The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-03-07

lectures to himself. For the same rea
son he was silent as to the interview
which he had overheard between
Madeleine and Prosper. He hastened
to withdraw attention from the
scratch.
''To conclude" he said, addressing
the commissary, "I am convinced that
no one outside of the bank could have
obtained access here. The safe is in
tact. No suspicious pressure has been
used on the movable buttons. l can
affirm that the lock has not been tam.
pered with by burglars tools or false
keys. Those who opened the safe
knew the word and had the key
This formal affirmation of man
whom he knew to be skillful ended the
hesitation of the commissary.
"That being the case" he replied. 81
must request few moments conver-
sation with NJ. Fauvel."
81 am at your SERVICE" said the
banker.
Prosper foresaw 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. Fanferlot also went
cut, but not before the commissary
had made him sign and received a
response. The sign signified, "You are
responsible for this man." The detec-
tive needed no admonition to make
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
fee he seated himself in q dark corner
Of the room. and, pretending to be
sleepy, he fixed himself in a comforta-
Bile position for taking nap, gaped
until his jawbone seemed about to be
dislocated and finally closed his eyes.
Prosper seated himself at the desk of
an absent clerk. The others were
burning to know the result CT the in
quiry. Their eyes shone with curiosi-
ty, but they dared not ask question.
Unable to restrain himself any longer,
little Cavaillon, Prosper's defender,
yentured:
"Well, who is the robber?"
Prosper shrugged his shoulders.
Nobody knows" he replied.
Was this conscious innocence or
hardened recklessness? 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 a stranger en-
tering the room have supposed that
this young man, idly lounging in a
chair and playing with a pencil, was
resting under an accusation of robbery
and was about to be arrested. He
soon stopped playing with his pencil
and drew toward him a sheet of paper,
upon which he hastily wrote a few
lines.
"Ah, ha" thought Fanferlot the
Squirrel, whose hearing and sight
were wonderfully good in spite of his
profound sleep. "Eh, eh! He makes his
little condolences on paper, see. Now
we will discover something positive"
Having written his note, Prosper
folded it carefully in the smallest pos
sible size and, after furtively glancing
toward the detective, motionless in his
corner, threw it to little Cavaillon with
a simple word:
"Gipsyp'
Fanferlot was confounded and be-
gan to feel little uneasy.
"The young man has more 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 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 gross neglect of duty if did not
secure his person."
This declaration seemed to distress
the banker. "Poor Prosperw 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 an
nouncement of his arrest.
In response he calmly said:
81 swear that 1 am innocent"
NJ. Fauvel, much more disturbed and
excited than his cashier, made last
attempt.
'There is still time, poor boy" he
said. "In the name of heaven, reflect!'
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 your safe, mon
sieur. hope for my sake that you
will some day be convinced of my in
nocence, and l hope for your sake
that it will not come too late" Then,
as every one was silent, he added:
Before leaving, here are the books,
papers and accounts necessary for my
successor l must at the same time
inform you that, without speaking Of
the stolen three hundred and fifty
thousand francs, I leave q deficit in