Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-09-08
The Mystery
of the
BOuIe Cabinet
By BURTON E. STEVENSON
Copyright. 1913. by Burton E.
Stevenson.

Sf-f-f-t-tffssttss-sstt-
-Ud you JUST happen TO THINK of this
IN the middle of the night?" he inquir-
ed quizzically.
mo" l said boldly, ''but l saw you
and Mr.. Simmonds and this gentle
man." with a bow to NJ. PigOt, turn
in here a moment ago, and it occurred
20 me that the cabinet might have
something to do with your visit. Of
course we don't want the cabinet in
tured. 1t is very valuable"
Don't worry" said Grady easily.
''We're not going to injure 1t. And
think well be ready to surrender 1t to
you at any time after tonight. MOOs-
seer PiggOtt here wants to do a few
tricks with it first. l suppose you
have a certain right to be present, so
If you like sleight of hand sit down"
hastily sought a chair, my heart
singing within me. Then l attempted
TO assume a mask of Indifference, for
NJ. PigOt was obviously annoyed at
my presence, and 1 feared for mo-
ment that his Gallo suavity would be
strained to breaking. But Grady, IL
he noticed his guests annoyance, paid
no heed to it, and 1 began to suspect
that the Frenchman'S courtesy and
good breeding had ended by rubbing
Grady the wrong way, they were in
such painful contrast to his own hob
nailed manners. Whatever the cause,
there was certain malice in the smile
he turned upon the Frenchman.
sAnd now, MOosseer PiggOtt," he
said settling back in his chair little
farther, 'we're ready for the show"
What have to tell you, sir" began
NJ. PigOt in a voice as hard as steel
and cold as ice, "has, understand well,
to be told in confidence. 1t must re-
main between ourselves until the GRIM
tnal is secured"
Understand, Mr.. Lester?" Grady
asked. looking at me. And nodded.
/ saw PigOt's eyes aflame and his
face flush with anger, for Grady's tone
was almost insulting. / looked at
him with interest. He was typically
French-smooth shaved, with face
scanned with little wrinkles and very
white, eyes Swallowed by enormously
bushy lashes and close-cropped hair
as white as his face. He was about
sixty years of age, guessed, and there
was about him the air of a man who
had passed through hundred re-
.markable experiences without once
losing his aplomb. Certainly he was
not going to lose it now.
farTyI,o Touo RI %
he began with his careful English,
clipping his words a little now and
then, has to do with the theft of the
famous Michaelovitch diamonds. You
may perhaps remember the case"
/ remembered it, certainly, for the
robbery had been conceived and car
ried out with such brilliancy and dar-
ing that its details had at once arrest
ed my attention-to say nothing of the
fact that the diamonds, which formed,
the celebrated collection belonging to
the Grand Duke Michael of Russia,
sojourning in Paris because unappre-
ciated in his native land and also be-
cause of the supreme attraction of the
French capital to one of hiSstempera-
ment-were valued at something like
100000 francs. -
THAT theft" continued NJ. Pigot,
s'was accomplished in a manner at
once so bold and so unique that we
were certain it could be the work of
but a single mana rascal named Gro
chard, who calls himself also The In
vincible'- a rascal who has given us
very great trouble, but whom we have
never been able to convict. In this
case we had against him no direct
evidence; we subjected him to an in
terrogation and found that he had TAX
en- care to provide perfect alibi; so
we were compelled to release him. We
kept CrOchard under constant surveil-
lance. We searched his rooms not
once but many times.
'He knew thoroughly what we were
doing. for what we We're searching.
He knew also that nowhere in Europe
would he dare to attempt TO sell sin
gle one OF those jewels. We suspected
that he void attempt to bring them to
this country, and we warned your de-
partment of customs. For we knew
mat here he could sell all but the very
largest not only almost without dan
ger, but at a price far greater than he
could obtain for them in Europe. We
closed every avenue to him, as we
4hought-and then, all at once, he dis
appeared.
For two weeks we heard nothing.
then came the story OF this man Drou-
ct, killed by a stab on the hand. At
once we recognized the work of Gro
chard, for he alone of living men pos
sesses the secret OF the poison of the
Medici. 1t is a fearful secret, which,
in his whole life he had used but once,
and that upon a man who had betray-
&c him.
NJ. PigOt paused and passed his hand
across his forehead.
eve were at q loss to understand
Orchards connection with DrOuet.