The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-22

Mime. dumDert! = cried, pretend
Ing to be equally surprised: Then; as
madameq"
Therese gave me glance in which I
read ,a something ang like fear, as she drop
= "But 7 don't understand, Monsieur
man learned who I was.''
shrugged my shoulders. ..s
1T is the business Of my staff to
penetrate mysteries, madame. But you
may depend on my secretary's discre-
tion. It will be awkward If the police
have followed you here, however. If
NJ. Rattache were to learn that we had
been In communication; might be
obliged to withdraw from the case"
+ + !. =
Nine. Humbert clasped her hands in
agitation. Her demeanor was no longer
that Of the cold, masterful woman who
had conversed with me in Baron Us
smoking-room. " 5,'~-
Listen, monsieurl Is it possible
that you do not guess the object Of my
"Unless it is to give me further in
structions on the subject Of your af-
fair, no.'
Therese wrung her hands. s%
"It Is to tell you, on the contrary,
that everything Is lost. At the very
moment that we were talking together,
a real robber, unknown to me, was
rifing my safe Of everythingi"
"You are serious, madame, sup
"serious!' It is impossible to de-
scribe the tragedy in her voice and
air. IT tell you, monsieur, that I left
Baron Us within an hour Of speak
ing to you. I drove straight home, went
to the safe, opened it, and found in
. sla ssRaa 9Ttt9 q and 'entime'"
Nine. Humbert gazed at me desper-
q q 'fYou do not believe me, perhaps, mon
- sieur9 Yet I swear to you as a Chris
=. tian woman-I swear ais a mother-that
q there were two hundred millions Of
francs in that safe when I came to dine
= II have not the least doubt Of it,
+ madame. :" ~ a< = y. +,
=. uThen what do you suspectf" -
cit is clear to me- that you have
). been robbed since. "aa0 So 49,.
ii ii ''By whom7" e@E
- by some one in your confidence,
Of perhaps: Some one so whom you, had
y. confded the guardianship Of this fund,
~ ~ in which his royal highness the - Of
y, -- is so much interested ~ p
Nine. Humbert glared at me liz anger:
"You are hooking me, - she cried
fercely. "I came Her. to ask if you
would undertake the recovery Of this
money from the theft - Il
that your friends have to do is to ap:
Proach him, and breathe in his ear the
three words, --.'
"But if we do not know who he isl y
cried the distracted plotter. -
ooh, If you only require to know
who he is, that is soon settled. will
send you the name Of the robber on
in the courts.' =. -
mind Of the excited woman.
"Monsieur VI" she exclaimed
els it possible-7'
l. drew myself up.
Silence, if you please, madame:
have made you promise which I shall
know how to keep. In the meantime il
is clear that we have nothing more tt
say to one another, and that the soonel
you are out Of this building the bette:
it will be for all parties. "
Nine. Humbert rose, gave me glance
in which curiosity, respect, and appre
hension were strangely mingled, an(
quilted my presence without venturins
to say another word.
I have never seen her since.
3 = . -
The following day, as I entered m.
private room at the usual hour, wa
con Conscious oqr of singular i!mprs4ssi099 il
men possess a sense, more subtle thai
sight or smell, by means of which the.
are able to detect personal presence
more especially one hostile to them
selves. I have been well served by a
instinct Of this kind on more than on
L nS@ ct,1 ~4~l r11q
strongly that for an instant believe
that there must be some one hiding /
his my room.
A glance around removed this SUI
T picion. Everything was in it's place
an usual-was even more in it's place tina
usual, if I may be permitted the hyPe
ur- bole. -. -..1. $50 ~.
sejt I kept the cipher dispatches concern
ing the Panama affair Con which We
ESQ engaged about this time).
m. It seemed to me that the spr1n
in worked little more smoothly tina
an when had last opened the drawer: II
elf papers inside lay exactly as had le
them overnight 13a ST. Struck lex by s sqd o,5
to lit match, and examined the dust
, nto I was rewarded by the sight Of one
de-. two-three distinct prints Of finger-til
lhle in the dust.
and :, That sight, Of course, told me ever
,ose during the night by the French polio
and those prints had been left by. Fl
on gers tapping in search Of the hidin
,esa place of the Humbert millions.
NV It was startling thing to find
Rattache SO swiftly on my trail, and
the inwardly cursed the imprudence whi
ris- had permitted Nine. Humbert to p;
re- me her telltale visit. I put on my h
and hurried round to the little apa1
out ment in the Quarter Latin which u
on for appointments with persons whom
would be inexpedient to receive ope
ly. AS I expected, found M. .Rattac
had been before me: His myrmido
tied had done their work no less thoro
de- here than at my headquarters.
the always enjoy struggle with I
ere, worthy Of my steel, and this was
med no means my first bout with the famo
l to detective force Of Paris. On my fiji
pri- settling in Paris, their attentions to I
had been incessant and disagreeab
aid, and it had taken all my ingenuity
. keep my secrets from them. By {
That grees we had drifted into species
I'M informal armistice, it being understot
!. rather than agreed, that they abandc
iced ed the attempt to follow my prbcee
reat ings, while refrained from acti