The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-06-27

that / have told you so far"
Sauverand retorted very simply.
Don Luis offered no denial. He
turned his eyes to Florence Levas-
seur; and it seemed to him that
she was looking at him with less
aversion, and as though she were
wishing with all her might that he
would not resist the impressions
that were forcing themselves upon
him. He muttered:
$50 on with your story"
And there was something really
strange about the attitude Of those
two men, one making his explana.
ton in precise terms and in such a
way as to give every word its full
value, the other listening atten-
lively and weighing every one Of
those words; both controlling
their excitement both as calm in
appearance as though they were
seeking the philosophical solution
in a case of conscience. What was
going on outside did not matter.
What was to happen presently did
not count.
Before all, whatever the conse-
quences Of their inactivity at this
moment when the circle Of the po-
lice was closing in around them,
before all it was necessary that
one should speak and the other
listen.
"We are coming" said SAWYER
and, in his grave voice, "we are
coming to the most important
events, to those Of which the in
depreciation, which is new to you,
but strictly true, will make you
believe in our faith. III luck hav-
ing brought me across Hippolyte
Fauville' s path in the course of
one of my walks in the Bots, l
took the precaution Of changing
my abode and went to live in the
little house on the Boulevard
Richard Wallace, where Florence
came to see me several times.
II was even careful to keep her
visits a secret and, moreover, to
refrain from corresponding with
her except through the poste
restante. l was therefore quite
easy in my mind.
81 worked in perfect solitude
and in complete security. 1 ex-
pected nothing. No danger, no pos
sibility of danger, threatened us.
And, / may say, to use a common
place but very accurate express
sion, that what happened came as
an absolute bolt from the blue. l
heard at the same time, when the
Project Of Police and his men
broke into my house end pro-
ceeded to arrest me, I heard at
the same time and for the first
time of the murder of HippOlyte
Fauville, the murder Of Edmond,
and the arrest of my adorsd
Marie"
Impossible |" cried Don Luis,
in a renewed tone of aggressive
wrath. Impossible Those facts
were a fortnight old. l cannot
allow that you had not heard of
them"
Through whom?'
Through the papers," ex-
claimed Don Luis. "And, more
certainly still, through Mile. Lee
vasseur."
Through the papers9" said
Sauverand. 81 never used to read
them. What! Is that incredible 2
Are we under an obligation, an
inevitable necessity, 10 waste half
an hour a day in skimming
through the utilities Of politics
and the piffle Of the news col
umnsf Is your imagination inca
pable Of conceiving a man who
reads nothing but reviews and
scientific publications.
"The fact is rare, l admit" he
continued. "But the rarity Of a
fact is no proof against it. On the
other hand, on the very morning
of the crime l had written to Flor
ence saying that / was going away
for three weeks and bidding her
goodbye. l changed my mind at
the last moment but this she did
not know; and, thinking that I
had gone, not knowing where !
was, she was unable to inform me
Of the crime, Of Marie arrest, or,
later, when an accusation was
brought agains. the man with the
ebony walking stick, of the search
that was being made for me-"
Exactly! declared Don Luis.
"You cannot pretend that the
man with the ebony walking stick,
the man who followed Inspector
Verot to the Cafe du Pont-Nsuf
and purloined his letter"
II am not the man." Sauverand
interrupted.
And, when Don Luis shrugged