did not
secure his person"
This declaration seemed to distress
the banker. poor P~rosper" he said.
Prosper was now called in with Fan.
ferlot, whom they had much trouble
to awaken, and with the most com.
plete Indifference listened to the a II
nouncement of his arrest.
In response he calmly said:
II swear that I am innocent"
M. Fauvel, much more disturbed and
excited than his cashier, made a last
attempt.
"There Is still time, poor boy" he
said. "In the name of heaven, refect"
Prosper did not appear to hear him.
He drew from his pocket a small key,
which he laid on the mantel, and said:
Here Is the key Of our safe, mon
sieur. I hope for my sake that you
will some day be convinced Of my in