Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-08-12

piled to her? Well, will ten you;
Nina you are unjust In approaching me.
for at this very moment your name
guards M. EauveTs safe.
The truth suddenly burst upon Pros
per like a thunderclap He wrung his
hands despairingly, and eried:
eyes, oh, yes! I remember now
"Then you can easily understand the
rest. One of the scoundrels went to
Nine. Fauvel, and compelled her to give
up her husbands key; then, at Il ven
ture, placed the movable buttons on
the name of Gypsy, opened the safe, and
took the three hundred and fifty thou
sand francs. And Nine. Fauvel must
have been terribly frightened before she
yielded. The day after the robbery the
poor woman was near dying, and it was
she who, at the greatest risk, sent you
the ten thousand francs"
"But which was the thief, Raoul or
Clameran? What enables them to thus
tyrannize over Nine. Fauyel? And how
does Madeleine come to be mixed up in
the AFFAIR.""
cannot yet answer, therefore, l post
pone being the judge. l only ask you to
wait ten days, and if I cannot in that
| will return and go with you to report
to M. Patrigent all that we know"
Are you going to leaye the city p
"In another hour shall be o., tbs
road to Beaucaire. 1t was from that
neighborhood that Clameran came. as
we'll as Nine Fauyel, who was a Mile.
de la Verberie before marrying"
"Yes, know both families"
81 must go there to study them. Meth
err Raoul nor Clameran can escape dur
ing my absence. The police are watch
ing them. But you, Prosper, must be
prudent. Promise me to remain a pris-
oner here during my trip"
All that M. Verduret asked Prosper
willingly promised. But he did not wish
to be left in complete ignorance of his
projects for the future, or Of his motives
in the past.
"Will you not tell me, monsieur, who
you are, and what reasons you have for
coming to my rescue?"
The extraordinary man hmiled sadly,
and said:
81 will tell you, in the presence of
Nina, on the day before your marriage
with Madeleine"
Once left to his own reflections Pros
per began to appreciate the powerful
assistance rendered by his friend. He
had the good sense to follow the recon-
mendations of his mentor. He remained
shut up in the Archangel, not even ap-
pearing at the windows.
On the ninth day of his voluntary Sc
clusion Prosper began to feel restless
and at 10 o'clock at night set forth to
take a walk, thinking the fresh air
would relieve the headache which had
kept him awake the previous night.
Having reached the Orleans railway
station, he went into cafe near by,
| picked up the Soleil and under the head
| Of Questionable Gossip" read the follow
| ing:
1--WE understand that the niece of one
of our most prominent bankers, NJ. Fau-
vel, will be shortly married to the Mar
| quis Louis de Clameran. The engage
ment has been announced"
He called for pen and paper, and, for
getting that no situation can excuse the
mean cowardice Of an anonymous let
| ter, wrote in a disguised hand the follow
ing lines to NJ. Fauyel
Dear Sir-You have consigned your
cashier to prison; you acted prudently,
since you were convinced Of his dishon-
esty and faithlessness. But even if he
stole money from your safe, does it fol
| low that he also stole Nine. Fa~sveps
diamonds and pawned them at the Mont
delete, where they are now.
Moreover, I would, before signing the
marriage contract Of Mile. Madeleine,
| inquire at the Prefecture of Police and
obtain some information concerning the
noble Marquis de Clameran.
"a FRIEND
Prosper fastened off to post his let
| ter. Fearing that it would not reach
M. Fauvel in time, he put it in the main
letter box, so as to be certain Of its
| speedy delivery. At that very hour NJ.
Verduret was taking his seat in the cars
at Tarascon, neditating upon the most
| advantageous plan to be adopted in pur-
| suance Of his discoveries.
For he had discovered everything, and
now must bring matters to a crisis. Al
he had predicted, he had been compelled
to search into the distant past for the
first causes of the crime Of which Pros
per had been the victim.
The following is the drama, as he
wrote it out for the benefit Of the judge
of instruction. knowing that it would
contain grounds for an Indictment
against the malefactors: