Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-04-19

at some distance from me and watch
me till l come to the door Of the Of
fee: it is better not to arouse suspi-
cion and we can see anything that
happens"
But Moncharmin replied, mo, Rich
ard, no! You walk ahead and Ill
walk imm ediately behind you! I won't
leave you by step!"
But, in that case." exclaimed Rich
ard, they will never steal our twenty.
thousand francs!"
Il should hope not, indeed!" de-
clared Moncharmin.
Then what we are doing is alb
surd!"
I'VE are doing exactly what we did
last time. Last time, l joined
you as you were leaving the stage
and followed close behind you down
this passage.
THAT'S true!" sighed Richard. shak.
ing his head and passively obey1ng
Moncharmin.
Two minutes later, the Joint man.
ayers locked themselves into their
Office. Moncharmin himself put the
key in his pocket:
I'VE remained locked up like this,
last time" he said, until you left
the opera to go home
That's SO. No one came and dis
turbed us, SUPPOSED"
mo one"
'Then," said Richard, who was try.
Ing to collect his memory, then l
must certainly have been robbed on
my way home from the opera!"
NO." said Moncharmin in drier
tone than ever, mo, that's impossible.
For / dropped you in my cab. The
twenty-thousand francs disappeared
at your place; there's not q shadow
of doubt about that"
Its incredible!" protested Richard.
II am sure OF my servants
and If one OF them had done it. he
would have disappeared since"
Moncharmin shrugged his shoulders.
as though to say that he did not wish
to enter into details, and Richard be-
gan to think that Moncharmin was
treating him in very insupportable
fashion.
"NIoncharmin, I've had enough Of
this!"
Richard, I've had too much OF I'll"
do you dare to suspect me?'
Eyes, of silly joke"
"One doesn't joke with twenty-thou-
sand francs"
That's what think" declared
Moncharmin, unfolding newspaper
and ostentatiously studying Its con-
tents.
What are you doing?" asked Rich
ard. Are you going to read the pa
per next?"
Yes. Richard, until I take you
home"
Like last timer"
Eyes, like last time"
Richard snatched the paper from
Moncharmin's hands. Moncharmin
stood IN. more irritated than ever,
and found himself faced by an exas-
perated Richard, who. crossing his
arms on his chest. said:
Look here, I'm thinking Of this.
I'm thinking of what might think
II. like last time, after my spending
the evening alone with you. you
brought me home and II, at the mo-
ment of parting. I perceived that
twenty-thousand francs had disap
peared from my coat-pocket {.
like last time"
"And what might you Think" asked
Moncharmin, crimson with rage.
II might think that, as you hadn't
left me by foot's breadth and as, by
your own wish, you were the only one
to approach me. like last time, 1
might think that, If that twenty-thou.
sand francs was no longer in my
pocket, it stood very good chance OF
being in yours"
Moncharmin leaped up at the sug:
gestion.
"Oh!" he shouted. "A safety-pin!"
what do you want a safety-pin
for?"
ITO fasten you up with! A
safety-pin! A safety-pin!"
you want to fasten me with q
safety-pin?"
YES, to fasten you to the twenty.
thousand francs! Then, whether it's
here, or on the drive from here to
your place, or at your place, you will
feel the hand that pulls at your pocket
and you will see If it's mine! Oh, so
you're suspecting me now. are you?
A safety pin!"
And that was the moment when
Moncharmin opened the door on the
passage and shouted:
"A safetypin! somebody
give me safetypin!"
And we also know how, at the same
moment, Remy, who had no safety.
pin. was received by Moncharmin,
while a boy procured the pin so
eagerly longed for. And what hap
pened was this: Moncharmin first
locked the door again. Then he knelt
down behind Richards back.
Il hope" he said, that the notes
are still there
so do l." said Richard.
"The real ones?" asked Monchar.
min. resolved not to be had" this
time.
Look for yourself" said Richard.
II refuse to touch them"
Moncharmin took the envelope from
Richards pocket and drew out tho
bank-notes with a trembling nand. FOR,
this time. in order frequently to make
sure of the presence Of the notes, he
had not sealed the envelope nor even
fastened it. He felt treasured on
finding that they were all there and