Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1902-04-11

III cannot vet answer, therefore am
4 not yet ready to report on the case. I
only ask you to wait ten days, and If
! cannot in that time discover the solu-
! ton of the mystery will return and
go with you to tell NJ. Patrigent all
that we know" & 49, r..
care you going away?" @
I'm an hour L shall be on the road to
Beaucaire, 1t was from that neigh
borhood that Clameran came as well
as Nine. Fauvel, who was Mile. de
la Verberie.'
."Yes; knew their families"
II must go there to study them. Mel
Their Raoul nor Clameran can escape
police surveillance during my absence.
But you, Prosper, must be prudent.
Promise me to remain q prisoner here
during my trip"
All that NJ. Verduret asked Prosper
willingly promised.
And he had the good sense to follow
the recommendations of his mentor.
During NJ. Verduret's absence, he re-
NAMED shut up In the Archangel, not
even appearing at the windows.
On the ninth day Of his voluntary
seclusion Prosper began to feel rest
less and at 10 o'clock at night set forth
to take walk. He had headache
and thought the air would do him
good.
Nine. Alexandra, who seemed to
have some knowledge Of M. Verduret's
affairs, begged Prosper to remain at
home
what can risk by taking a walk
at this time in quiet part of the
city?' he asked. II can certainly stroll
as far as the~botanical gardens with
out meeting any one"
Unfortunately he did not strictly fol-
low this programme, for, having reach
ed the Orleans railway station, he
went into cafe near by and called
for glass Of beer.
He picked up a. daily paper, The
Sun, and under the head of Fashion
able Gossip" signed Jacques Durand,
read the following:
1T is announced that the niece of
one of our most prominent bankers, Nj.
Andre Fauvel, will be shortly mar
ried to NJ. lie Marquis Louis de Clame-
ram"
This news, coming upon him so un-
expectedly, proved to Prosper the just
ness of NJ. Verduret's calculations.
Alas! Why did not this certainty in
splre him with absolute faith? Why
did 1t not give him courage to wait, to
do nothing? Frenzied by distress of
mind, he already saw Madeleine indis-
solubly united to this villain and,
thinking that NJ. Verduret would per-
haps arrive too late to prevent it, de-
termined at all risks to throw an OBJ
stacle in the way Of the marriage. He
called for pen and paper, and, forget
ting that no situation can excuse the
mean cowardice Of an anonymous let
ter, Disgusting his hand, he wrote to
| NJ. Fauvel:
Dear Sir-You consigned your cashier to prison.
You did well, since you were convinced Of his
dishonesty and faithlessness But even if he stole
100000 francs from your safe, does it follow that
| he also stole Nine. Fauvels diamonds and pawned
! them at the Mont-de-Piete, where they now are?
Warned as you are, in your place, would not
be the subject of public scandal. I would watch
my wife and would be distrustful of handsome
cousins Moreover, I would before signing the
marriage contract Of Mile. Madeleine, request the
prefecture of police to give me some information
! concerning the noble Marquis de Cameran.
A FRIEND.
Prosper fastened off to post his let
ter. Fearing that it would not reach
NJ. Fauvel in time, he walked up to
Cardinal Lemoine street and pat it
4 in f1n 4@ L.
tain of it's speedy delivery.
! Until then he had not doubted the
propriety Of his action. But now he
had dropped the letter, when he heard
it fall into the box a thousand scruples
| came to him. Was it not wrong to act
thus hurriedly? Would not this letter
interfere with NJ. Verduret's plans?
Upon reaching the hotel his doubts
were changed into bitter regrets. Jo-
seph Dubois was waiting for him. He
had received a dispatch from his pa
tron saying that his business was fin
ished and that he would return the next
evening at 9 o'clock by the Lyons
route. Prosper was in despair. He
would have given the world to recover
| lAC dAOAy AuOuS icLtcl. tauu uc udu
cause for regret.
At that very hour M. Verduret was
taking the train at Tarascon, meditat-
ing upon the most advantageous plan
to be adopted in pursuance of his dis
coveries, for he had discovered every
thing. Adding to what he already knew
the story of an old nurse Of Mile de Ia
Verberie, the affidavit of an old servant
who had always lived in the Clameran
family and the dispositions of the Vesi-
net husband and wife, who attended NJ.
Layers at his country house deposit
tons sent him by Dubois (FanferloD-
with good deal Of information OBJ
tanned from the prefecture Of police.
he had worked up a complete case.
As he had predicted, he had been CON-
PEELED to search into the distant past
for the causes Of the crime Of which
Prosper had been the victim.