Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-10-24
CHAPTER w

THE woman you want went in there !"
1t wasaMendotti, one of Cassagne's men.
who spoke to his employer, as both stood
in the deep shadow of tree, whose fur
thest branches spread over the narrow
street and beyond a high brick wall op-
poste.
She went in there, not twenty minutes
ago." repeated Mendotti, pointing with
his finger to wooden door, which was
let into the wall. Il at once sent you
message. 1 have not moved from here
except to do that. She's in there yet. l
don't enow whose house it is"
But | do. 1t is the residence of Col
bert Remplin, the rich banker # the
Place de rOpera. That door leads into
his garden. Tell me ho,y she got in. Did
she have a key"
mo, a woman admitted her.
What kind of a woman was she?"
IAN elderly woman. She looked as
though she might be a housekeeper. or an
upper servant. l crept up near enough
to hear her say. My mistress is busy
now, but she will see you in a few min
utes Go into the summer house,"
Cassagne thought deeply for a minute
or two At last he said
Run around in front of the house and
see what is going on. The house is we'll
lit up. The Colbert emplins are not
people who entertain much; but there
must be something on tonight. Do |
not hear the sound of music? Whoever
\ is to meet the woman" continued the de-
tective, sis to meet her in the summer
house. Oh, to be able to scale that wall,
and get into those grounds ~
Looking around him his quick eye fell
upon the tree Immediately over their
heads, along the branches of which he
thought he might possibly work his way
and so drop into the garden.
The night was toerably dark. But
few people were passing in that fashion
able quarter. After a moments hesita-
ton he determined to attempt it. After
first instructing Mendotti to await his re-
turn, he then climbed upon his assistants
shoulders, and was just able to reach the
lower limb of the cedar.
Il am all right" he whispered, ana he
commenced to work his way very eau
tiously along one of the branches. 1t
bent tremendously with his weight but
he put up his hand and drew down an
upper bough. Thus distributing the bur-
den, he managed to pass the wall. and
continued to creep along the branches
until, they gradually bending with their
load, he was enabled to drop uoiselesSly
into the garden.
Il will go and wait for my lady in
the center of the lawn, and l had better
be quick about it, he said
Relying upon his general knowledge of
the construction of a Partisan garden, NJ.
Cassagne walked rapidly forward, struck
his foot against some unforeseen obsta-
Gle. tripped. stumbled, and the next mo-
ment found himself struggling in the
water. He had overlooked the fact that
some gardens have fountains.
Where have you come from, and what
have you been doing?" was the astonish-
ed inquiry of Charles D'Auburon.
He had been aroused from his bed ct
midnight by a thunderous knocking at
his door, and on going to see what all
the noise was about, had discovered Cas-
sagne, standing, the picture of misery,
under the lamp on the landing.
Dripping yet with the moisture which
ran from all his garments minus his hat.
and shivering like an aspen, the famous
detective presented a picture well calcu-
lated to excite the utmost commiseration !;
but CLEAN of triumph was in his I'M
dimmed eye and he wore the air of a
conqueror rather than of a man who had
met with a humiliating accident
CasSagne entered into circumstantial
relation of his adventures When he ar
rived at what he facetiousiy termed the
frog pond incident" DAuburon could
not restrain his mirth. and il was so con-
tagious that Cassagne, though the joke
was against himself could not refrain
from joining him. The two men roared
until the room shook again. When their
merriment had somewhat subsidized NJ.
Cassagne took up the thread of his narra-
tive in this wise:
4 had hardly got my head out of
water, and cleared my ears and eyes, be
fore | heard door open and shut, in
the back part of the house. 1 crept softly
out of the fountain and lay extended at
full length upon the grass. Straining my
eyes in the direction of the house, | per-
ceived the figure of woman coming to-
ward me. She was woman daintily
dressed in full ball costume had no
| difficulty in following her. She had slip
ped unperceived from the ball room, and
no doubt believed herself 10 be entirely
free frnm surveillance. l crept along on
my hands and knees and got close TO her
as she came around the bend in the gravel
walk. As she neared me. the moon, which
had hitherto been concealed by passing
clouds, shone out a little and cleaned
upon her soft silk dress and her white
shoulders. In that brief moment / saw
| and recognized her"
"Who was she?" exclaimed D'Auburon,
in a tone of almost breathless interest.
''She was the woman l expected. She
was Madame Colbert-Remplin, tie bank
er's wife,
you are joking" exclaimed DAu-
buron. Both Mendotti and yourself must
| have been mistaken. The light was un-