The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-07

business to test them, they OuSHt "
yield to his pressure, for. in the
course of the afternoon. he had
twisted the fastening in such way
as to prevent it from entering the
staples.
The easements gave way. There
upon. with infinite precautions. he
opened them little farther. AS soon
as he was able to pass his head
through he stopped. A CLEAN of light
filtered out between the curtains.
which did not quite meet. He saw
Gervaise and Ludovic sitting beside
the safe.
Absorbed in their work. they ex-
changed but few occasional words
in low voice. Arsene calculated the
distance that separated him from
them, settled upon the exact move
ments that would be necessary to
reduce them to state of helplessness.
one after the other. before they had
time to call for help, and was about
to rush in upon them. when Gervaise
said:
How cold the room has turncdl
1 am going to bed. What shall you
dor"
II should like to finish first"
"Finishl Why, it will take you all
| nightp'
"Oh, no; an hour at the most"
She went away. Twenty minutes,
thirty minutes elapsed. Arsene push
ed the window little more. The
curtains shook. He pushed still far
Their. Ludovic turned round, and. see
ing the curtains swollen by the wind.
rose to shut the window.
| There was not cry, not even the
appearance of struggle. With a
few accurate movements and with
| out doing Ludovic the least harm,
Arsene stunned him. wrapped his
head in the curtain, and tied him up
so that he was not even able to dis
tinguish his assailant's features.
Then he went quickly to the safe,
took two portfolios, which he put
under his arm. left the Office. went
| down the stairs, crossed the court
| yard, and opened the door of the
servants entrance. A cab was wait
ing in the street.
Take these first" he said to the
} driver, "and come with me-"
They went back to the Office. In
two journeys they emptied the safe.
Then Arsene went up to his room,
hoisted in the rope, removed all
traces of his passage. The thing was
done.
|, A few hours after, Arsene Lupin.
assisted by his companion. stripped
the portforlios of their contents. He
felt no disappointment, having fore
seen as much, on ascertaining that
the fortune of the Imberts had not
the Importance ascribed to it. The
millions did not number hundreds,
nor even tens. But at any rate. the
total made up a very respectable
sum. and consisted of excellent Sc
curities: railway debentures. munich
pal loans, state funds, northern mines,
and So on.
He declared himself satisfied.
"No doubt" he said, there will be
a sad less when the time comes for
dealing. There will be all sorts of
difficulties, and l shall often have to
let things go very cheap. Never
mindl With this first capital. / I'M
dertake to live according to my ideas
and to realize few dreams that lie
near my heart"
| "And the rest?"
Burn them, my lad. These piles
of papers looked very we'll in the safe.
They're no use to us. AS for the
securities. we'll lock them up in the
cupboard, and wait calmly till the
suspicious moment arrives to dispose
of them"
The next morning Arsene could
see no reason why he should not re-
turn to the Hotel Imbert. But the
papers contained an unexpected piece
| of news-Ludovic and Cervaise had
disappeared.
The safe was opened amid great
solemnity. The magistrates found
what Arsene had left behind. which
was very little.
| Such are the facts and such is the
explanation of some of them, owing
to the intervention of Arsene Lupin.
had the story from his own lips
one day when he was in a confidential
vein.
He was walking up and down my
| study, and his eyes wore a little
feverish look. which l had never seen
/! in them before.
| "On the whole. therefore," said,
this is your master stroke"
| Without ziuino me- a direct ane,u.e