The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-02-08

The Frenchman had his opponent fair
ly outbet. But the temptation to make
more was strong upon him. The Swiss
had already scrubbed an l. o. U. for
fifty thousand francs and pushed it to-
| ward him.
| The Frenchman was about to play. and
had raised his hand for that purpose
| when his eye caught the queer three-cor-
nered piece of paper in front of him.
Il can't take l. o. U.S." he said. II
must have absolute security"
Then they saw the Swiss take from
the pocket of his vest small locket and
| pass it over to the Frenchman.
Isn't that good for something, mon
sieur?"
| With his face grown suddenly an ashen
| gray the vicomte leaned over the table
and almost whispered, as he clutched the
locket in his shaking fingers:
Where did you get this?'
The detective leaned forward and pick
| ed up one of the notes from the vicomte's
bundle.
From the place where you found this.
Is it enough, or shall l show you some.
| thing else?"
| What do you mean? Don't speak out
here before everybody. Come with me-"
The two players arose from the table
and, passing out into the conservatory,
left the money lying on the table, and q
| group of astonished guests looking blank
| ~ at it.
'They have both been crazy to bid like
this" said one they have doubtless gone
to make some arrangement together"
They waited for minute-for five
minutes. Still the players did not re-
turn. They were in the conservatory still,
hidden from the eyes of the men. If the
wondering group at the card table had
been there, this is what they would have
seen and heard:
| They would have heard the vicomte
implOring vainly for one chance; have
seen him offering all he had to the Swiss
if he would 60 back, and give him one
/ opportunity to escape-would give him q
bare ten minutes start.
1T is more than l can do" replied
the Swiss my men surround this house.
You cannot possibly get away. Such
mercy as l may, l give you. 1t is better
than the guilotine."
He handed the vicomte his pistol. and,
| IuIuluS, Wdlkeu lONdTu Tue uOOT VI luc
| conservatory. Only once he looked back
to see the vicomte standing unsteadily by
the fountain, horrible expression upon
his face.
| He looked around at the Swiss be-
seemingly, but finding nothing there
which might bid him hope, said despair
ingly:
| "Good-by: thank you even for this"
! The Swiss walked on and reached the
door of the conversatory. He leaned
against the Intel of the door and wait
ed. People were beginning to come and
| look for the players. The outer salon
was Already crowded.
Suddenly a pistol shot rang out and
! echoed through the whole lower floor of
the house. The well-dressed, excited
crowd rushed toward the conservatory.
The Swiss gentleman met them in the
doorway. There was something in his
| face that stopped them irresistibly, on
| the very threshold.
Il wouldn't come in, if were you. The
Vicomte de Valiar has shot himself. He
was the murderer of Madame Roupell,
| the old lady who lived at Villeneuve," hs
went on to explain.
| "Oh, Monsieur LaZare J!
II am not Monsieur Lazare; l am Al
| fred Cassagne, the detective"
Then they looked upon him and won
dered why they had not OWNED it from
| the first, for it was a face well known
| in the shop windows of Paris.
You had better all go home" he sug-
| gested, and they went slowly away, all
| but one passing safely through the cor.
| don of police.
AS Herr Goldstein came out with the
| rest D'Auburon placed his hand upon his
| shoulder.
Il want you" he said.
Another detective?"
"Yes, another detective"
They took him away INTERESTINGLY, and
| Cassagne and D'Auburon went into the
conservatory together. There across the
| coping of the marble fountain, prone on
| his face and stone dead, with the blood
| oozing slowly from small wound in his
| forehead and tinging with red the green
! leaves of the water lilies, lay the body of
Philip Graham.
Nearly year had passed away since
| the death of Philip Graham. The Cha
| teau Villeneuve, from it's long period of
! gloom and mourning, awoke one day with
bells pealing joyously from its towers,
| its parks and woodlands smiling beneath
the radiance of the summer sun.
From an early hour old Pierre hid been
awake, bustling hither and thit!rr. He
expected visitors, and long before their
| arrival, everything was in readiness for
| their reception.
The train from Paris was in at last,
a merry group met on the platform. and
| it's members took carriages for the cha
teau. The first one was occupied by DIR.
and Mrs. Paul Mason. The second by
| Mr.. and Mrs. Van Lith. The third by
the mayor of Villeneuve and NJ. Delorme,
the justice of the peace. The fourth by
NJ. D'Auburon and NJ. Victor Lablanche,
| for the latter was magnanimous gen.
tleman, and could forgive victory when
| a rival had fairly earned it.
It was noon. Breakfast was quite
ready. The finest and oldest wines in
the cellars of Villeneuve had been brought