The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-05-29

/. teGTN a4gH.LErE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS #iI#. h.-e
the door; and I had to open drawer
after drawer to it's full extent, examine
each paper they contained, and replace
them. ! have never felt afraid before,
but while carrying out this business i
was filled with terror and s~tupefaction.
/ worked mechanically, and like a man
working in a dream; had any one en-
tered l should have run my sword
through his heart, replaced the papers,,
hidden my disgrace, and then destroyed
myself. 1t was this thought that gave
me courage.
And among all these papers there
was not a sign OF the document; 1t was
last"
You found IT."
""Wait-yes, / found IT, behind a Sc
cret panel Of the top right hand drawer,
a panel the existence of which I dis
covered by a chance which seems mi
raculous.
The thing ought to belong to the
history Of the world, so that men might
see the depth Of infamy that man a
descend to.
1T contains the names Of Sc corn
brokers, the amount of corn each of
these has delivered, the amount OF
money paid him. The receipt for the
corn Is signed by De Sartines, the re-
ceiot for the money by the master
broker.
"All this corr has been bought, to be
sold at thrice its purchased price to a
Blu Monsieur de Richeieu-why did
he hold the document?"
He is the king"
THE king?"
1.-THE kings intermediary: half OF the
money for the purchase Of the corn has
been supplied by the ! DE kicne1
lieu is the kings business man In the
affair.". his watch dog over the rapac-
ity OF De Sartines and Terray. who
was the inventor of the scheme"
Mon Dieu! and this documentT'
Wait. 1 was seated with the open
my hand, amazed by my success,
amazed by the infamy Of these men.
when, outside, suddenly sounded sharp
and clear the voice OF my cousin, De
Richelieu. In a fash 1 folded the docu-
ment, placed 1t on top Of the papers
in the drawer, closed the drawer, un-
able to lock It because I a taken
the Key from the lock, and, rising, was
in the act Of taking q book from one
| Of the shelves when the door opened
and the due entered, followed by Rafte,
bearing q pile of books and papers De
Choiseul, it seems, had g away from
home; can o conceive such bad
luck? The due seemed still in splendid
humor, and, evidently, he suspected
| nothing; he rallied me for staying In
the house when the weather was so
glorious outside, and. as l turned from
the shelves, book in hand, he passed
to the bureau and sat down before 1t,
while Raffe spread its top with the
books and papers.
These are my half yearly &C
counts said the due. 'Raffe n 1 are
going oVer them together, and l fear
it will take us till supper time. A
weary business, and I fea We h
| Hiaf1trh vnl1 In UNIT reading
AT hat my eye fell on the clock,
which stands on a little table nea the
window, n I saw that 1t marked
three minutes to 3. I remembered my
appointment with you. I had for
gotten It for q moment. / told my
klnsman that I would leave him to his
accounts, went to h stable. borrowed
a horse and killed him half a league
from Paris. I ran the half league. I
| had not spared the horse; my only ex-
cuse is that 1 did not, spare myself"
"And you have left this document
lying upon the other documents in the
right hand top drawer OF Monsieur de
Richelieu's bureau?"
Yes"
pocket?'
For answer, De Lussac turned and
pockets with heavily embroidered
flaps, making 1t a work of difficulty
even to insert ones hand.
THE drawer was open before me"
| said he; nothing was easier h to
place the paper in it and close it."
"And you nave left the drawer un-
locked?"
Yes; l had no time to lock it,"
And Monsieur le DUO is sitting there
now doing his accounts and at any mo-
ment he may require some paper or
! other, TAX his keys from his pocket,
insert one in the lock and. find that the
drawer Is already unlocked. That will
mean suspicion, search and discovery"
PRECISELY. But the chances are
that he will go on with his accounts.
One must sometimes trust to chance"
True" said Madame Linden, land
you came all the way back to see me,
killed a horse, nearly killed your
self"
Yes; and l would have come twice
the distance and killed two horses for
one glance from you eyes"
He drew her to him Inc their lips
met,
"And now" said she. you are going
back?"
Eyes. Ny work is easy now. II
Monsieur de Richelieu has discovered
nothing, I shall simply have to wait
for q moment alone in the library,
open the drawer, take from 1t the
document, and close the drawer again.
Then you may be sure that with 1t in
my possession, I will not be long In
returning to Paris, and then"
hA-1 49, Ol