The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-11-29


Several times I have felt tempted to
write him an anonymous letter warn
Ing him against the plot: but Boissier
terrorized me. and dared not risk Il.
have also"
She stopped and an expression Of
intense pain came over her face.
saw she was really I'll; and as, for
several reasons did not want her to
go back to where she was staying. I
sent for cab and asked the house
keeper to take my card, and convey
the girl to a home managed by one
OF my friends. who would look after
her.
Boissier was sitting motionless in
the dining-room by the side of the
professor" who was reading q morn
ing paper.
Take him to the prefecture. Le-
roy" said. IL will see him tonight
or tomorrow morning"
Eyes. sir. Come along. my boy, you
and will look at a few more ghosts"
And he led away Soissier, who shiv-
cred with fright and had not the
strength to utter syllable.
well. Xavier" I exclaimed. when
We were alone. what do you think
OF our seance? Rather stormy, was It
not"
"Goron, I am too much ashamed OF
myself to dare even to thank you.
feel In a dream. But how did you fer
ret It all out? What clue did you
have?"
"Oh. had q clue. But there Is
your sister. worrying herself to
death. Go at once to her, and tell her
she need not trouble to order a wed.
ding cake for you. One word more.
Ask your sister to tell her butler to
bring up bottle Of Mouton Roths-
child. / promised to dine with her
and you'll all went WELL"
It was one OF the pleasantest din
ners / can remember. The Mouton
Rothschild had been religiorsly emp
tied. We were smoking cigarettes.
when Xavier said:
"And now tell us what gave you the
clue to the affair"
MY dear Xavier. you will see Il n
all very simple. II people would be-
lieve only half the things told them
In the course of their lives there
would be only half the number OF
crimes committed. You need not look
uncomfortable; others have been ta-
ken In like you.
Your case is divided into two parts.
The first. which concerns you special
ly, Is Of childish simplicity. II was all
fake. The voices you heard, calling
upon you to marry that girl, did not
emanate from spirits. Candidly, I
am surprised man of your intellect
should have fallen into such a vulgar
trap. AS to these wonderful sooth-
sayers in Paris. Brussels and Amster.
dam, they We're all members OF the
same gang. II was BOLSTER who gave
you the addresses of those sibyls, and
Clementine, warned by Bossier, sent
one OF her staff to the place to receive
you.
"The second part OF your case, re
lating more particularly to the girl.
was more subtle. and. I own, gave me
some trouble. She, felt, was the piv-
OF OF the affair, and on her centered
my attention. Her hands were my
first clue. In suspicious case sus-
pect everything. =;
Here was a girl, the daughter OF
French parents, with pair OF Ameri
can hands! have been to the United
States and have noticed the peculiari-
ties Of the hands in that country, as
elsewhere. Her hands haunted me; 7
began to fancy they did not belong to
her. And that was my starting point
'T went to Toulouse; saw NJ. E.
and Madame E, who had adopted
their niece. and had a profitable talk
with them. They showed me the por-
traits OF Germaine's parents, true
types Of the Latin race; and I learned
from them that the Bradley's, the
farmers who at one time took charge
OF Germaine, also had little daugb-
ter. On my return to Paris I COM
municated by cable with the Ameri-
can authorities, and with admirable
courtesy they replied the second day
that Lily Bradley and her parents
were dead.
"The conviction then stole upon me
that your fiancee was not Germaine.
but the farmers child; my only way
to test the truth was to organize a Sc
ance, and-without play upon words
turn the tables upon those who
used spiritualism to swindle you. You
saw what happened. Leroy Is one OF
my men. His father was a low come
dian, who taught his son ventrilo-
quism.
"As to that terrible noise you heard.
It Is produced by smearing two little
planks with rosin, and rubbing them
violently against one another"
Xavier and I had a violent dispute
about the wretched Boissier. Early
the next morning my friend called on
me. and told me that this matter could
not 60 further, on account of the
scandal" How hate that word!
How many crimes have, within my
knowledge. remained unpublished, be-
cause the victims, belonging TO the
higher classes, dreaded what they