The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-02
tcontinued)

(Continued)
 His reputation for tact and Gelicacy Is tremendous, and yet those whe have found themselves opposed to him have never been long in realizing that there was 6 most redoubtable mailed fist un- der the velvet glove. had never met 'ham either professionally or person ally, and it was with some eagerness lthat to3a the office boy tes snow hiI0 in at once.
 He was a blun and hearty man of zu3dd1e age, rather heavy set, fresh f@ced and clean shaven and with very bright blue eyes.
 We shook hands aHd he sat down and plunged at once without an in- stant's hesitation into Fhe business wRAeh had broughs' him-
 11IE. Lestex." he began, T under stsnd that yeu are the administrators of theN estate of the late Philip Van- tinsg
 AOm firm ls,s corrected
 s.But you, personally, have been at tending to his business? He was col lector of cid furniture, beiiewe7"
 ssYea
 And on his last trip to Europe, from which he returned only few days ago. he purchased of Armand & Son of Paris Boule cabinet?"
 I could not repress start of aston ishnent-
 -.Ars you acting fer Armand & soa 2e queried.
 d<Not at all am acting for lady whom, for the present. we will call Mme- X."
 The thought. flashed through my mind that Nine x. and the mysterious Frenchwoman might be enc and the same person. Then I put aside the idea as absurd Serene Hornblower would never accept such a client
 MT. Vantdne did buy such a cab met" I said.
 And it Is in your possession7''
 There is at his residence a Boule cabinet which was shipped him from Paris. but. enly few hours before his death MT. Vantdne assured me that it was not the one he had purchased g
 "You mean that mistake had been made in the shipment7"
 That is what we supposed, and a cablegram from Armand 6 Son has since confirmed it."
 Where Is the cabinet which MT. Vantfne did buyF'
 '1 have no Idea. Perhaps it is still in Paris. But am expecting repre- sentative of the Armands to call very soon to straishten things out.''
 Again nay companton fell silent, and gat rubbing his chin absently.
 'Te is very strange" he said finally. If the cabinet waa stfn at Paris. enc would think at would have been dis covered be1ose my client made inqu1ry about Il"
 There's area good many things which are strange about this whole matter, g # supplemented.
 'Wouad you have any objection to my e1leutl seeing this cabinet, A6r. Les sterY'
 It waa my turn to hesitate. s'.A9r. HornbIowsr,'' z said finally, ~I awdn be frank with you. There is a certain mystery; surrounding this cabi- net which we have not been ahfe to sofve- suppose you have read of the mEsteE5ous deaths of MT. yantine and of an unknown Franchman, both in the same room at the Vantine house and both apparently from the same acaUseY'
 DO you mean that this cabinet is connected with them in any way7' he asked quickly.
 We believe so, though as yet we have been able to prove absolutely nothing. But we are guarding the cabinet very closely. should not ob- Ject to your client seeing 1t, but could not permit her to touch it-not, at least, without knowing why she wish. ed to do so.. You will remember that you have told me nothing of why she is interested in it"
 story, NIT. Lester" he said. "It is only have heard it, if you agree, we will take Mime K tn see the cabinet My client Is a meaber of prominent American family-a most prominent family. Three years ago she married 8 French nobIeman. You can perhaps guess her name. but I should prefer that neither of us utter it.
 .sThis nobIeman has been both prodi- gal and unfaithful. He. has scat tered my clients fortune with both hands. I am free to confess that l consider her a fool not to have left him long ago. At last her trustees in- terfered, for her father had been wise enough to place a portion of his for tune in trust They paid her husbands debts.- placed him on an, allowance and notified his creditors that his debts would not be paid again. ' had by this time. of course. guessed he name of his client
 '-Ths allowance is prineely one"