Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1911-03-17

at which you may sit and drink tn,
best coffee In New Orleans, and con
coctions of absinthe equal to SAFE
RAGS best. Madame Tibault. fat an,
indulgent. presides at the desk, an,
takes your money. Nicollette ant
Meme, madame's neices. in charming
bib aprons, bring the desirable bev
erages.
DumaTs, with true Creole luxury
was slipping his absinthe, with half
closed eyes, n a swirl of eigarett,
smoke. Robbins was looking over tn,
morning Pic, detecting, as young re
porters will, the gross blunders il
the makeup, and the envious blue
penciliQg his own stuff had received
This item, in the advertising columns
caught his eye, and with an exclama
ton of sudden interest he read Il
aloud to his friend:
PUBLIC AUCTION-At 8 O'Clock
this afternoon there will be sold tt
the highest bidder all the common
property of the Little Sisters of Sa
maria. at the home Of the Sisterhood
In Bonhomme street. The sale will
dispose of the building. ground and
the complete furnishings of tie house
and chapel, without reserve"
This notice stirred the two friends
to reminiscent talk concerning an
episode in their journalistic career
that had occurred about two years
before. They recalled the incidents
went over the old theories. and dis.
cussed 1t anew, from the different
perspective time had brought.
There were no other customers in
the cafe. Madame's fine ear had
caught the line of their talk, and she
came over to their table-for had It
not been her lost money-her van.
ished twenty thousand dollars-that
had set the whole matter going?
The three took up the long-aban.
doned mystery. threshing over the
old, dry char of it. It was In the
chapel of this house of the Little
Sisters Of Samaria that Robbins and
Dumars had stood during that eager
fruitless news search of theirs, and
looked upon the gilded statue Of the
Virgin.
'Thass 50, boys" said madame,
summing up. "Thass YER wicked
man, M'sieur NORM. Everybody shall
be cert he steal those money PLACE
In his hand for keep safe. Yes. He's
boun' spend that money, somehow
Madame turned a broad and compre-
hensive smile upon Dumars. 81 ond'.
stand you. M'sieur Dumars, those day
you come ask me TO- tell ev'ything |
know bout M'sieur NORM. All! yes.
l know most time when those men
lose money you say, .Cherchez la
femme'-there is somewhere the wo-
man. But not for M'sieur NORM. No.
boys. Before he shall die, he is like
one saint. You nights well, M'sieur
Dumars, go try find those money in
those statue of Virgin Mary that
M'sieur NORM present at those p'tite
soeurs, as try find one femme"
At Madame TibauIIs last words,
Robbins started slightly and cast a
keen. sidelong glance at Dumars.
The Creole sat, unmoved, dreamily
watching the spirals Of his cigarette
smoke.
II was then O'Clock in the morn.
ing. and. a few minutes later, the
two friends separated, going different
ways to their days duties. And now
follows the brief story of Madame
Tibault's vanished thousands.
New Orleans will readily recall to
mind the circumstances attendant
upon the death of Mr.. Gaspard NORM.
In that city. Mr.. NORM was an ar
tistic goldsmith and jeweler, In the
old French quarter, and a man held
In the highest esteem. He belonged
TO one Of the oldest French families,
and was of some distinction as an
antiquary and historian. He was a
bachelor, about fifty years OF age.
He lived In quiet comfort, at one of
those rare old hosteirsss in Royal
street. He was found In his rooms
one morning. dead from unknown
causes.
When his affairs came to be looked
into, 1t was found that he was prac-
tically insolvent, his stock of goods
and personal property barely-but
nearly enough to free him from GEN.
his liabilities. Fol-
lowing, came the disclosure that he
had been intrusted with the sum OF
twenty thousand dollars by a former
servant in the NORM family. one Ma
dame Tibault. which she had received
as legacy from relatives in France
The most searching scrutiny by
friends and the legal authorities
failed to reveal the disposition of the
money. 1t had vanished, and left no
trace. Some weeks before his death,
Mr.. NORM had drawn the entire
In gold coin, from the bank
where 1t had been placed while he
looked about Che told Madame IT,
bault) for a safe investment There
fore. Mr.. Morin's memory seemed
doomed to bear the cloud of dishon-
esty. while Madame was, of course,
Then 1t was that Robbins and Du-
mars. representing their respective
journals. began one of those pertina-
cious private Investigations which, of
late years. the press has adopted as a
means to glory and the satisfaction OF
public curiosity.
"Cherchez la femme" said Dumars.
That's the ticket" agreed Rob
bins. "All roads lead to the eternal
feminine. We will find the woman"
Thew exhausted tho kuowIadOa ~ |