The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-16

SPAite thC yudSc aQJOuIHcQ tuC S1SS
to another sitting foe further IN.
quiries.
The inquiries forthwith reverted
the existence of an eb.ry In che
prison book to the efIe.t that, eight
weeks previously, NJ .r OF the fi3.ne
of Desire Raudru had spent the
night at the polce sta..ou. He was
released the next day and lett the
station at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Well, at 2 o clock on that day, Ar
scne Lupin, alter unde, &C rg his final
examination. Md lcfs the police sta
ton IN til. prison van Tor the Sartc.
Had the asidcrs NJ aoc 4 mistake?
This seemed hardly . ,ssib:e in view
OF the Iongth of their service.
Had the substitution been planned
! in advance? Apart from the fact that
the disposition of The 1oca tiles 3 ade
this almost unfealizable. it would
| have been necessary, IN that case,
that Baudru should be an accom-
pliee, and cause himself to be arrest
ed with the precise object Of taking
Arsene Lupin's place.
| Desire Baudru was subjected to
the anthropometrical. test; there vas
not single record corresponding
with his description. Besides, tr ICES
of him were easily Discovered. He
was known at Courbcvcie. at As
nieres. at Levallois.
! Had he been suborncd ty Ars:re
Lupin' There were no g-ounds for
thinking SO. And even it this were
SO, il threw no light uocr the pris-
oner's escape. The marvel remained
as extraordinary as before
After month Of careful invcst;ga-
tiors the puzzle continued 10 preset
the same inscrutable character. Still.
L
wretch OF a Baudru indefinitely. lock-
cd Ut. The magistrate signed thc or
der for his release. But the head of
the detective service resolved to keep
an active supervision upon his move
f:ierts.
The idea was suggested by Carl
mard. In his opinion. there was COM
plicity and no acci1ecr in the matter.
Baudru was an instrument that Ar
sene Lupin had employed with his
amazing skill. With Yaudra at large,
they might hope. through linn. to
come upon Arsene Lupin. OF. at least,
upon one of his gang. .
Inspectors Folenfant End Dieuzy
were told off as ASSISTANTS 20 Cant
mard,- and one foggy morning in JAM
open to Desire Baudru.
At first he seemed rather cmbar-
raised, and walked like a ma1 who
has no very precise idea as to how to
employ his time. He went down the
Rue de In Sante and the Rue Saint
Jacques. Stopping outside an old
clothes shop. he took off his Jacket
ant waistcoat, sold his waistcont for
IA few sous, put on his jacket again.
and went on.
He crossed the Seine. At the
|Chatclct an omnibus passed him. He
tried to get into it. 1t was full. The
number. He entered the waiting
room.
| Caninard beekoned to his Two
men, and. keeping his eyes on the OF.
lhee,. said, quickly:
fthat's better. III take ono Of you
with me. Wen follow him.
I The men did as :ney were tcld
Baudru. however. did not appear
Ganirnard went into the w.:t iiE
room; there was no one there.
What fool 1 ami" re muttcrcd
III forgot the other door"
| The office, as a matter of fact, is
tconnected with the other Office in the
Rue Saint-Martin. Ganimard rushed
through the communicating passage
He was just in time to catch sight OF
Baudru on the Top of the omnibus
from Batignolles to the Jardin dcs
Plantes, which was turning the COR
ner of tie Rue di Rivoli. He ran aft
ler the omnibus and caught it up. But
he had lost his two assistants. and
was continuing the pursuit alone.
In his'rage he felt like taking Bait
tdru by the collar without further
4 form of ceremony. Was it not by
prerneditation and thanks to an in.
genious trick that the so-called idiot
had separated him from his two aux.
iliaries. He looked at Baudru. The
man was doing where he sat. and
his head shook from right to left. His
mouth was half open, his face wore
an incredible expression of stupidity.
. No, this was ot an adversary capa-
Bile of taking old Ganiynard in; chance
had favored him, that was all.
| All the Carrefour des -Calcries-La
fayette. Baudru changed from the
omnibus to the La Muctte iramcar.
Ganimard followed his example.
They went along the Boulevard
Haussmann and the Avenue Victor
Hugo. Baudru alighied at the stop
: ping place :: La Muctte, and, with a
lounging step. entered the Bots dc
Boulogne.
| H. passed from one alley to an
other, retraced his steps, and west on
lagain. What vas he looking for !
Had he an object in view7
After an hour of these maneuvcrs
he seemed tired and worn out.
Catching sight of bench. he sat
down upon It. The spot was not far
from Auteuil, on the brink Of little
lake hidden among the trees, and was
al solutely deserted. Half an hour
elapsed. At last, losing patience,
Ganimard resolved to enter into con-
lvcfsation.
4 He therefore went up and took a
seat by Baudru's side. He lit Gig.
arctic, drew a pattern in the sand
with the end of his walking stick,
and said:
"A cold day"
| Silence And suddenly in this sill
enc i. peal of laughter rang out-a
peal glad and happy laughter. the
laue or of child seized with fit Of
laughter, and utterly unable to keep
team, 1auchino lauol,;rr 1a,r1ton