The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-01-30

right; the chief mast have taken it.''
But, after thinking o few minutes,
he said, in a tone Of deep discourage
ment;
''No, that is impossible. During thd
hve years that have had charge Of
The safe, Monster Fauvel has never
opened il except in my presence. Sew.
eral times ne has needed money. and
has either waited until came, OF
sent for me, rather than touch il 10
my absence"
Well" said Csvaillcn, before de.
spairiEg, let Us ascertain
But a messenger had already in.
formed NJ. Fauvel of the disaster.
AS Cavailion was about 10 go in
quest Of him, he entered the room
NJ. Andre Fauvel appeared TO be
man of hfty, inclined 20 corpulency,
Of medium height. with iron-gray
hair; and, like an hard workers. he
had a slight stoop.
Never did he by a single action be.
lie the kindly expression OF his face,
lie had n frank air a lively, intclli.
gent eve, and large. red lips
Born in the neighborhood of AK,
he portrayed when animated, slight
proyencal accent that gave peculiar
havor TO his genial humor.
The news of the robbery had ex.
tgemely agitated him. for his usually
forid face was now quite pale.
What is this 1 hear? what has hap
penedP he said TO the CLERKS. who re.
spectfully stood aside when he en-,
tered the room.
he sound of NJ Fauvers voice in.
spired The cashier with the factitiouA
energy of a great crisis The dreaded
and decisive moment had come: he
arose, and advanced toward his chief.
Monster" he began, having, as
YOU know, a payment to make this
morning, | yesterday drew from the
Bank of France three hundred and fiji
ty thousand francs"
why yesterday, MONSIEUR" inter-
rupted the banker. 50 / think have
"a hundred times ordered you to wait
until the day of the payment"
Il know H. monsieur, and I did
wrong to disobey you. But the evil is
done. Yesterday evening ] locked the
money up; it has disappeared, and yet
the safe has not been broken open"
"lou must be mad!" exclaimed NJ.
fauvel you are dreaming"
These Jew words destroyed all
hope but the very horror OF the sit
uation gave Prosper, not the cool
ness of a motured resolution. but that
sort of stupid. stolid indifference
which often results from unexpected
catastrophies
1t was with apparent calmness that
he replied
II am not mad; neither, unfortu-
nateiy. am dreaming; / am simply
telling the truth"
This tranquility at such a moment
appeared to cNusperate NJ. Fauyel. He
seized Prosper by the arm, and shook
HIM roughly.
Speak" he cried out; speak Who
do YOU pretend TO say opened the
safe? Answer mel"
II can not say"
mo one but. you and ] knew the
secret word No one but you and
myself had keys"
This was formal accusation: at
least, all the auditors present so un-
derstood H.
Yet Prosper's strange calmness new
CT left him for an instant. lie quietly
released himself from NJ Fauyels
grasp and very slowly said:
in other words monsieur, J am the
only person who could have taken this
money"
Unhappy wretchl'
Prosper drew himself TO- his fpii
neight, and, looking NJ Fauyel fun H.
she face, added:
"Or youl'
The banker made threatening
gesture; and there is no lnowiIe
what would have happened il they had
not been interrupted by loud and au-
cry voices at the entry door.
a man insisted upon entering IA
spite of the prote stations of the e-
raud boys, ana succeeded iu forcins,
his way in II was NJ. de Clameran.
The clerks stood looking on. be-
! wildered. and motionless. The silence
was profound, s0icmID
1t was easy to see hat somc terri.
/ bic question, question of life c.
death, was being weighed by an thcs"
men.
The iron-founder did not appear to
/ observe anything unusual lie adj
yanced, and without lifting his hat,
said in the same impertinent tone
1T is after ten o'clock, gentle
men"
No one answered. and M de Clam
eran was about to continue, whea.
turning around he for the first time
saw the banker, and walking up to
uim, said
We'll, monsieur, ! congratulate my
SELF upon finding you ia at last. hav
been here once before this morning
and found the cash-room not opened
.he cashier not arrived. aud YOU alb