The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-01-31
CHAPTER oNE-(Continued).

dressed to mel Monster lie Prefet
de Police-to be opened in case Of
accident"
ooh, yes," said the secretary,
II was forgetting! That's from
Inspector Verot, too; something Of
Importance, he said, and serving
to explain the contents of the let
ter"
"Well," said M. Desmalions,
who could not help laughing, "the
letter certainly needs explaining ;
and, though there's no question Of
accident l may as well open the
parcel"
AS he spoke, he cut the string
and discovered, under the paper, a
box, a little cardboard box, which
might have come from a druggist,
but which was soiled and spoiled
by the use to which it had been
put.
He raised the lid. Inside the box
were a few layers of cotton wool,
which were also rather dirty, and
in between these layers was half a
cake Of chocolate.
"What the devil does this
mean9" growled the project in
surprise.
He took the chocolate, looked at
it, and at once perceived what was
peculiar about this cake of choco-
late, which was also undoubtedly
the reason why Inspector Verot
had kept it. Above and below, it
bore the prints Of teeth, very
plainly marked, very plainly sepa-
rated one from the other, penetrat-
ing to a depth of a tenth of an inch
or so into the chocolate. Each pos
scssed it's individual shape and
width, and each was divided from
its neighbors by a different inter
val. The jaws which had started
eating the cake Of chocolate had
dug into it the mark of four upper
and five lower teeth.
M. Desmalions remained
] wrapped in thought and, with his
head sunk on his chest, for some
minutes resumed his walk up and
down the room, muttering:
"This is queer. There's a
riddle here to which I should like
to know the answer. That sheet of
paper, the marks of those teeth
what does it all meant"
But he was not the man to waste
much time over a mystery which
was bound to be cleared up pres,
! emily, as Inspector Verot must be
either at the police office or some,
where just outside; and he said
to his secretary:
81 can't keep those five gentle,
men waiting any longer. Please
have them shown in now. If In
spector Verot arrives while they
are here, as he is sure to do, let
me know at once. I want to see
him as soon as he comes. Except
for that, see that I'm not disturbed
on any pretext, won't you9"
Two minutes later the messen-
ger showed in Maitre Lepertuis, a
stout, red faced man, with whis-
kers and spectacles, followed by
Archibald Bright, the secretary of
embassy, and Caceres, the Peru
Wan attache. M. Desmalions, who
knew all three of them, chatted to
them until he stepped forward to
receive Major Conte d'Astrignac,
the hero Of La Chouia, who had
! been forced into premature retire
ment by his glorious wounds. The
project was complimenting him
warmly on his gallant conduct in
! Morocco when the door opened
! once more.
| don Luis Perenna, | believes''
said the project, offering his hand
| to a man of middle height and
rather slender build, wearing the
military medal and the red ribbon
/ Of the Legion of Honor.
The newcomers face and ex-
preston, his way Of holding him
self, and his very youthful move
ments inclined "nr to look upon
him as a man of 40, though there
were wrinkles at the corners of
the eyes and on the forehead,
which perhaps pointed to a few
years more. He bowed.
eyes, Monsieure lie Prefet."
SIS that you, Perennial" cried
Comte d'Astrignac. $50 you are
still among the ~livingG"
eyes, major, and delighted to
see you again"
"Perenna alive! Why, we had
lost all sight of you when 1 left
Morocco! We thought you dead
II was a prisoner, that ALL"
"A prisoner Of the tribesmen ;
the same thing!"
"Not quite, major; one can es-
cape from anywhere. The proof