The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-03-28
CASE lis
...Ey...
Emile GaboriAu

VI-Continued.


photographed the door of NJ. Fauvers
safe. Every detail was given minutely.
One could see the five movable but
tons with the engraved letters and the
narrow. projecting brass lock. The
scratch was indicated with admira ble
exactness.
Now" said NJ. Lecoq. here is our
scratch. 1t runs from top to bottom.
starting from the hole in the lock. dag
Onally and. you see. from left to right
that is to say, it terminates on the side
next to the private staircase leading to
the bankers apartments. Very deep
at the lock. it ends off in scarcely per-
ceptihle mark"
II See"
Naturally you thought that this
scratch was made by the person who
took the money. Let us see if you
were right. / have here little iron
box, painted green like NJ. Fauvel's
safe. Take a key and try to scratch
it."
Without seeing through his chiefs
motive, the detective did as he was
bid, scratching vigorously with the
key.
1.-THE Geucev' he said after several
attempts. This paint is awfully hard
to move"
every hard, my friend, and yet that
OH the safe is still harder. So, you see,
the scratch you discovered could not
have been made by the trembling hand
Of thief letting the key slip"
81 never should have thought Of
that 1t certainly required great force
to make so deep a scratch"
"Yes. but how was it done? 1 have
been racking my brain for three days,
and only yesterday | came to con-
clusion. Let us examine together and
see if our conjectures present enough
chances of probability to establish a
starting point"
NJ. Lecoq abandoned the photograph
and, walking to the door communicat-
ing with his bedroom, took the key
from the lock.
"Come here. Fanferlot and stand by
my side. There. very well. Suppose
that 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?"
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 NJ. Lecoq, pulled aside from the
lock, slipped along the door, making an
exact reproduction of the scratch in
the photograph.
"Oh. oh. ohr' 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 man
you are. see the scene as if had
been present. Two persons were at the
safe. One wished to take the money;
the other wished to prevent its being
taken. That is certain"
Accustomed to triumphs of this sort,
M. Lecoq was much amused at Fan
ferlot's enthusiasm.
f'There you go off half cooked again."
lie said good humoredly. You regard
as sure proof a 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-
tions would you draw from our discov-
cry?
SIN the first place, it proves the
cashier innocent"
"How 500"
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-
sition the banker would also be inno-
cent. Think
Fanferlot reflected. and all of his
animation vanished
sit is So he said in a despairing
tone "What can be done now"
''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.
ed"
'Impossiblei 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"
NJ. Lecoq shrugged his shoulders i'm
patiently.
"What was the word?" he asked.
"Gipsy."
(which is the name of the cashiers
grisettc The day you find man suf
ficienfiy intimate with Prosper to bG
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. Fauver'
chamber. then you will discover the
real thief; then the problem will bt
solved"
Egotistical like all great artists. NJ
Lecoq had never had pupil and neye
wished 10 have one. He hated assist
ants, wishing to share neither thu
pleasure Of success nor the pain of de
feat. Thas FanfeYlot. who knew hi
patrons character, was surprised t.
hear him giving advice who heretofor