Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-05-15
cHAPTER XIII

OIIA1 LIN ALL
The man in charge of the apartment
house at No. 20 Rue do Santin was a
short, dumpy man, of the name Of Gug-
hatoff. Though he spoke French fluent
~, even with the accent of a native, his
high Tartar cheek bones, his oblique
eyes, and gutteral information when unduly
excited, sufficiently attested his Russian
origin.
In Gughatof, the Russian, M. Cas-
sagne found he had far more difficult
person to deal with than the little laun.
dress, plant by reason of her excessive
greed. With Gughatof, whose political
opinions now constituted his whole life
motive, mere gain was a secondary con
sideration. He devoted all his spare time,
which was consider able, as his wife did
politics. He was one of those men of
whom people say He would sooner talk
politics than eat"
The Parisian detective now felt that
while his progress so far had been salts
factory, the greatest caution on his part
was necessary. He had seen the most
likely cases ruined by too hasty conduct.
He did not suffer himself to be unduly-
elated by the extremely satisfactory out
come Of his interview with Nine. Beau
santin. he went about his work with the
greatest deliberation. A man less a mas
ter Of his difficult profession would have
at once excited suspicion, which would
have resulted in the Russians closing
his mouth forever. NJ. Cassagne avoided
this fatal error by the very deliberation
with which he went about his work. His
first step was to find out the kind Of man
he had to deal with. In two days, he
had possessed himself Of all necessary
information. On the third he continued
to ingratiate himself with the janitor, In
regard to whose antecedents and pecu.
Iiarities he had been so careful to make
himself acquainted.
On the fifth day the morning train bore
the detective away from Blois, the richer
for some very important Information He
had shown the portrait In the locket to
Gughatoff, and the concierge, like Nine
Beausantin, had declared it to be the
portrait of the American Henry Graham.
In addition he had actually persuaded
Gughatof that he had been all the Tins
entertaining in Henry Graham a spy of
the Russian government; that he, Cas-
sagne, belonged to a friendly circle OF
French cooperative Nihilists having it's
headquarters in Paris; that Graham had
been at one time a member of the circle.
and that he was about to betray his late
comrades. Gughatof, to whom spy
was as red rag to bull, had greedily
swallowed this remarkable fairy tale Of
the detectives, especially when the latter
had produced a skillfully prepared docu-
ment in Russian which not only COM
mended him to the offices Of all good Nj
hilists, but even gave a distinct account
of the object Of his mission and infinitely
described his person for purposes of iden-
tifcation.
True, Cassagne was the author himself
Of this useful paper and had forwarded it
two days previously to D'Auburon in
Paris, where 1t had been translated into
Russian before being returned to Blois.
But happily the concierge was ignorant
OF this deceit, and the plan had therefore
succeeded perfectly. Burning with hatred
Tor the supposed spy, Gughatoif had told
all he knew of his late guest, which was
as follows:
Henry Graham had resided Ii Blois
some six or seven years, daring which
time he had had correspond ace with two
persons>orf Gugbatoff knew this, be-
cause, latterly, Graham, for fear of cred
itors, had rarely left his apartments, and
Gughatoif had mailed his letters for him
The first of these persons was Nine
Roupell thus again establishing beyond
q doubt the identity of the Henry Ora
ham Of Blois with the dissolute brother
of the late owner of the Chateau vile
neuve.
The surname of Henry Graham's sec
ond correspondent had escaped the mem
CRY of the concierge in the course o.
years. He was positive, however. thai
her first name had been Helene, and that
she had resided at Belliers. 3 small village
N the department Of the Loire.
9his second correspondent had slSC