The Washington times., 1912-02-20

had gone with his wife to make
a last appeal. He hoped that
Sabines beauty would impress
Chauffard, for the Insurer had several
times shown his admiration for her.
The merchant and his wife had gone
to Neuilly. They had employed all pos
slble means to make the money-lender
yield. Then, in moment of despair,
Nine Barnet-Dufour had tried TO take
her husbands notes that Chauffard had
placed on his desk.
1t was at this moment that the mer-
chant had seized an AK that hung in
the corner of the panoply. The mer-
chant had seized the terrible weapon at
the moment when Chauffard had
stretched out his hands over the notes.
With one blow he had chopped the
hand off.
The usurer had turned round, uttering
cry OF pain, but the attack had been
SO violent that cerebral hemorrhaEe was
dead
The merchant and his wife were then
In possession of the notes and of a sum
OF money that the safe contained, also
the iron Golfer that Dufreny had found
IN the Bots, All this had taken place
in the evening.
Toward midnight the criminals had
wrapped the body of their victim in an
old carpet and had walked down the
in the river.
In the garden Chauffard's hand, which
had been poorly tied on, had dropped
on without them noticing it. They had
also dropped the note book belonging
to the dead man. They had not dared
to burn the compromising papers in the
house for fear that the smoke would at
tract attention.
Surprised by the ragpicker, Gorniche,
they had not had time to throw the
body in the Seine. They had dropped
i and escaped through the Bots de
iron box with tie notes 1t Contained -.
They were afraid to use the notes at
| once, so they had hidden them.
From this moment the merchant was
able to meet his creditors, and his bust
| ness increased. He had called upon the
chief OF the secret service, hoping there
| by to turn all suspicious upon Leon La
| roche.
But as soon as Dufreny had been put
on the case, he had begun his investi-
cations and learned that the Barnet
Dufours were in difficulties and had re-
| course to the money lender.
The day after the crime CASTOR had
disguised himself and had visited the
| tearooms on the brand boulevards,
where he had seen the merchants wife
| He had exhibited before her an exact
copy of the Doorgha statue that Chauf-
| fard had brought back from India, and
which had stood on his desk.
| "nen Durreny had told all to his
| chief, NJ. Cardec had telephoned at once
to the Palais.
| At first they were lncredulous. NJ.
| rnet-Dufour had so clearly establish
| ed his reputation-it is true that some
vague rumors had been circulated con-
| corning him, but it was difficult to be-
| lieve that he would commit murder!
A watch was placed around their
| house Immediately. Unfortunately these
| formalities took a certain amount of
| time, and it was Q o'clock when the
agents arrived at the Rue de Long
champs. The house was like all other
| houses In that quarter, closed and dark.
| Not daring to enter for fear of at
| tracing the attention of those inter-
| ested the agents stationed themselves
| outside and watched the house to see
| that no one left 1t.
Let us go back a few hours. When
| Nine. Barnet Dufour left the Bots she
drove at once to her husbands office.
her that NJ. Barnet-Dufour had just
| gone out.
| II will wait" she said briefly.
Here was a delay which might be IA
tai for them. She bit her lips with
rage. How could her imbeCile husband
b. amusing himself outside just at this
moment when his presence was SO
necessary!
The half hour that she waited seem.
ed like a century. At last the merchant
came in. He frowned when he learned
that his wife was waiting for him. Fol
the elegant Sabine to condescend t.
come to his business house, it must bC
something very serious. At the sigh
of her face he knew at once that al
immediate danger menaced them.
What is it?" he asked quickly.