The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-09-12

eilu Ills lace expressed a certain
satisfaction as though he were
saying:
I've got you this time, my fine
fellow, and you shan't escape
me-
The office messenger returned
and, without a word, led the way
for Don Luis. Perenna passed in
front of Weber with the p%olitest
OF bows, bestowed a friendly lit
tie nod on the detectives, and en-
tered.
The Comte d'Astrignac hurried
up to him at once, with hands
outstretched, thus showing that
all the tittlc-tattle in no way af-
fected the esteem in which he con-
tinued to hold Private Perenna of
the Foreign Legion. But the
Perfect of Police maintained an
attitude of reserve which was
very significant. He went on turn
ing over the papers which he was
examining and conversed in a low
voice with the solicitor and the
American Secretary of Embassy.
Don Luis thought to himself:
MY dear Lupin, there's some
one going to leave this room with
the bracelets on his wrists. If
it's not the real culprit, it'll be
you, my poor old chap"
And he remembered the early
part Of the case, when he was in
the workroom at F~auville's house
before the magistrates, and had
either to deliver the criminal to
justice of to incur the penalty of
immediate arrest. In the same
way, from the start to the finish
of the struggle, he had been
obliged, while fighting the invis-
ible enemy, to expose himself to
the attacks of the law with no
means of defending himself ex-
cept by indispensable victories.
Harassed by constant on
slaughts, never out of danger, he
had successively hurried to their
deaths Marie Fauville and Gas
ton ~Sauverand, two innocent peo-
pie sacrificed to the cruel laws of
war. Was he at last about to fight
the real enemy, or would he him
self succumb at the decisive mo-
ment?
He rubbed his hands with such
a cheerful gesture that M. Des-
malions could not help looking at
Inn. On Luis wore the radiant
air of a man who is experiencing
a pure joy and who is preparing
to taste others even greater.
The Perfect of Police remained
silent for a moment, as though
asking himself what that devil of
a fellow could be so pleased with /;
Their he fumbled through his pa
pers once more and, in the end,
said:
1--WE have met again, gentle
men, as we did two months ago,
to come to a definite conclusion
about the Mornington inherit
ance. Senior Caceres, the attache
of the Peruvian legation, will not
be here. | have received a tele-
gram from Italy to tell me that
Senior Caceres is seriously ill.
However, his presence was not in
dispensable. There is no one lack
ing, therefore-except those, alas,
whose claims this meeting would
gladly have sanctioned, that is to
say, Cosmo Mornington's heirs"
"There is n other person abb
sent, Monsieur lie Prefet."
nj. Desmalions looked up. The
speaker was Don Luis. The Pre-
feet hesitated and then decided
to ask him to explain.
Whom do you meant What
person?"
"The murderer of the Morning
ton heirs"
This time again Don Luis COM
PEELED attention and, in spite of
the resistance which he encount-
cred, obliged the others to take
notice of his presence and to
yield to his ascendancy. What
ever happened, they had to listen
to him. Whatever happened, they
had to discuss with him things
which seemed incredible, but
| which Were possible because he
put them into words.
"Monsieur lie Prefet," he asked,
twill you allow me to set forth
the facts Of the matter as it now
standsg They will form a natural
sequel and conclusion of the in
terview which we had after the
Explosion on the Boulevard
ISuchet."
nj. Desmalion's silence gave
Don Luis leave to speak. He at
once continued: