Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-02-04

| While he waited for his meal to be
| served he again went over in his
mind all the details of the crime. 1t
was here at Boulogne where the
mystery had commenced. He de-
cided to wait until night and then,
when all was dark and silent, he
would go to the scene Of the crime.
He sat in the cafe smoking until
eleven o'clock, then he left and
walked in the direction Of the
Farades house. He reached the
gate which opened into Louis Far
AIDES garden. AS he raised the latch
he saw dark form in the other
garden.
"Sapristiw he muttered. "Here's
that chap again. Perhaps he has
nothing to do with the police, after
all. He himself may be the mur-
derer, and he tried to throw suspic-
ion on me. 1t is well-known police
axiom that criminals often return to
the spot where they committed their
crime"
For moment he was undecided
what to do. On the other hand, il
the man did belong to the police, he
thought, the very fact of finding him
lurking like criminal round this
spot would be sufficient to lanl him
in Jail again.
"Ill have it out, anyway, with him
and done with it." he thought.
Velizay sprang forward. With
the light from the half-veiled moon
he could now plainly see the man in
Arthur Farades' garden.
"What are you doing here?" he
called out authoritatively.
"And you? I'd very much like to
know what you are doing here also ?"
"That is my affair"
"I can give the same reply"
"I'll fire if you don't tell me who
you are" cried Jacques, taking out
his revolver and levelling it on the
stranger.
"I can do the samew cried Mer-
scins, drawing out small pistol
although there is no reason why
should not tell you ho | am. am
Paul Merseins. stock-broker."
"You mean detective. I remember
you at Saint Jean. l remember you
on the train from Bordeaux. 1t was
you who had me arrested for the
murder that took place here short
time ago. Now tell you frankly
that l believe that you are the muir
derer. What are you doing here at
this time of the night ?"
"I might ask you the same ques-
tion. I am engaged to marry Valen-
tine Farades, whose father is soon
to be taken to trial for the murder
that was committed here"
"You are engaged to Valentine
Farades-Jeanne's cousiny"
Eyes, and have sworn to find the
murderer l thought that you were
the man, and / am deeply sorry that
| caused your arrest the other day."
Jacques shifted. s....y,
"You are in love with Arthur Fa-
rade's daughter and you are going
to try and prove that it was Louis
who committed the crime?"'
"It might have BEEN"
"Well," said Jacques, "T have
sworn to find the murderer, and il
l cannot find any other man, l shall
be forced to believe that it was
Arthur. l believe that Jeanne's
father is innocent"
"I know that you are in love with
Jeanne. You have called at the
house many times lately, and I was
naturally embarrassed when I saw
that we were lodging each others
footsteps all the afternoon. We hap
pened to have the same idea, and we
were both going over the same
ground that the victim went over the
day that he met his DEATH"
"Well, why on earth didn't you
come up to me and make yourself
known? The two of us together
might help the girls. Poor little
things, think they need US both.
You declare that Valentines father
is innocent, and l declare that
Jeanne's father is innocent. Then
let us leave no stone unturned to
prove it to the world"
The night was superb. The moon
glimmered between the trees, throw
ing down shower of fine rays and
sleeping the leaves and shedding on
the old well a pool of silvery light.
The two men felt mutually drawn
to one another. .,.
Paul stretched out his hand, Jac-
ques grasped it. -.'.
"For the girls sake," said Jacques.
eyes, for the girls sake" echoed
Merseins.
"The same thought evidently ac-
tuated US today" said Jaques. "The
police are working on a wrong track.
and l decided to go over tn same
ground today and see if I could
| CLEAN any idea which might give me
| clue. Now we have come to the
time and the place of the murder.
We cannot do anything here in the
daytime, but there is nobody about
now and I am going down that WE'LL"
"That's what I thought of doing;
the police have not even searched
down there, and we might find some
thing"
Merseins, with a pocket lantern in
his hand, got into the bucket and
was lowered. by Velizay. Then
jacques tied a rope to one Of the
posts and let himself down. The
we'll was very deep and dark; one
minute later he reached Merseins.
"If we find anything we will keep
it to ourselves until we have suffi-
cient evidence to prove that the Fa-
rades are innocent. We are not go
| ing to hand ANYTHING over to the