Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-04-02

Frcuvn'-
Not half So well As you speak EnS
fish," l laughed II cam tell that FROM
your Hl>t sentence"
"lu that event Will do the best thar
| can" lie said, >uiiu-, "aud ycu
must pardon my hmuder> First, Mr.
Lester, on behalf OF Armand \ SON
must ask your pardon for tGis mistake.
So ineNeuSahle. We cannot lind for i;
an explanation. The cabinet which
was purchased by Mi N"utiuc re
manned in our warehouse. and this 9th
er one was boxed aud shipped to him
We are Investigating most riGjdly."
Then Mr. Nantine'S cabinet is still
in FariS?"
No MIR, Lester, the error was dis
covered some days ago, and the cahl
net belonging to Mr. Nantiuc was ship
ped 10 me here 1t should arrive next
"Wednesday ON La Provence. | shall
myself receive it and deliver it to Mr.
! Nantine."
MIR. Nautinc is dead" | said You
did not know"
He sat staring ut me for Il moment
Did | understand that YOU said Mr.
Nautiuc is dcadf" he StammCred.
| told him briefly as much as
knew of the tragedy
1T is curious you SAW nothing of it
in the papers" | added They were
full of it.
Il have been visiting friends at Que.
bee" he explained. lit was thcrs
that the message from our house found
me commanding me to hasten here. \
hunder Of this sort we feel as dis
grace. | have met Mr.. Nantinc many
times. He was real connoisscur
We have lost one of our most valued
patrons. You say that he was found
dead in room at his house,"
Yes. and death resulted from a
small wound on the hand. into which
some very powerful poison had been
injected"
That is most curious In what man
ncr was such Il wound made
THAT we don't know. | had the
ory"-
| cleaning with interest
"A few hours previously another
man had been found in the same room,
killed in the same way"
another man?"
"A stranger who had called to see
Mr.. Vantine. My theory was that both
| this stranger and Mr. Nantine had
been killed while trying to open Sc
cret drawer In the Boule cabinet Do
you know anything of the history of
that cabinet. NJ Armand?"
I'VE believe it to have been made
for Nine. de Montespan by NJ. Boule
himself" he answered. 1T is the
original of one now in the Louvre
which is known to have belonged to
the Grand Louis
1T was Mr.. Vantine's correct guess
at the history OF the cabinet | OK
| planned, (Which gave me the basis for
my theory. A cabinet belonging to
Nine de Montespan would, of course.
have secret drawer. What more nat
ural than that it should be guarded by
a poisoned mechanism"
What more natural. indeed. 1t Is
good reasoning. Mr.. Lester" he agreed
eagerly. his eyes burning like two Goals
of fire. so intense was his interest. 81
have been from boyhood Il lover Of
tales of mystery. l am fascinated"
Perhaps you can assist u.s." | suG-
gested. for that theory of mine has
been completely disproved."
"Disproved? In what way?' he de
handed
1.-THE secret drawer has been found"
How" he cried. his voice sharp
with surprise. Found? The secret
drawer has been found"
Yes and there was no poisoned
mechanism guarding it."
He breathed deeply for an instant;
then he pulled himself together with n
little laugh,
Really" he said. Il must not in
dulge myself in this way Was the
drawer empty"
mo: there was n packet of letters
in it,
delicious, Love letters, of GER
tainty, From the Great Louis to the
Montespan, perhaps|'
mo, unfortunately, they were Of "A
much more recent date. They have
been restored TO their owner. | hope
that you agree with me that that was
the right thing to do"
Since the letters have been return
ed" he said at last. little dryly. 1T
! Is useless to discuss the matter. Has
not other explanation been found for
| the death of Mr. Vantine and Of this
stranger? You do not even know who
| he was?"
"Oh. yes. we have discovered that
! He was worthless fellow named
Drouet. living in an attic in the Rue
| de la Huchette, in Paris
NJ Armand had been gazing at me
| intently. but now his look relaxed. and
| fancied that he drew a deep breath