Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-21
AND HERE IT CONTINUES
The Knock Upon the Door

"RuT yes, monsieur. "s.,. rnS r.n,t.| n"'''. IT,
him. ~ cannot comprehend what 1t *
for which you desire my pressure but l
have come. AS you suggest. monsieur
am of course anxious to do what ! can
10 aid you in clearing up the mystery o'
madame's death
She paused on reaching the door ana
noted the presence of the chief. Her
dark ewes flashed cold glance OF sus'
picion at Paul and then dscreetly low
cred their gaze.
THAT is good Paul commented
vravely as he closed the door behind
ber "Sit here. please. am glad
YOU have taken this attitude at last,
Nat;Ide for now we shall get at re-
suits"
..Put what more can sayT' Matilde
vazed from one stern face to the other.
IT have already told you my story
"And very ingenious one it is,
observed Paul. unfortunately for
vou. however, have been able to dis
proye every statement you have made
heretofore and now we are going to
get at the truth. In the first place,
Mstilde. there lis no yacht, the be'le
Elise. registered in France, nor on any
harbor records here of nine years ago :
Monsieur and Madame Felix 'ourthler
do not exist. nor did any of the other
people with whom you claimed to nave
held positions. Your accent is not that
of France and you were too eager 10
impress me with the supposition that
the birth records of Peronne-the town
YOU adopted as yours in your story
had been destroyed in the war. Also
you were quite sure that you had never
been to New Orleans
sg "Well, monsieur
=. II have just come from there, n
went on. ssInss. the French quarter OF
h st. Louis street there are many people
who know you well, Marie Benoit, and
they remember your brother Jacques
.It is not forbidden to adopt a giver
name which pleases one better thar
ones own. monsieur. and where m!
home is does not concern the police.
Her eyes did not waver II am mol
guilty of madame's death.
"No. You would have prevented il
if you could, Ss Paul agreed "fot
would have kept your brothers hands
free from blood at all COSTS
"a ah!" She sprang to her feet wifi
an uncomfortable cry of anguish which
she as quickly smothered beneath al
outburst of rage.
''Not so fast, Marie. You ask m
what your brother had to do with th
woman known here as Mrs. Hartshorne
shall l tell you? Shall | recall tn
time when Jacques Benoit became Jac
Bennett, vaudeville artist? When h
met and married Annie Halsey and sh
ruined his career?' Paul eyed he
steadily. His old partner, Fred Sam
mis-, can testify that the dead woma
was your brothers. wife, and no one i
the world had greater cause to wis
her dead than he.
The woman who had called herse
Mstilde wavered. Then her eyes 1e
and she made gesture of surrender.
1T Is true, monsieur. You ha'
learned too much; i shall not try
deceive you any longer. and there is
reason why l should, for my brother
innocent and beyond reach of your ac
cusation He is dead ~
"Are YOU sure of that?' asked Pau
The chiefs face was study.
"But yes, monsieur she eric
eagerly. She, that creature, kill'
him as surely as she herself has bee
killed. She broke his heart, drove hi
to dissipation and despair and final
to suicide He drowned himself, NOR
sieur! / would not claim his boz
because of the disg. uce, and he lies
a nameless grave in New Orean
There were only us two left, mOnsieu
my little brother and l, and | tri'
to be sister and mother both TO hir
but he was of the artistic temperance