The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-12-03

Ethose occurrences, For, surely, Mad.
kame x would scarcely guard the secret
! of that drawer with poisoni
Does any one besides your client
Fknow OF the existence OF these letters?"
Il think not" answered Mr.. Horn
blower. smiling drily. They are not
Eof nature which my client would care
ITO communicate to any one. In fact.
IMr. Lester, as you have doubtless sus-
tpected, they are compromising letters.
1--WE must get them back at any cost"
y las a matter OF fact" pointed out.
Il There are always at least two people
tswho know OF the existence OF every let
tfer-the person who writes II and the
kperson who receives It."
81 had thought OF that, but the person
kwho wrote these letters is dead"
"DeadT j repeated.
K He was killed in a duel some months
kago," explained Mr.. Hornblower, grave.
by Monsieur xT' asked quickly.
by Monsieur X" said Mr.. Horn
Blower, and sat regarding me, his lips
kpursed, as an indication. perahps. that
E.he would say no more.
ishould. / knew enough OF French law
sand of French habits OF thought to rea-
t3iZe that IL those letters ever came into
possession OF Monsieur X, the game
Ewould be entirely In his hands. His
klwife would be absolutely 1T his mercy.
land the thought flashed through my
tInind that perhaps In some way he had
t9earned OF the existence Of the letters
land was trying desperately to get them.
What thought was enough to swing the
balance In his wife's favor.
Il am sure" I said, that Mr.. Van
NWRA -. - A..
kyour client opening the drawer and
making out the letters. And, as his ex-
tecutor, also consent, for. whoever may
Town the cabinet, the letters are the
property OF Madame x. All this pro-
kviding, Of course, that this should prove
to be the right cabinet But must warn
lyou, MIR. Hornblower, that believe two
Inen have already been killed trying to
Eopen that drawer" and told him, while
the sat there staring in profound amaze
Ement, OF my theory In regard to the
death OF Philip Vantine and OF the un-
known Frenchman. II am inclined to
think," I concluded, that vantine
kblundered upon the drawer while ex-
Eamining the cabinet; but there is no
kdoubt that the other man knew OF the
tdrawer, and also, presumably, Of its
bcontents.
"well!" exclaimed my companion. q
have listened to many astonishing sto-
Ethis. And you know nothing OF this
FFrenchman?"
Nothing except that he came from
IHavre on La Touraine last Thursday,
and drove from the dock direct to Van
tines house"
MY client also came on La Tou.
braine-but that. no doubt, was a mere
coincidence"
| That may be-" agreed, but 1t Ia
kscarcely coincidence that both he and
Fyour client were after the contents Of
that drawer"
! II mean that the mysterious French.
Imam may very possibly have been an
lemissary OF Monsieur x. Madame may
have betrayed the secret to him in an
unguarded moment"
| Mr.. Hornblower rose abruptly. He
was evidently much disturbed.
| You may be right" he agreed. II
will communicate with my client at
once. I take 1t she has your permission
to see the cabinet; and, If II proves to
! be the right one, that she may open
the drawer and remove the letters"
IF she cares to take the risk" as
sented.
Very well; I will call you as soon as
have seen her." he said. In any event,
thank you for your courtesy" and he
| left the office.
| He must have driven straight to her
family residence on the avenue; or
perhaps she was awaiting him at his
office; at any rate, he called up inside
Fthe half hour.
MY client would like to see the cab
Einet at once" he said. she is in a very
nervous condition; especially since she
learned that some one else has tried to
open the drawer. When will 1t be con-
venient for you to go with us?"
II can go at once" said.
| '1rhen we will drive around for VIM
We should be there in Is or 20 min
utes."
Very WELL" I said, I'll be ready. !
shall. of course. want to take a witness
with me-"
THAT is quite proper" assented Mr..
Hornblower. I'VE can have no objec-
ton to that. In 20 minutes. then"
| 1 got the Record office as soon as I
could. but Godfrey was not there. He
until the middle Of the afternoon. I
rang his rooms, but there was no reply
tFlnally called ND the Vantine house.
I Parks" I said, IT am bringing up
some people to look at that cabinet 1t
| might be just as well to get that cot
out Of the way and have all the lights
going"
THE lights are already going. sir" he
said.
Already going? What do you mean %
| Mr.. Godfrey has been here for quite
a while. sir, fooling with that cabinet
thing"
He has" And then 1 reflected that
ought to have guessed his where
abouts. Tell him, Parks. that 1 am
cabinet, and that I should like him to
stay there and be a witness of the
! proceedings"
|