The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-11-12
The Mystery OF
the Boule Cabinet
BURTON E. STEVENSON
Copyright 1919. by Burton Il. stevenson.
GUEssRsN ar THE RIDDLE.
Copyright 1918. by Burton ID. stevenson.

rain had ceased, and the air felt clean
and fresh as though It a been
washed. I took deep breaths OF 1t, and
the feeling OF fatigue and depression
which had weighed upon me gradually
vanished. I was in no hurry-went
out OF my way a little, indeed, to walk
out into Madison square and look back
at the towering mass OF the Flatiron
building, creamy n delicate as
carved ivory under the rays Of the
moon-and IL was long past midnight
when / finally turned in at. the Mara
thon. Higgins, the janitor, was Just
closing the outer doors, and he Joined
me in the elevator a moment later.
There's a gentleman waiting to see
YOU. sir he said. as the car started
upward. "Mr. Godfrey, sir. He came
In about 10 minutes g %. He said you
were expecting him. SO I let him into
you rooms"
That was right" I said. and re-
Elected again upon Godfrey's exhaust
I found him lolling in an easy chair.
and he looked up with a smile at my
entrance.
Higgins said you hadn't come
in yet" he explained, $50 i thought I'd
wait a few minutes on the of chance
that you mightn't be too tired to talk.
IL you are. say SO. and I'll be moving
along"
"Tm not too tired" I said, hanging
up my coast. II feel q good deal bet
ter than ! did an hour ago"
II say that you were about all In
How do you keep II up, Godfrey
\ asked. sitting down opposite him.
You don't seem tired at all"
Il Inn tired. though" he said, "a
little. But I've got q fool brain that
won't let my body go to sleep so long
soon as everything Is finished, the
brain let's go and the body sleeps like
q log. Now / knew ] couldn't go to
sleep properly tonight until I had
heard the very interesting theory you
are going to confde to me. Besides. ]
Go ahead" I said.
I'VE had a cable from our
Paris office just before left
It seems that M. Theophile
d'Aurelle plays the fiddle in the orches-
ira OF the Cafe de Paris. He played as
usual tonight. so that II Is manifestly
impossible that he should also be lying
in the New York morgue Moreover,
none OF his friends, so far as he knows,
Is in America. No doubt he may be
able to identity the photograph Of the
dead man, and we've already started
n on the way, but we can't hear from
1t for six or eight days. But my guess
was right-the fellows name isn't
d'Aurelle."
you say you have a photograph
#. GGSp Il ndQ SOHe ldh6n4 OI Iu6 OOuy
this afternoon. Here's one OF them.
Keep Il; % may hav use for IT."
/ took the card, and, as / gazed at the
face depleted upon Ii, ! realized that the
distorted countenance / had seen in the
afternoon had given me no idea OF the
mans appearance. Now the eyes were
closed and the features composed and
peaceful, but even death failed to give
them any dignity. 1t was a weak and
d~issipated face, the Fac of a hanger
on OF cafes, az Parks had said-of a
loiterer along the b~oulevards, Of a man
without ambition, and capable OF any
depth of and deceit. AT least,
that is how / e 1t.
Hes evidently low Glass; said God
frey, watching me. "One OF those para
sites, without work and without income,
so common in Paris. Shop girls n Ia
dies maids have a weakness for them"
Il think you are right" I agreed; but
at the same time. II he was OF that
type, I don't see what business he could
have had with Philip Vantine."
Neither do /: but there are a lot Of
other things / don't see, either. We're
thought of that? Absolutely In the
dark"
Yes. I have thought of it." I said,
slowly.
mo doubt we can establish this fell
lows identity in time-sooner than we
III IN RCA " AAAooN vi Nho
ing papers will run his picture, and II
he is known here in New York at all, 1t
will be recognized by some one. When
we find out who he Is, we a probably
guess at the nature OF his business with
Vantine. We can find out who the
woman was who called to see Vantine
tonight-that Is just a case Of grilling
Rogers; then we can run her down and
get her secret out of her. We can find
why Rogers is trying to shield her. All
that is comparatively simple. But when
we nave lone II all, when we have all
these facts in hand. 1 am afraid we
shall find that they are utterly unim-
portant." ..,.. (
"Unimportant?" 1 echoed. "But sure
ly-" #..Ef
"~Unimportant because we don't want
TO know these things. What we want to
know is how Philip Vantine and this
unknown Frenchman were killed. And
that Is Just the one thing which, ! am
convinced, neither the man nor the
woman nor Rogers nor anybody else
we have come across in this case can
tell US. There's a personality behind all
this that we haven't even suspected
yet, and which. ] am free to confess, ]
don know how to get at. 1t puzzles
me; 1t rather frightens me; it's like a
threatening shadow which n amt
get hold Of" ~
There was a moments silence; then,
/ decided, the time had come for me
TO speak. ~
Godfrey" I said, what I am about
TO tell you Is told in confidence, and
must be held in confidence until I give
you permission to use 1t. DO you agree?'
60 on" he said, his eyes on my face.
well. I believe I know how these
two men were killed. Listen"
And l told him in detail the story of
the Boule cabinet; / repeated Vantine's
theory OF its first ownership; ! named
the price which he was ready to pay
for It; / described the difference be-
tween an original and a counterpart,
and dwelt upon Vantlne's assertion that
this was an original OF unique and un-
questionable artistry. Long before !
had finished Godfrey was out OF his
chair and pacing up and down the
room. his face flushed, his Eyes glow
ing.
"Beautiful!" he from time
20 time. Immense! What a case 1t
will make. Lester!" he cried, stopping
before my chair and beaming down up
on me, as / finished h story. unique,
too; that's the beauty Of ii. AS unique
a. this adorable Boule cabinet!"
Then you see 1t, too?" I questioned,
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