The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1913-02-07

served my time; and in a fine regi.
ment, too"
"Where?"
In the Fourth Infantry"
What has become OF your uni
FORM"
MY uniform? My uniform? /
must have lost IT,"
i think | have found II. Undo that
parcel In the corner, and put on the
coat and trousers"
lie did SO, and they fitted him like
u glove.
You left them with Maria Thou.
venin," l said, "and you had better
make a clean breast O. it,"
lie reflected a moment, and then
confessed having been with Crampon
on the day of the murder: but, nike
Crampon, he positively refused to give
the name OF the other man.
III tell you all about myself. M.
Goron. but I'll never round on my pal:
no. never. And I'll bet you'll v
catch him either"
We Will see about that" I replied.
The following morning | sent again
for Inspector Larose.
"Larose," | began, "Plessis two
years ago broke his leg, and was
nursed at Mangin's house by that
mans sister. They are great pals?"
Yes, sir. And he even wanted to
marry the girl.
Right. Then arrest Mangin for be-
Ing implicated in this affair and bring
him here at once"
Il beg your pardon, sir, but I am GER
tain Mangin had nothing to do with
this business"
so am /; and that is why l want
you to bring him to me-"
No doubt II seems horrible that I
should arrest a man | knew to be in
nocent. But / saw no other way OF
laying my hands on a desperate char
acter, who, at any moment, might
have slipped through my fingers. And,
before too much sympathy Is wasted
on Mangin, 1t should be remembered
that this gentleman had spent about a
third of his life in prison. He and
Plessis belonged 10 the worst class OF
criminals. But l had had frequent op-
po%rtunities Of noticing that one chord,
that Of friendship, would vibrate In
men of even that stamp; and 1t was
on that | based the experiment l was
about to make.
Mangin had been 80 often In Gus
tody that he did not look upset when
he was marched into my Office. And
as he knew he was innocent OF the
crime imputed to him, he couE krord
70 be sarcastic.
whats the use." he said. "of haul
ing me in, when the fish who did the
mischief Is still swimming about? /
was not In this affair"
That remains to be SEEN"
II was not in this affair."" he re-
peated violently.
Hold your tongue. You and Plessis
were both In It."
After ! had worked him to a high
pitch OF excitement l sent for Plessis,
and then witnessed q curious scene,
the one on which l had reckoned.
When Plessis was ushered in, and
saw Mangin. he seemed d~umbfounded,
but he greeted him heartily with a:
bon jour. mon vieux!"
The other glared at him.
You are a nice kind of friend" he
hiooad stn dapntuoa N nal Won kuaw
to be innocent. You scoundrel!"
IL swear" shrieked Plessis, II never
mentioned your name! Ask NJ. Goron
him."
He speaks the truth" / interposed;
"he refused to give me the name OF
the third man who went with Cram
pom that afternoon to the Rue Saint
Denis; but, as I feel sure you, Mangin,
are that man, ! had you arrested"
Mangin growled and turned on
Plessis.
Am I to understand that In order
to screen a pal Of yours who took part
in this business you actually let me.
your best friend. suffer-"
II ut that moment a member Of the
French academy, whose duty 1t is to
expurge every strange word from u
language, had entered my room he
would have been Mortified. For ! and
these two men were talking 1.-The
green tongue"-as II Is called here
the slang In which Paris criminals feel
much more at home than in honest
French. To the fact OF my being able
to In that queer idiom I at
tribute, In some measure, the infu-
ence l always have had over members
Of that class.
1.-TWO years ago." continued Man.
gin, when you had come to grief, and
the police
shut up. you fool" shouted the an
cry Plessis.
ct shan't shut up, you whitelivered
sneak. You want to leave me In quod,
when you know l had no hand In this?
Look here. M. Goron, as he refuses to
speak, I will. And you shall know
about this
"stop your talk" bawled Plessis,
the Precipitation from his fore
head. II give In; it's no use lighting
any longer. M. Goron. my friend Is
innocent: no was lever near the place
that day. Let him go, and III tell
{ an Who It Is you are after"
He paced the o in uncontrolled
agitation, talking rapidly as II TO Get