The Princeton union., 1903-02-19

Lepic. commanding a view Of all Paris
and enjoying the pure air of the
heights. 1t was two stories high, with
green blinds and shutters, and all the
windows looking on the street were
hermetically closed. Tops of trees
| showed over the high garden wall, and
the wall was protected by chevaux de
frise. The dictator paused a moment
while he searched his pocket for key,
and then opening the gate disappeared
| within the inclosure
Francis looked about him. The
neighborhood was very lonely, the
house isolated in it's garden. It seemed
as if his observation must here come
to an abrupt end. A second glance,
however, showed him a tall house next
door presenting a gable to the garden
and in this gable single window. He
passed to the front and saw a ticket
offering unfurnished lodgings by the
month, and on inquiry the room which
commanded the dictator's garden
proved to be one of those to let. Fran
els did not hesitate a moment. He
took the room, paid an advance upon
the rent and returned to his hotel to
seek his baggage.
| The old man with the saber cut
might or might not be his father; he
might or he might not be upon the true
scent, but he was certainly on the edge
of an exciting mystery, and he prom
1sed himself that he would not relax
his observation until he had got to the
bottom of the secret
| From the window of his new apart
ment Francis scrymgeour commanded
a complete view into the garden of the
house with the green blinds. Immedi-
ately below him a very comely chestnut
with wide boughs sheltered a pair Of
rustic tables where people might dine
In the height of summer On all sides
save one dense vegetation concealed
| the soil, but there, between the tables
and the house, he saw patch of gravel
walk leading from the veranda to the
garden gate. Studying the place from
between the boards of the venetian
shutters, which he burst not open for
fear OF attracting attention, Francis
observed but little to indicate the man
ners of the inhabitants, and that little
argued no more than a close reserve
and taste for solitude. The garden
was~conventual, the house had the air
of a prison. The green blinds were all
drawn down upon the outside; the door
into the veranda was closed; the gar
den, as far as he could see it, was left
entirely to itself in the evening sun
shine. A modest curl of smoke from a
single chimney alone testified to the
presence Of living people.
In order that he might not be entirely
idle and to give certain color to his
way Of life Francis had purchased
Euclid's Geometry in French, which he
set himself to copy and translate on the
top of his portmanteau and seated on
the floor against the wall, for he was
equally without chair or table, From
time to time he would rise and cast a
| glance into the inclosure of the house
with the green blinds, but the windows
remained obstinately closed and the
garden empty.
Only late in the evening did anything
occur to reward his continual attention.
Between and 10 the sharp tinkle of q
bell aroused him from a fit of doing,
and he sprang to his observatory in
time to hear an important noise of
locks being opened and bars removed
and to see Mr.. Vandeleur, CARRYING a
lantern and clothed in flowing robe of
black velvet with skullcap to match,
issue from under the veranda and pro-
ceed leisurely toward the garden gate.
The sound of bolts and bars was then
repeated, and a moment after Francis
perceived the dictator escorting into
the house in the mobile light of the Ian
tern an individual of the lowest and
most despicable appearance
Half an hour afterward the visitor
was reconducted to the street, and Mr..
Vandeleur, setting his light upon one
of the rustic tables, finished cigar
with great deliberation under the foli-
age Of the chestnut Francis. peerine
through 4 clear space among the
leaves, was able to follow his gestures
as he threw away the ash or enjoyed a
copious Inhalation and beheld a cloud
upon the old mans brow and a forcible
action of the lips, which testified to
some deep and probably painful train
of thought. The cigar was already al
most at an end when the voice of a
young girl was heard suddenly crying
the hour from the interior of the house.
''In moment.'' replied John Vande-
leur.
And with that he threw away the
stump and, taking up the lantern,
sailed away under the veranda for the
night. AS soon as the door was closed
absolute darkness fell upon the house.
Francis, might try his eyesight as much
as he pleased, he could not detect so
much as single chink of light below a
blind, and he concluded, with great
good sense, that the bedchambers were
! all upon the other side
Early the next morning (for he was
early awake after an uncomfortable
night upon the 1oor) he saw cause to