Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-01-14

1T isn't only lack of motive which
makes 1t Mysterious l commented;
its everything about it. can't I'M
derstand either why it was done or
ing about it, l feel as though L We're
Wandering around and around in a
maze from which l can never as
cape
oh, yes, you'll escape. Lester" said
Godfrey, quietly. and that before very
long"
IF you have an explanation. God
frey" l protested. for heavens sake
tell me! Don't keep me in the maze
an instant longer than is necessary.
I've been thinking about ii till my
brain feels like a snarl of tangled
thread. Do you mean to say you know
what it is all about"
is perhaps a little strong.
There isn't much in his world that we
really know. Suppose we say that /
strongly. suspect" He paused a mo-
ment. his eyes on the ceiling. You
Know you've accused me of ~ronancing
sometimes. Lester-the other evening,
for instance; yet that romance has
come true"
I'll take it all back / said, meekly.
There's another thing these ak
no. continued Godfrey, going off rath-
er at a tangent, and that is to clarity
my ideas. TOT don't know how it
helps me to state my case to you and
TO try to ansWed your objections. Your
being a lawyer makes you unusually
quick to see objections, and a lawyer
Is always harder to convince of a thing
than the ordinary man. You are ac-
to weighing evidence; and so
never allow myself to be convinced
or a theory until l have convinced
you: Not always. even them he added
with a smile.
We'll. In glad I'm of some use.' I
said. IF it is only as a sort of file for
you to sharpen your wits on. So please
go ahead n romance some more. Tell
me flrst how YOU and Simmonds came
TO be Following Armand"
Simply because l had found out he
wasn't Armand. Felix Armand is in
Paris at this moment. You were too
credulous. Lester"
Why, | never had any doubt of his
belng Armand" I stammered. HE
knew about my cablegram-he knew
about the firms answer-'
or course he did, because your cable
was never received by the Armands,
but by a confederate in this fellows
employ; and it was that confederate
VINO answered it. Our friend, the UNI
Known, foresaw, of course, that a cable
you'd be sent the Armands as soon as
the mistake wa discovered, and he
'SOI Ills ~ etdllioIlS d|ctOIUlnglN.'
Then YOU stin believe that the cab
was sent to Vantine by design and
not by a~ccident?"
absolutely. 1t was sent by the Ar
mands in good faith, because they be-
lleved that it had been purchased by
Nantine-all of which had been ar
ranged very carefully by the Great Tn
known"
Tell me how you know all this. God
frey" ! said.
Why it was easy enough. When YOU
me yesterday of Armand. | knew.
or thought | knew, that it was a plant
some kind. But. in order to be sure.
L cabled u man at Paris to invests
gate. Our man went at once to Ar
inand, pere, and he learned a mum
Der OF very interesting things. One
was that the son, Felix armand
was in Paris; another was that no
member of the firm knew any
thing about You cable or the an
to it; a third was, that, had the
been received, it would not have
been understood, because the Armands'
books snow that his cabinet was
bought by Philip Vantine for the sum
10000 francs
Not this one!" 1 protested.
res, TINS one. And it was cheap at
the price. OF course, the Armands
knew nothing about the Montespan
story-they were simply selling at a
profit"
But I don't understand" 1 STAN
mered. "Vantine told me himself that
did not buy that cabinet"
Nor did he. But somebody bought if
in his name and directed thai it be
forward to him.
And paid $4,000 francs for it?"
Certalniy-and paid $4,000 francs to
the Armands."
Rather an expensive present" I said,
eebly, for my brain was beginning to
whirl again.
oh, it wasn't intended as a pres
ent. The purchaser planned to reclaim
Nantine's death threw him out,
II 1t been for that-for an acct
lent which no one could foresee-
everything would have gone along
smoothly and no one would ever have
been the wiser
But what was his object? Was he
to evade the duty?"
oh. nothing SO small as that, Re-
sides, he would have had to refund the
duty to Nantine. Did he refund it to
No" l said. 81 didn't think there
was any to refund. Vantine really paid
duty only on the cabinet he pur-
chased, since that was the one shown
on has manifest. The other fellow
S HHNS poiu lilc uuty on lle CaDl-
net he brought in; SO | didn't see that
there was anything coming to Van
tines estate. There is probably some-
thlng due the government, for the cabi-
net Nantine brought in was, of course.
much more valuable than his manifest
showed"
No doubt of that; and the other
cabinet is the one which Vantine really
purchased. 1t was, of course sent for
ward to this other fellows address,
in New York. His plan is evident
enough-to call upon Vantine, as the
representative of the Armands, or per
maps as the owner of the Montesran
cabinet, n make the exchange. YAM
death spoiled that, and he had to
make the exchange through you. Even
hen. he would have been able to pull /
t off but for the fact that Vantfne's !
ieath and that of Drouet had called |
attention to the cabinet; we fol-
him, and the incidents of this
afternoon enSued."
And he accomplished all this by
means of a confederate in the employ |
IF the Arnlands?!"
N doubt of it. The clerk who made
he supposed sale to Vantine and got a
commission on it, resigned suddenly
.wo days ago-just as soon as he had
Intercepted your cable and answered |
t. The Paris police are looking for
Inn, but l doubt if they'll find him"