The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-21

4
stolen by somebody who remained in
the house; and 1T is equally certain
that, by taking the list of the people
invited and inquiriug into the antcce-
dents of each, one might .'
"Well?r
"Wel, chief, there g but, name.
y, that the three detectives mad this
list IN their hands when the guests ar.
rived and that they still had it when
IN and sixty,three went away. SO you
Then do you suppose servantl
"No.u
THE detectiycs7"
"No.p
"But, still but, still, - said
the chief, impatiently, "if the robbery
was committed from the inside IL
a., That is beyond dispute declared
the inspector, whose excitement seemed
to be nearing feverpoint. There is no
question about it. All my investiga.
tons led to the same certainty. And
my conviction gradually became so pos
tive that l ended one day, by draw
ing up this startling axiom: in theory
and in fact, the robbery can only have
been committed with the assistance of
an accomplice staying in the house.
Whereas there was no accomphce!
That's absurd said Dudouis.
''Quite absurd, said Ganimard.
But, at the very moment when / ut
tered that absurd sentence, the truth
flashed upon me. "
ooh, very dim, very incomplete,
but still sufficient truth! With that
clew to guide me, was bound to find
the way. Do you follow me, chief"
NJ. Dudouis sat silent. The same
phenomenon that had taken place in
Ganimard was evidently taking place
in hlm. He muttered:
IF it's not one of the guests, nor
the servants, nor the private detectives,
then there's no one left. .,
Yes, chief, there's one left. :. .''
NJ. Dudouies started as though he had
received shock; and, in 4 voice that
betrayed his excitement:
But, look here, that's preposter-
ous."
'why?"
'FCome, think for yourself.'
$50 on, chief; say what IN your
mind"
"Nonsense! What do you meant"
"Go on, chief.
"It's impossible! How can Sparm-
ento have been Lupiu s accomplice2'
Ganimard gave a little chuclllc.
Exactly, Arsene Lupin S accom-
plice! That explains every
thing. During the night, while the
three detectives were downstairs watch
ing, or sleeping rather, for Colonel
Sparmlento had given them champagne
to drink and perhaps doctored 1t be-
forehand, the said colonel took down
through the window OF his bedroom.
The room is on the second floor and
looks out on another street, which was
not watched, because the lower win
dows are walled up. -
NJ. Dudouis reflected and then
his shoulders:
us MS Prepos'erous'' he repeated.
Why's Because, if the colonel
mad been Arsene Lupin s accomplice,
ne would not have committed suicide
after achieving his success
"Who says that he committed sui
"Why, he was found dead on the
ine!''
fT told YOU there is no such thing
rs death with Lupin.'
"Still. this was genuine enough Be
'ides, Nine. Sparmiento identified the
)ody.'
"I thought you would say that, chief.
The argument worried me, too. There
vas I, all Of a sudden. with three peo-
lie in front of me instead Of one. first. !
trsene Jupin, cracksman; secondly, |
jolonel Sparmiento, his accomplice:
hirdly, dead man. Spare us. 1t was
90 much Of good thing!'
Ganimard took bundle OF newspa
,ers. united it and handed one Of them |
O Mr.. Dudouis;
'FYou remember. chief, last time you |
we're here, [ was looking through the |
'apers. [ wanted to see If |
omething had not happened, at that
'eriod, that might bear upon the case
nd confirm my ssuppos1tion. Please
cad this paragraph
NJ, Dudouis took the paper and read
loud:
"Our Lille correspondent informs us
hat curious incident has occurred in
hat town. A corpse has disappeared
rom the local morgue, the corpse or
lan unknown who threw himself under
he wheels of steam tramcar on the
ay before. No one is able to suggest
reason for this disappearance"
M, Dudouis sat thinking and then
sked;
$50 YOU believe , ~
"1 have just come from Lille re-
lied Ganimard, "and my inquiries
ave not uOuDI IN my mlnQ. Inc
Drpsc was removed on the same night
n which Colonel Sparmicnto gave his
ouse warming. II was taken straight
} Vile 'Avray by motor car; and the
ar remained near the railway line un-
! the evening.
Near tho tunnel, therefore, said
I. Dudouis.
% Next to it, chief
80 that the body which was found
merely that body, dressed in Colonel
parmiento s clothes. -
- Precisely. chief. -
"Tbeu Colonel Sparmieuto is not
aad7'
Z" No more dead than You or I, chief, -
But then why all these complica-
ons' Why the theft of ono tapestry,
'llowed bv its recovery, followed by
e theft of the twelve! Why that
,use- -warmin~f Why that Disturbance
'by everythiuT9 Your story won t
Did water, Ganimard.
"Only because you, chief. like my.
II, have stopped halfway; because.
range as ldIs story already sounds.
e must 20 still farther, very much far. 4,
er, in the direction of the improbable
id the astounding, And why not, after ,
|, Remember that we ARE dealing
it'll Arsene Lupiu. With him, is it