Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-10-03

he could now plainly see the man In
Arthur Farades' garden.
What are you doing here? ?" he
called out authoritatively.
and you? I'd very much like to
know what you are doing here also -
THAT is my affair"
al can give the same reply"
"I'll fire if you don't tell me who
you arep cried Jacques, taking out
his revolver and dwelling it on the
stranger.
81 can do the same" cried Mer-
seins, drawing out a small pistol
although there is no reason why |
should not tell you who ! am. ] am
! Paul Merseins, stock-broker."
"You mean detective. | remember
you at Saint Jean. / remember you
/ on the train from Bordeaux. 1t was
you who had me arrested for the
murder that took place here a short
| time ago. Now / tell you frankly
that | believe that you are the muir
derer What are you doing here at
this time of the night ?"
81 might ask you the same ques-
ton. | am engaged to marry Valen-
tine Farades, whose father is soon
to be taken to trial for the murder
that was committed here"
"You are engaged to Valentine
Farades-Jeanne's cousin?"
Eyes, and | have sworn to find the
murderer | thought that you were
the man, and / am deeply sorry that
| caused your arrest the other day"
Jacques shifted.
"YOu are in love with Arthur Fa-
rade's daughter and you are going
to try and prove that it was Louis
who committed the crime?"
at might have BEEN"
well" said Jacques, 81 have
sworn to find the murderer, and if
| cannot find any other man, ! shall
be forced to believe that it was
Arthur believe that Jeanne's
father is innocent"
Il know that you are in love with
Jeanne. You have called at the
house many times lately, and / was
naturally embarrassed when | saw
that we were lodging each others
footsteps all the afternoon. We hap
pened to have the same idea, and we
were both going over the same
ground that the victim went over the
day that he met his death"
well, why on earth didn't you
come up to me and make yourself
known? The two of us together
might help the girls. Poor little
things, | think they need US both.
You declare that Valentines father
is innocent and | declare that
Jeanne's father is innocent. Then
let US leave no stone unturned to
prove it to the world"
The night was superb. The moon
glimmered between the trees, throw
ing down a shower of fine rays and
sleeping the leaves and shedding on
the old we'll pool of silvery light.
The two men felt mutually drawn
to one another.
Paul stretched out his hand, Jac-
ques grasped it.
For the girls sake" said Jacques.
Yes, for the girls sake" echoed
Merseins.
"The same thought evidently &C
tuated us today" said jacques. "The
police are working on wrong track.
and ! decided to go over the same
ground today and see if / could
CLEAN any idea which might give me
a clue. Now we have come to the
time and the place of the murder.
We cannot do anything here in the
daytime, but there is nobody about
now and | am going down that we'll"
That's what / thought of doing;
the police have not even searched
down there, and we might find some
thing"
Merseins, with a pocket-lantern in
his hand, got into the bucket and
was lowered by Velizay. Then
Jacques tied a rope to one of the
posts and let himself down. The
well was very deep and dark; one
minute later he reached Merseins.
of we find anything we will keep
it to ourselves until we have suffi-
Gent evidence to prove that the Fa-
rades are innocent. We are not GO
ing to hand anything over to the
police"
There was only small quantity
Of water at the bottom of the we'll.
1t had been disturbed by their de-
scent; they waited a few moments
until it was smooth like mirror,
then they threw the light from their
lantern on all sides. They peered
around them.
"Can you see anything 2"
mo. There seems to be nothing
at the bottom but stones"
Jean Farades always carried
lot of papers about with him." said
Jacques; "his pockets were stuffed
out with them, and he always had a
large notebook with him."
He had no papers on him when
he was found, and his clothes were
torn"
THAT proves that they were clever
thieves. They took all his papers
from him. But he had secret
pocket made in his waistcoat.
know that because he told me that il
was safe place TO put any import
ant paper. That red vest was torn.
saw 1t on exhibition at the
morgue."
Eyes, ! know it was torn, but il
seemed as though it had been ripped
with a nail or something sharp,
probably as he fell down here. All |
that the police found was that signet
ring"
Jaques threw the light round the
sides of the well. Just above him
were some Jagged rocks which jutted