The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-08-22

the sentences which he had spok-
en- had surprised him. And the
others seemed equally discon-
certed. And all Of them uncon-
sciously drew from those SEN
fences the conclusions which they
implied, and which they them
selves did not yet fully perceive.
Don Luis did not remove his
eyes from the project, and await.
ed the inevitable words.
M. Desmalions muttercd:
Come, come, you are not 90.
ing to suggest that he had
agreed"
II suggest nothing, Monsieur lie
Prefet," said Don Luis. $50 far,
you have followed the logical and
natural trend Of your thoughts
and that brings you 10 your pres.
ent position"
eyes, yes, I know, but I am
showing you the absurdity Of your
theory. It can't be correct, and
we can't believe in Marie Fau-
ville's innocence unless we are
prepared to suppose an unheard of
thing, that M. Fauville took part
in his own murder. Why, it's
laughable!"
And he gave q laugh; but It was
a forced laugh and did not rina
true.
"For, after an" he added,
you cant deny that that Il
where we stand"
II don't deny it,"
"Wellf"
"Well M. Fauville, as you say,
took part in his own murder"
This was said in the quietest
possible fashion, but with an air
of such certainty that no one
dreamed of protesting. After the
work Of deduction and superstition
which Don Luis had compelled his
hearers to undertake, they found
themselves in a corner which it
was impossible for them to leave
without stumbling against unan-
swerable objections.
There was no longer anw doubt
about NJ. Fauyille's share in his
own death. But Of what did that
share consist What part had he
played in the tragedy of hatred
and murder7 Had he played that
part, which ended in the sacrifive
Of his life, voluntarily or under
compulsion7 Who, when all was
said and done, had served as his
accomplish OF his executioner7
All these questions came crowd
ing upon the minds of M. Desma-
lions and the others. They thought
of nothing but Of how to solve
them, and Don Luis could feel GER
tain that his solution was accepted
beforehand. From that moment
he had but to tell his story Of what
had happened without fear Of con-
tradiction. He did so briefly, after
the manner Of a succinct report
limited to essentials
"Three months before the
crime, M. Fauville wrote a series
Of letters to one Of his friends, M.
Langernault, who, as Sergeant
Mazeroux will have told you, Mon
sieur lie Prefet, had been dead for
several years, a fact of which M.
Fauville cannot have been ignor-
ant. These letters we're posted,
but were intercepted by some
means which it is not necessary
that we should know for the mo-
ment. M. Fauville erased the post
marks and the addresses and in
serted the letters in a machine con-
structed for the purpose, Of which
he regulated the works so that the
first letter should be delivered a
fortnight after his death and the
others at intervals of 10 days.
cat this moment it is certain
that his plan was concerted down
to the smallest detail. Knowing
that Sauverand was in love with
his wife, watching Sauverand's
movements, he must obviously
have noticed that his detested
rival used to pass under the win
dows Of the house every Wednes-
day and that Marie Fauville
would go to her window.
This is a fact of the first i'm
portance, one which was exceed
ingly valuable to me and it will
impress you as being equal to a
material proof. Every Wednesday
evening, l repeat, SauveranJ used
to wander round the house. Now
note this: first, the crime pre-
pared by M. Fauyillc was COM
mitted on a Wednesday evening !;
secondly, it was at her husbands
express request that Nine. Eau
Vile went out that evening TO go
to the opera and to Nine. d'Ers-
inger's."
Don Luis stopped for a few sec