Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-05-08


ter. What do you think that laundering
idiot Lablanche is doing? He has set
someone to shadowing Monsieur Chabot.
The fellow followed US in a cab.
thought we had given him the slip, but, |
looking out of the windows of the Cafe
Anglais there he was lounging against a
lamp post and looking like detective all |
over. Did you ever hear of such clumsi-
ness in all your life?'
you must exercise your ingenuity, my
dear boy. A little thing like that shouldn't
disturb you. Always recollect that In
this business it is the man who keeps
cool that wins. 1t is golden maxim"
D'Auburon was rapidly cooling. He
had been waiting all the evening for the
arrival of his friend to indulge in his
TRADE against the project. He had deliv-
cred himself Then he became again, as
Cassagne put it, "a reasoning being"
Cassagne then gave D'Auburon short
sketch of what had occurred at the Cha
teau Villeneuve. He finish his account
by producing the little gold locket.
THE man who wore this was last heard
from at Blois. The owner of this locket
was the man who actually murdered Mad
anne Roupell. Whether he had accom-
plices or not it is hard at present to say.
The project argues doubtless, from Jules
Chabot's presence in the chateau on the
night of the murder, that he is in some
way connected with 1t. My own opinion
is that it is a mere coincidence; nothing
more. Still it will not do to leave any
point uncovered. That's why want you
to keep him well in sight. Do you see"
81 see, of course" responded D'Au-
huron. 81 can keep him in sight read
lily. Meantime, what do you yourself pro-
pose to do? Go to Blois, suppose"
Exactly, and start tomorrow morn
ing That means | shall go to bed early
tonight. You must try and discover
this man Chabot's most intimate friends,
meanwhile. may be gone for day or
SO. Try and go where he goes, to be in
vited where he is invited; and above all
don't let Lablanche get ahead of us. He's
not such fool as you think. If he makes
blunders, remember he makes remarkably
clever ones"
''There was some talk of ball to-mor-
row night" remarked D'Auburon at
length, when he had well weighed the
others words-"a ball at the Vicomte de
, Valiar's-"
"Ah! do you know him?"
Eyes, as l know them all. l know of
! him. He ian be got at if necessary. From
what Chabot dropped" continued D'Au-
/. huron, II believe he intends to be there.
He is quite in with the de Valiars,
J understand. You have heard of de Va
liars, l suppose? Great financial nabob,
and all that sort of thing"
Cassagne nodded, quietly. you ought
| certainly to be there. One never knows
what may happen"
Nov to find. in a population of near
! ly thirty thousand people. this one indi-
) vidual, this Henry Graham, who was last
; heard from in this very city seven years
ago." soliloquized NJ. Cassagne, as he
J stepped from his compartment on to the
: platform of the little railway station and
saw frowning from above him the ancient
castle of Blois. All the way down in the
train he had been busily occupied in plan
E ming how he would find the human needle,
) Henry Graham. in the bundle of hay.
Blois.
: With nothing to guide him but his own
S marvellous powers of reasoning, he now
' started forth upon search which ninety
J. nine men out of a hundred would have
8 considered worse than useless. For it
+ was quite within the bounds of possibility
s that the man he was looking for had lived
. in Blois under another name than that of
e Henry Graham.
J., NJ. Cassagne sauntered quietly down
s the curving narrow main street of the
a old town. By nightfall he had accom-
$ plished this: He had had his hair dress
ed nearly twenty times, he had ordered
e and paid for but barely tasted nearly
: forty meals. He had discovered that
i there were exactly two inns for every
t barber in the town of Blois But no
a barber, and no innkeeper had been able
t to inform him of such a person as Henry
a Graham. NJ. Cassagne retired to rest in
/ the snuggest hostelry in the town, the
e Golden Fleece.
Such progress did the detective make
n the next morning in the good graces of
Il NJ. Cratteau, the proprietor of the inn,
: that by the time the ancient gilt clock
It over the stables had chimed out the half
/ hour, Nj. Cratteau and he were on excel
= len terms, walking around the little gar
e den and chatting and talking confiden-
e TALLY.
d NJ. Cassagne was confding a wonder
d full fairy story. He was at Blois in the
s. interests Of little girl of whose person
= and estate he had been appointed guar
IS dian. He had only to establish the death
d of one individual to prove his little ward
D, heir to large property in America. NJ
a Cratteau, in his ten years residence in
h Blois, had doubtless met many Ameri.
I cans.
/ Eyes, many"
d Had monsieur known an American
W called Henry Graham?"
Graham Graham" No, the man
had not. But l think can direct Won
to person who can," he added. Go nd
IN see Madame Beausantin, the old washer.
10 woman of the Rue du Concert. She has
,e done the washing of every American who
a. has been in Blois for the past twenty
Of years. She gets all the business because
lie she knows what they want, She may b,
Y able to tell you something about him."
a. 1t was barely nine o'clock when NJ
is Cassagne, having finished his coffee anC
ID rolls. issued forth from the courtyard
a of the Golden Fleece, and proceeded il
e. the direction of the Rue du Concert. |
ID was short street, containing neithe
le inns nor barber shops, which. perhaps
a accounted TO his not having previousl,
v set foot within its precincts. If it hal
IN not been for the fortuitous meeting witt
Cratteau, in all probability NJ. Cas-
s, sagne would never have thought O
ne looking there for traces of Henry Ora
Z" ham.
m 1t was a bright, smart shop. witt
ne large plate glass windows, in which wer
ty displayed, beautifully ironed two lon
lace curtains, lying specimens of the oual
Is ity OF the work which was never, evei
I'd for the best customers, done within. TIL
Id interior of the establishment was 6tte
p up with a large stove in the rear, o.
which dozens of irons were hroting Rano