The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-11-02
The Sign of the Shadow.

q Wlne' DrlHiHeu hat, WIN wv ''
in his buttonhole. "What's the mat
tcrf'
Had not been expecting Arsene
Lupin, should certainly never have
recognized him in the person OF this
old half.pay officer.
.What's the matterf' | echoed.
"Oh. nothing much; rather curious
coincidence. that IS all. And as |
know that YOU would Just as soon clear
up mystery as plan one.
"Well?''
. You seem in great hurry
81 am unless the mystery
in question is worth putting myself
out for. So lei us get TO the point. y
Very well. Just begin by casting
your eye on this little picture, which
picked up, a week or two ago, in a
crimv old shop on the other side of the
river. l bought it for the sake of its
Empire frame, with the palm-leaf orna-
ments on the moldings for the
painting is cxecrable.
Execrable, as you say said Iu-
pin. after he had examined it, ''but the
subject itself ia rather nice. That cor
ner of the old courtyard, with its ro-
tunda of Greek columns, Its sun-dial
and its fish-pond and that ruined well
with the Renaissance roof and those
stone steps and stone benches: all very
picturesque.
'sAnd genuine," / added. "The
taken out of its Empire frame. Be-
sides, it is dated There, in
tho left-hand bottom corner; those red
figures, 10 4. 2. which obviously stand
for IS April, 1902 -
But You were speaking of n
coincidence and SO far fail to see
1 went to corner of my study, took
telescope, fixed it on its stand and
pointed it. through the open window,
at the open window of a little room
facing my flat, on the other side OF the
street. And I asked Lupin to look
through it.
He stopped forward The slanting
rays of the morning sun lit up the room
opposite, revealing set of mahogany
furniture, all very simple, large bed
and a child 8 bed hung with cretonne
curtains.
"Ah!" cried Lupin, suddenly, "The
EXACTLY the same!" 1 said. "And
the date: do you see the date. in red Z
10. 4. O.,
eyes, I see. And who lives
in that rooml'
workwoman, for she has to work for
her living needlework, hard
" enough to keep herself and her
child. -
"What is her name7"
"Louise d'Ernemont. From
what. I hear, she is the great, grand
daughter of a farmer general who was
guillotined during the Terror"
Chenier," said Lupin. According to
the memoirs of the time, this 'Erne-
mont was supposed to be a very rich
man He raised his head and said,
cts an interesting story. Why
did YOU wait before telling mei"
Because this is the 18th OF April. -
f'Wen7"
"'Well. 1 discovered yesterday
heard them talking about it in the por-
an important part In the HE OF Louise
d Ernemont.
Nonsense!
Contrary to her usual habits, this
woman who works every day Of her
life, who keeps her two rooms tidy, who
cooks the lunch which her little girl
cats when she comes home from the
parish school d. . this woman, on the
18th Of April goes out with the child
at ten clock IN the morning and does
not return until nightfall- And this
has happened for years and in all
weathers. You must admit that there
is something queer about tins date
which I find on an old picture, which
is inscribed on another, similar picture
and which controls the annual move
ments OF the descendant Of d'Erne- !
mont. the farmer general
right Yes said At GupS f%TSs' slowly 0a ID Haa'f
YOU know where she goes tof'
"Nobody knows. She does not con-
tide in soul. AS a matter of fact, |
she talks very little
I" Are you sure Of your informationf'
Absolutely. And the best proof Of |
it's accuracy is that here she comes. -
A door had opened at the back Of the
room opposite. admitting a little girl |
of seven or eight, who came and looked |
out Of the window. A lady appeared |
behind her, tall, good-looking still and |
wearing a sad and gentle air. Both Of |
them were ready and dressed, in clothes |
which were simple in themselves, but |
which pointed to love of neatness
and certain elegance on the part of !
the mother,
"You see,' I whispered, "they are |
And presently the mother took the
child by the hand and they left the
room together.
Lupin caught up his hat.
care you comingf'
Ny curiosity was too great for me
to raise the least objection. I went |
with Lupin.
AS we stepped into the street, we |
saw my neighbor enter n bakers shop. |
She bought two rolls and placed them |
in little basket which her daughter |
was carrying and which seemed nj |
ready to contain some other provisions |
Then they went in the direction of the |
outer boulevards and we followed them |
as far as tho Place de l'Etoile, where |
they turned down the Avenue K1eber to /
walk toward Passy.
Lupin strolled silently along, evi- |
IDENTITY obsessed by train OF thought |
which ] was glad TO have provoked. |
From time to time, he uttered a SEN !
tence which showed me the thread of |
his reflections; and / was able to see |
that the riddle remained as much q /
mystery 70 him as TO myself.
Louise d'Ernemout, meanwhile, had |
branehed off TO the left, along the Rue |
Raynouard, a quiet old street in which |
Franklin and Balzac once lived, one OF |
Il. ~