Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-12-16
The Mystery Of
the Bou1e Cabinet
BURTON E. STEVENSON
Copyright. 1918. by Burton o.. tevenso
ON
1913, by Burton 10. Stevenson.

you are now, no doubt. willing to re-
turn to your husband"
4 nave been considering 1t.
madame" replied Julie, with astound-
ing simplicity. lever since L saw him
here the other evening, INC learned
that he still cared for me. One must
have II harbour in ones OLD age."
glanced at Rogers and was
astonished to see thai he Was regard
ing the woman with affectionate I'D
miration. Evidently the harbour was
waiting, should Julie choose to anchor
there.
II have h%esitated," she added. "only
because of madame. Where would
madame get another maid such as /?
NO n but l can arrange her hair-no
one but l can prepare her bath -
w will discuss it." said the yelled
lady. when we are alone. And now.
perhaps, you will be SO good az to tell
us of your previous visit here"
Very we'll, madame and Julie set
tied into a more comfortable posture.
ut was one day OF the boat as 1 was
looking down at the passengers of the
third class that 1 perceived Georges
M. Drouet-strolling about. l was
bouleversee-what you call upset with
amazement. and then he looked up n
our eyes met, and he came beneath
me and commanded that l meet him
that evening. 1t was then that L
learned his plan. 1t was to secure
those letters for him and to dispose of
them"
ITO whom?" asked Godfrey.
ITO the person that would pay the
greatest price for them, most certain
ly." answered Julie. surprised that it
should have been thought necessary to
ask such a question. They were to
be offered first to madame at 10000
francs each; should she refuse. they
4 Vynro, than <n 1a OFcovo1 To NJ n. N-.
he would surely desire to possess
them!"
The yelled lady shivered a little. and
her hand ~instinctively sought her
bosom to assure herself that the prec-
iouS packet was safe.
That night" continued Julie. lin
my cabin. tossed and tossed. trying
to discover a way to prevent this; for
1 had seen long since that M. Drouet 40
longer cared for mel knew thai it
was upon some other woman that
money would be spent. 1 decided that.
at the first moment, l would hasten to
this house; l would explain the matter
to NJ. vantine, 1 would persuade him
to restore to me the letters, with which
l would fly to madame. 1 knew, also,
that l could rely pon her gratitude"
added the girl. after all, one must
provide for oneself"
She paused II glanced around the
AOOAAAS AAl az llS lkllckSSl xI OuI
faces.
you a at least one virtue-that
OF frankness,' said the yelled lady.
Continue"
ut was not until evening that L
found an opportunity to leave mad
there; 1 rang the ball; but 1 confess j
should have failed, 1 should not have
secured an entrance, if it had not been
that 1T was my husband who opened
the door to me. Even after 1 was in
side h door. he refused to permit me
to see his master; but as we were
debating together, M. Vantine himself
came into the hall. and l ran to him
and begged that he hear me. 1t was
then that he invited me to enter this
ROOM"
She paused again, and a little shiver
of expectancy ran through me. At
last we were to learn how Philip Van
tine had met his death!
II sat down." continued Julie. II
told him the story from the very be-
ginning. He listened with much in
%terest; but when 1 proposed that he
should restore to me the letters, he
hesitated. He walked w. and down the
through h a door into h room
beyond. The cabinet was standing in
the center of the floor, and all the lights
We're blazing.
lis that the cabinet?' he asked me,
and when | said that most assuredly
1T is an easy thing to prove I
said. and 1 went to the cabinet and
pressed on the three springs, as I had
seen madame do. The little handle at
the side fell out, but suddenly he
stopped me.
Eyes. 1t is the cabined.' he said. 4
see that. And no doubt the drawer
contains the letters. as you say. But
those letters do not belong to you They
belong to your mistress. I cannot per-
NIT that you take them away. for. after
all. I do not know you. You may in
Il protested h such. q suspicion
was most unjust. hat my character
was Of the best. that I was devoted to
my mistress and desired to protect her.
He listened. but he was not con-
WINGED. In the end. he brought me
back into this room. I could have cried
with rage!
Return to your MISTRESS he said,
and inform her that 1 shall be most
happy to return h letters to her. But
1t must be In her own hands that I
place them. The letters are here, when
ever 1t pleases her to claim them
:! saw that 1t was of no use to argue
further: he was of adamant. So I left
the house. he himself opening the door
for me. And that is all that I know.
madame"
There was a moments silence: Their
I heard Godfrey draw a deep breath.
I could see that. like myself. he was
convinced that the girl was telling the
TRUTH.
"of course" he suggested gently. "as
Soon as o reached home you related
to your mistress what mad occurred ?"
Julie grew a little crimson.
mo. monsieur" she said. II told
her nothing"
II should have thought you would
have wished to prove your devotion