Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-03-28
TRAvERS s co.

|
for twenty years, when Trayers him.
self, after looking over old accounts.
noticed, So, athlj : wrong
The mex, steamer sailing for Havre
carried with her Thomas Agnew, the
firms bookke PEI a vas provided
with all props lenjIls, and his in
Btructions were 10 give rhe Paris books
q thorough overhaullng. He was to
interview the head of the French firm
first. This he did soon after reaching
Paris.
IT hardly expected you, but 1 am
glad that you are here" was his greet
ing. EFT 10 true that the business has
fallen of, and 1t has been a source of
anxiety to me. We seem TO be doing
as much as ever. but the sales show
less and less. cannot suspect any
Of the employees. The bookkeeper Ia
the only one who could juggle the fig
ures, and he is probity itself. He has
been with US for ten years past and is
as steady AZ a church. might as well
suspect myself"
Nevertheless, IL there Is anything
wrong it must be in his department
suggested Agnew.
There were two or three interviews,
and then 1t was suggested that Dubois,
which was the name Of the bookkeeper,
be given leave Of absence for a cou-
pie of weeks. He refused to take it
Then Agnew cabled for instructions
and was told to go ahead. He was
taken to the Office and introduced and
his errand stated. To his agreeable
disappointment Dubois gave him cor
dial welcome and offered every assist.
ance In his power. He would be only
too glad to have his books looked over
and verified. His frankness and eager
ness were a setback to Agnew, but
day was appointed for the commence
ment of the work. No man could have
set out to render himself more agree
able than the French bookkeeper did.
He first invited Agnew to his home to
dinner. 1t was a modest little cottage,
plainly furnished and evidently Geo.
nomically managed. There were wife
and two children, and the family APP
peared to be happy and contented.
| Agnew had made up his mind that
Dubois was certainly living on his in
come and was a man of steady habits
when his wife happened to mention
during the momentary absence of the
husband that she would be entirely
happy If Claude did not have to remain
at the office so late three or four nights
in the week. As a matter of fact, the
Office always closed at $50 p. M. and
Agnew was made uneasy by the re-
marks. Dubois made arrangements to
show the American certain sights the
next evening, and they were together
| for several hours. At a cafe where
they stopped for last drink Agnew.
who had taken very little during the
evening and who called for q mild
glass on this occasion, suddenly found
| the room whirling round and round
| with him and finally pitched forward
on the floor and became unconscious.
| When he came to some time during
the next day he was i'll and found that
he had been robbed and was clothed
In the garb Of workingman. He was
also prisoner in cellar so dark that
he could not see across 1t, There were
| pitcher of water and loaf of
bread beside him. He drank of the
water and slept for hours.
When he awoke again the effects Of
the drug were gone, and he explored
his prison, to discover that it had only
one small window, and that looked out
red. There had been stairs leading up
to door, but they had bsen removed.
No sounds reached him from above,
and the noises from the street were
| muff1ed.
An hour later a man thrust ladder
down and brought more bread and wa
ter. He was armed with knife and
refused TO answer any questions. The
American coaxed. threatened and tried
to bride. but the man was firm. Three
times a day for the next ten days he
| brought bread and water, but never
| anything else. Then one evening he
left the ladder behind him when he as
ceAded. as II by an oversight, and
after waiting for an hour Agnew crept
up, to find the door open. He had no
trouble in leaving the house, which was
without tenants and situated in slum
street. The man hadn't a penny in
money, and his suit was old and rag.
ged. When he accosted a gendarme he
was ordered to move on. He moved ON
and told his story again and again and
at length was arrested and locked up.
In the morning the police Judge was
about to commit Agnew as a vagrant
when he asked that the head of the
arm be sent for. This was done, and
Of course the prisoner was soon at lib.
erty. He could not guide the police to
the street where he had been held pris-
oner, but a visit to the home Of Dubois
explained everything. He had aban-
doned his family eight days previously.
In day or two 1t was shown that for
ave years he had maintained three sep
arate establishments, and In two OF
them he had passed for a single man.
Instead OF being q man Of steady hah-