Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-03-10

VIII experience thrill of pleasure in
recalling it to mind. It is small and
dark, with six little polished tables,
at which you may sit and drink the
best coffee in New Orleans, and con-
coctions Of absinthe equal to SAFE
RAGS best. Madame Tibault, fat and
Indulgent, presides at the desk, and
takes your money. Nicollette and
Meme, madame's neices, in charming
bib aprons, bring the desirable bev-
eTages-
Dumarg, with true Creole luxury,
was slipping his absinthe, with half
closed eyes, in a swirl of cigarette
smoke Robbins was looking over the
morning Pic, detecting, as young re-
porters will, the gross blunders in
the makeup, and the envious blue
penciIing his own stuff had received.
This item, in the advertising columns,
caught his eye, and with an eXclama-
ton Of sudden interest he read it
aloud TO his friend:
PUBLIC AUCTION-At 3 o'clock
this afternoon there will be sold to
the highest bidder all the common
property of the Little Sisters of Sa-
maria, az the home of the Sisterhood,
In Bonhomme street The sale will
dispose OF the building, ground and
the complete furnishings of the 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
bef9re. They recalled the incidents,
went over the old theories, and dis
cussed it 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
fshed twenty thousand dollars-that
had set the whole matter going?
The three took up the long-aban-
doned mystery, threshing over the
old, dry chaff Of it. 1t was in the
chapel Of this house of the Little
Sisters OF Samaria that Robbins and
Dunars had stood during that eager,
fru1gIess news search of theirs, and
hooked upon the gilded statue of the
Virgin.
-"Thass SO, boys" said madame,
sun2mirg up. "Thass YER wicked
man M'sieur NORM. Everybody shall
be cert he steal those money I PLACE
SIS his hand for keep safe. Yes. He's
bonn spend that money, somehow"
Madame turned a broad and compre-
hensiye smile upon Dumars Il ond'-
stand you, N'sieur Dumars, those day
y0gI come ask me TO tell ev'ything I
know bout Msieur NORM. All! yes,
Z 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
oue saint. You nights well, M'sieur
Tunars, go try find those money in
those statue of Virgin Mary THAI
M'sieur NORM present at those p'tita
soeurs, as try find one femme"
At Madame Ttbault's last words,
Robbins started slightly and cast 8
keen, sidelOng glance at Dumars.
The Creole sat, unmoved, dreamily
watching the spirals of his cigarette
smoke,
1t was then o'clock in the morn
Ing, and, a few minutes later, the
two friends separated, going different
yyays 70 their days duties And now
follows the brief story Of Madame
Tibaults vanished thousands,
New Orleans will readily recall to
mind the circumstances attendant
upon risa death of Mr.. Gaspard NORM,
III that city. Mr.. Norm was an ar
tistic goldsmith and jeweler, in the
old French quarter. and a man held
sn the highest esteem. He belonged
to one of he oldest French families,
and was Of some distinction as an
antiquary and historian He was
bachelor, about fifty years of age.
He lived in quiet comfort, at one OF
those rare old hostelries 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-
ideally insolvent, his stock of goods
and personal property barely-but
nearly enough to free him from CEN
sure-coyering 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 Tlbault. which she had received
as q legacy from relatives in France.
The most searching scrutiny by
friends and the legal authorities
Is lied 10 reveal the disposition Of the
money. It had vanished, and left no
trace Some weeks before his death,
MIR Norm had drawn the entire
amount, in gold coin. from the bank
where it had been placed while he
looked about Che told Madame tt
0ault) for safe investment. There
fore, Mr. ~Morin's memory seemed