The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-02-28
FILE NUMBER H3
One Of the Mysteries of Paris and How it
was Solved
BY Emile Gaboriau
BY Emile GaboriaU

WHAT she gaspeo, "can Prosper
bc a thief?"
She bclan TO think herself the vic
/ Tim of % terrible nightmare, and that
I when she walked, her mind would bt
relieved of this intolerable torture
/ She helplessly clung to Raours aru
/ as ne helped her up the narrow litth
staircase.
"You must put the key back in tn,
secretary said Baoul, as soon as thel
/ were in the chamber again.
But she did not seem to hear him;
SO hc went and replaced the safe-keJ
in the place from which he had seer
her take it.
lie then led. or rather carried, Nine
Fuuvel into the little sittiug-room ant
placed her in an easy chair.
The set, expressionless look of the
wretched womon's eyes, and her dazed
manner frightened Raoul, who
Thought that she had lost her mind.
that her reason had finally given way
beneath this last terrible shock.
Come. cheer up. my dear mother
he said, in coaNing tones, as he
rubbed her icy hands. "you have saved
my life, and rendered an immense
service 10 Prosper. Don't be alarmed;
everything will come out right in the
end. Prosper will be accused, perhap,
arrested; he expects that and is pre-
pared for it, he will deny his culpabil
ity; and, as there is no proof against
him, he win be set at liberty immedi
ately."
But these falsehoods were wasted
on Nine. Fauvel, who was incapable
OF understanding anything said ia
| her
"Raoul." she moaned. in a broken.
hearted tone. "Raoul. my son, you
have killed me"
Her gentle voice kind even in its
despRiring accents, touched the very
bottom of Raouls perverted heart
and once more his soul was wrung by
remorse: so that he felt inclined to
put back the stolen money, and com.
/ fort the despairing woman whose life
and reason he was destroying The
! thought of Clameran restrained him
Finding his efforts to restore Nine.
! Tauvel fruitless; that. in spite of all
| his affectionate regrets and prom
ises, she still sat silent, motionless.
and death-like; and, fearing that VI
/ fauvel or Madeleine might enter at
any moment, and demand an explana.
tiou-he hastily pressed a kiss upon
his mothers brow, aud hurried from
! the house.
At the restaurant in the room
where they had dined, Clameran, tor
tured by anxiety, awaited his accom-.
plice.
lie wondered il at the last moment,
! when he was not near to sustain him,
Raoul would prove a coward. and re.
treat; If any Unforeseen triAe had
prevented his finding the key; if any
| visitors We're there; and, if so, would
they depart before NJ Fauvel's re.
turn from the dinner party?
/ He had worked himself into such
/ a state of excitement, that, when Ra
oul returned, he flew TO him with
! ashy face and trembling all over. and
could scarcely gasp out:
"Wen?"
The deed is done, uncle, thanks 10
/ you; ana I am now the most misera.
] bic, abiect villain on the face of the
! earth"
lie mbuttoned his vest, and, pull.
inR out the four bundles of bank
notes, angrily dashed them upon the
table, saying in a tore of scorn end
disgust:
Now, | hope, YOU are satisfied. This
is the price of the happiness, honor,
and perhaps the life, of three peo.
pie"
Clameran paid no attention to these
lngry words With fcvcrish eageruess
he seized the notes, and ratified them
in his hand, as if TO convince himself
of the reality of success.
"Now Madeleine is mine!" he cried,
eNcitedly
Eaoul looked at Clameran in silent
disgust This exhibition of JOY was a
shocking contrast TO the scene In which
hc had Just been an actor. He was
Inundated at being the tool of such
a heartlcss scOunSrel as hc now knew
Clameron 10 be.
louis misinterpreted this silence,
and said, guyly;
did YOU have much diniculty?"
Il forbid you ever TO allude TO this
evenings work." cried Ruoul, fercely
'Do You hear me? wish to forget
IT,"
Clameran shrugged his shoulders at
this outburst of anger, and said in q
bantering tone;
Just as YOU please, my handsome
nephew; l rather think you will want
20 remember il, though. when / Offer
you these $4,000 francs. You will not
. am sure, refuse to accept them az
l slight souvenir Take them; they
are yours"
This generosity seemed neither t.
surprise nor satisfy Raoul.
e According 70 our agreement" Ia
\ said, suddenly, II was TO have NOR,