Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-01-28
The Mystery of
the Bou1e Cabinet
b BURTON E. STEVENSON
Copyright. 1918. by Burton E. Stevenson.
CHATTER xx11.-1continuedl

your interest In the affair OF the caOl-
net Boule. and admire most deeply your
penetration in arriving at a conclusion
so nearly correct regarding it. l must
thank you. also. for you kindness in
keeping me informed of the measures
which have been taken to guard the
cabinet. and which seem to me very
complete and well thought out. l have
myself visited the station and inspected
the cell. and l find that in every detail
you were correct.
1T is because | so esteem you as
an adversary that l tell you. In con-
fidence, that it is my intention to re-
gain possession of my property on
Wednesday next. and that. having done
SO, l shall beg you to accept a small
souvenir of the occasion.
II am, my lear sir,
Most cordially yours,
Jacques Crochard.
"LInvincible!"
I looked up to find Godfrey regard
ing me with 4 quizzical smile.
O course it's a joke" I said. Then
looked at him again. Surely. God
frey. you don't believe this is gen.
uine!"
Perhaps we can prove it," he said
quietly. That is one reason / came
up. Didn't Armand leave q note for
o the day he failed to see you?"
Yes; on this card; l have it here
and with trembling fingers, l got out
my pocketbook and drew the card from
the compartment in which l had care
fully preserved it.
One glance at it was enough. The
penciled line on the back was unques-
tionably written by the same hand
which wrote the letter.
"And now you know his name Cod
frey added, tapping the signature with
his finger. II have been certain from
the first that If WAS hniS
[ gazed at the signature without an
sWerinag. [ had. of course, read in the
papers many times of the Gargantuan
exploits OF Crochard-'The 1nvincible,"
as he loved to call himself. n with
good reason. But his achievements, at
least as the papers described them,
seemed too fantastic to be true. l had
suspected more han once that he was
merely a Pigment of the Partisan pace
writer's. a sort of reserve for the dull
season; or else that he was a kind OF
scapegoat, saddled by the French police
with every crime which proved toe
nue. for them. Now, however, ii
seemed that Crochard really existed: ]
held his letter in my hand; I had even
talked with him-and as l remembered
The fascination, the finish, the distin-
guished culture OF NJ. Felix Armand, ]
understood something of the reason TO,
! his extraordinary reputation.
imsie Gun ne no TWO opinions aDoul
him." said Godfrey. reaching out his
han for the letter and sinking baci
ian his chair to contemplate it. Gro
chard is one of the greatest Grim.
inals who ever lived, full of magma
ton and %esource and with a sense d
humor most acute. l have followed hi.
career for years-it was this fact tina
gave me my first clue. He killed I
man once before, Just as he killed thi!
last one The mar had betrayed hin
to the police. He was never betrayed
again.
What a fiend he must bel" | said
with a shudder.
But Godfrey shook his head quickly
Don't get that idea of him." he pro
tested earnestly. up to the time o
his arrival in New York he had neve
killed any man except that traitor. Hir
he had a certain right to ~kill-accord
ing to thieves ethics. nyway Eli
own life has been in peril scores o
times, but he has never killed a MAJ
to save himself. Put that down to hi
credit"
But Drouet and Nantine," / objected
A accident for which he was in n
way responsible said Godfrey prompt
~.
You mean he didn't kill them?"
Most certainly not. This last ma:
he did kill was IA traitor like the frs
Crochard. I think. reasons like this; t
Kill an adversary is too easy; it is TO
brutal; it lacks finesse. Besides, it re
moves the adversary. And without &C
y~ersaries. Orchards life would be c
no interest to him. After he a kille
his last adversary, he would have
kill himself
Il can't understand a mar like that.
I said.
well. look at this said Godfre,
and tapped the letter again. II hor
ors me by considering me an adVel
sary. Does he seek to remove me? O
the contrary, he gives me a handical
He takes off his queen in order ths
it may be a little more difficult to mat
mel"
But. surely. Godfrey" l proteste,
H'you don't take hat letter %seriousl,
If he wrote it at all, he wrote it merel
to throw you off the track. II he say
Wednesday. he really intends to try IL
the cabinet tomorrow"
II don't hin SO. l old you +
would think me only a tyro. And, bs
side him. that is all I am Do you kno
where he wrote that letter. Lester
Right in the Record office. That is
sheet OF u copy paper. He sat dow
there. right under my nose. wrote tn;
letter, dropped 1t into my box, an
walked out. And all that sometime tn
evening when the office was crowded
But it's absurd for him to write
letter like that. IL he really means
You have only to warn the police
You'll notice he says it is in co,
f:dence."
And you're going to keep it 500"
Certainly l ann: / consider that I
has paid me a high compliment. / ha,
shown it to no II but %you-also
confidence
1T is not the sort of confidence IL
Law recognizes" 1 pointed out. ~
keep a confidence like that is pract
cally to abet a felony"
And vet o will keep IT. said Co
frey cheerfully. You see. l am goir
to do everything l can to prevent TIL
felony. And we will see if Orchard
really invincible!"
TIL keep it," / agreed. because
think the letter is just a blind. An
by the way 1 added, Il have a lett
from Armand & Son confirming Ii
fact that their books show that Il
Boule cabinet vas bought by Phil
Vantine. Under the circumstances.
shall have to claim it and hand it o.
to the Metropolitan
II hope you won't disturb 1t until a
ter Wednesday," said Godfrey, quickl
Il won't have any interest in it aft
that"
.You really think Crochard will I
for it Wednesday,
~ F4t So 49, - = HN ~. sH1.