Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-11-29

| Gnu iSAI sorry DOln Tor the man
and Tor the Erard. Punch, cham
payne, lemonade, every refreshment
served had left a mark on the instru-
ment, without reckoning the scratches
and knocks Of which it bore numerous
| traces.
Why did I not follow M. Dorninguez
when he walked to the door to con
duct me to the dining room? Why did
sit down on the music stool before
that ill-used piano? I cannot tell. All
know is that gazed at the greasy,
smudgy keys, and that suddenly I felt
something like an electric shock. For.
there, on one of the keys, in the high
er notes, was slight pinkish stain.
similar to the one on the paper knife.
This scene had not lasted minute,
and I caught M Dominguez in the
hall as he was turning back TO see
what had become of me.
"Still no clue NJ Goron?" asked the
master of the house, looking at me
from the corner of his eye.
| Still no clue" I retorted, 'sbut I
have few questions to ask you. Who
were the people who performed on the
piano last night?"
Madame fumbled about some papers
and handed me the program of the
musical portion of the soiree. There
was pianist, violinist, a prima-
donna from the Opera Comique, and
two Montmartre singers, all we'll
known artists.
Now" said; st want to know who
played after the concert, and whether
you engaged pianist for the dances"
mo, we had no professional. The
dance was impromptu, and the gentle
men took turns at the piano.
"Can you give me the names of
these gentlemen"
t.The names?" repeated Madame.
"The names-let me think moment.
No, I only know one, M. de c..
He played lot. The four others had
come to the house for the i-st time,
and did not know them. Do you re-
| member any, Enrique?'
I had no reason to be dissatisfied
with my mornings work. The rob-
berry, felt certain, had been commit
/ ted by one of the guests at the soiree,
The case was of too delicate a M
ture to instrust it to any of my subor-
dinates. I myself had to forge the
chain from the one link hoped I pos
sessed, and my first step was to send
| for H. de c., whose address Mad
a1ne Dominguez had given NE.
M de c., who belonged to a
very wealthy and highly esteemed
family, replied promptly to my call.
He had heard of the robbery, and
| | led the conversation on the Domin-
guezes.
81 do not know much about them
he said, laughingly; "they are new ar
rivals, and, am told, very rich.
Madame Dominguez was introduced to
one of my aunts, and, as she was in
want of young men, she sent me an in
vitation with the request to bring
whom l liked. I never saw such a
noisy gathering. Some of the men
were really too bad"
"You worked very hard" said, "and
presided over the piano?"
well not exactly. / did my share,
but others, too, banged away as hard
as / did"
"Who were the others?
He grinned at me moment.
do you, also, want to give soiree,
M. Goron? If so, don't engage any
of that crowd, because they have NO
respect for pianos. But to tell you
the truth, only know one, painter.
don't know where he lives, but he
goes every night to Duvals, Place de
la Madeleine"
"Will you do me the kindness to
dine with me there this evening"" |
asked
with pleasure" he retorted, and
that same night we were in the we'll
known 'Bouillon,'' waiting for the
painter-pianist.
My young friend Kept a careful
watch. and eight o'clock had struck
when he cried out:
"Hurrah! there he is. And-but
that's really funny. You are in luck
M. Goron. Do you see the chap ne
lis with? He, too, was one of the mu-
fsical ornaments Of the soiree.
Even before looking at the two
young men 1 was convinced that Meth
er of them was likely to be the bur
gla7.
We waited till the two gentlemen
had finished their dinner and PIT on
their hats, when NJ. de c. went up
and introduced them to me, and IN
Iyited them to accompany me to a
Ineighboring cafe. They were all deep
lly interested in the robbery, and our
ling five minutes / patiently listened
to their :
When my young friends had ex-
hausted their wit. | turned the con-
versaticn in other channels. In re-
ply to my question, the painter N
formed me that he knew another man
who had obliged the company Win
dances at the Dominique soiree, ano'
after a few more jokes about Inc m
lterest I took in these amateur mus
| n hiring the OEuS1