Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-02-07
u r a n vi | | e

S'oShe was lne autnor himself
o. TINS useful paper and had forwarded il
.Wo days previously to D'Auburon in
Iarls, where 1t had been translated into
Russian before being returned to Blois.
But happily the concierge was ignorant
Oh this deceit, and the plan had therefore
succeeded perfectly. Burning with hatred
ior the supposed spy, Gughatoff had told
all he knew of his late guest. which was
as follows:
Henry Graham had resided in Blois
some SIX or seven years, during which
time he had had correspondence with two
persons only. Gughatoff knew this. be-
cause, latterly, Graham, for fear of cred
ltors, had rarely left his apartments, and
Eughatof had mailed his letters for him.
The first of these persons was Nine.
houpell' thus again establishing beyond
a doubt the identity of the Henry Gra-
nam 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
ory OF the concierge in the course of
years. He was positive, however, that
her first name had been Helene, and that
she had resided at Beliers, a small village
IN the department of the Loire.
This second correspondent had also
been a lady-a well-educated, refined
lady, he should judge, for he had been in
the habit OF taking up NJ. Graham's mail,
and the envelopes had been fine and deli
cately scented, and had borne a crest and
monogram on the outside such as were
only used by persons of rank.
AS the train rushed across the land
scape, Cassagne relapsed into a medta-
tive mood. The thought recurred to him,
was this woman, after lapse of so many
years, yet alive, and would it be possible
to find her? If Graham was the murder
er, as he now believed, the person most
likely to know of his present whereabouts
would be this one-the woman who, in
all probability, had been his wife. He fell
to studying how old this boy could be
now. He calculated he must be nearly
thirty years of age. For old Gughatoff,
the concierge, had given the child's age at
about ten when Graham had left Blois,
and little more than twenty years had
elapsed since that time. If he could find
him, he perhaps might yet be in COM
munication with his father.
When Henry Graham had left Blois he,
too, had turned his steps in the direction
Of Belliers. For Gughatoff had forward
ed several letters to him at that place. 1t
was toward Belliers, therefore, that he,
Cassagne, must hasten, there to pursue
his investigations but first of all he
would go to Paris. He must find out
what NJ. Lablanche had accomplished. He
must also receive the report of his as
sistant, who meantime would not have
been idle.
The first thing NJ. Cassagne did upon
his arrival in Paris was to hail cab.
Jumping in, he bade the man drive to
the apartment of his friend and assist
ant, D'Auburon. in the Rue de Provence.
1t was about noon when he ascended the
staircase and raped loudly on the door
of the vestibule. D'Auburon came out
himself to let him in, rubbing his eyes.
81 have been up pretty nearly all night" +"
he said, yawning terribly. wait till l
get bath. Then we will have some
breakfast"
= "Confound the fellow" exclaimed the
impatient Cassagne. Il never call on
him but he is either in the bath or just
about to take one. 1t is the one thing
against his making good detective. He
is too fond of water"
A minute afterward DAuburon appear
ed in a loose dressing gown and Turkish
slippers, swinging two enormous Indian
clubs in a manner that threatened de-
struction to the chandeliers and orna-
ments.
|. While he was thus engaged, Cassagne
had arisen. He was walking restlessly up
and down the room. The splashing of the
water had given him a sudden fit of shiv-
ering. The sight of his friend wasting
precious time on what he deemed friv-
olous exercise, also irritated him. Sud-
denly his eye fell upon a card in the
receiver on the center table. 1t was a
very elegantly engraved piece of paste
bossed in gold. Its inscription read:
''The Vicomte de Valiar."
"Ah," exclaimed Cassagne, that's the
man to whom l procured you the letter
of introduction. You managed to get
there?"
YES" replied D'Auburon, 'and he call
ed when l was out and left his card. A
great financier he is. President of half
a dozen big companies. He has made
one fortune and has twenty irons in the
fire, all Of which he manages to keep re-
specially heated"
Never mind him for the present." in
terrupted Cassagne, impatiently. Tell
me of Chabot, above all. want to know
what the prefect of police has accomplish
ed. How many men has he got on the
case"
-Four !"
"Who are they?"
"vougeot, Remoul, villeroy and Cou-
tinet."
None of them is up to much except
Vougeot," unused M. Cassagne, to whom
the detectives named were well known.
"Vougeot Is a pretty smart fellow. What