The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-06-06
Richard went and placed Gin


had stood when be bowed to the un-
der-secretary for fine arts. M. Mon.
charmin took up his position a few
steps behind him
Name Giry passed, rubbed uy
against NJ Richard, got rid of hev
twenty-thousand francs IN the mana.
gers coat-tail pocket and disappeared.
Or, rather, she was conjured
away. In accordance with the instruc-
tons received from Moncharmin a few
minutes earlier, MERCER TOOK the
good lady to the acting S
Office and turned the key On her, thus
making it impossible for her to COM
municate with her ghost.
Meanwhile. NJ Richard was bending
and bowling and scraping and walking
backward, just as if he had that high
and mighty minister, the under-secre-
tary for fine arts, before him. Only,
though, these marks of politeness
would have created no establishment
If the under-secretary of state had
really been in front of M. Richard,
they caused an easily comprehensive
amazement to the spectators Of this
very natural but quite inexplicable
scene when M. Richard had nobody ir
front of him.
M. Richard bowed to no.
body; bent his back before
nobody; and walked backward &.
before nobody. And, few
steps behind him, NJ Moncharmin did
the same thing that he was doing, in
addition to pushing away M. Remy
and begging NJ. de La Borderie, the
Credit Central, mot to touch II. lie
directeur"
Moncharmin, who had his own
ideas, did not want Richard to come
to him presently, when the twenty
thousand francs were gone, and say:
Perhaps it was the ambassador
or the manager of the Credit
Central or Remy.'
The more so as, at the time of the
first scene, as Richard himself admit
ted, Richard had met nobody in that
part OF the theater after Name Giry
had brushed UP against him.
Having begun by walking backward
In order to bow, Richard continued to
do so from prudence, until he reach
ed the passage leading to the of
fees Of the management. In this way,
he was constantly watched by Mon
charmin from behind and himself
kept an eye on any one approaching
I,S
novel method of walking behind the
scenes, adopted by the managers OF
our National Academy of Music, at
tracted attention; but the managers
themselves thought Of nothing but
their twenty-thousand francs.
On reaching the half-dark passage,
Richard said to Moncharmin, in low
voice:
Il am sure that nobody has touched
me. You had now better keep
at some distance from me and watch
me till l come to the door of the Of
flee; 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 I'll
walk Immediately behind you: 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 dong 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, sbak-
ing his head and passively obeytng
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, | suppose?"
mo one"
Then" said Richard, who was try
ing to collect his memory, then 1
must certainly have been robbed on
my way home from the opera!"
NO." said Noncharmin in a drter
tone than ever, mo, that's impossible.
For | dropped you in my cab. The
twenty-thousand francs disappeared
at your place; there's not a shadow
Of a doubt about that"
It's incredible!" protested Richard.
Il 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 Moncharmfn was
treating him in a very insupportable
fashion.
CTO BE CONTINUED