The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-11-04

/ detective was followed by two men
and stabbed, but, fortunately, not
killed. Lecoq, thinking he recognized
the count and Raoul, decided that
they realized that the police suspected
them Of robbing the bank. and also
that there must be an even greater
mystery to unravel that had caused
them to become would-be assassins.
Records were looked up and an amaz-
Ing story came to light.
Lecoq discovered that years ago
Mime. Fauvel. then Valentine de YER
berie, had been engaged to the counts
brother. CASTOR. In defending her
name at q country inn, CASTOR had
killed q man and fed to America, al
drowned while escaping. A son was
born to Valentine and given away by
her mother. Later she had married
Fauvel, who was told nothing.
The story was never unearthed I'M
til Count Louis had squandered the
family money and by mere chance had
heard of the chlld's existence from an
old nurse. He made inquiries. Not
long after this, the count introduced
young man to Nine. Fauvel as her son,
TO serve his own ends and to extract
hush-money. This young man was
called her nephew and proved to be
Raoul Layers.
The situation became even more
complicated CASTOR returned from
America immensely rich, not knowing
of the existence of his son, but deter
mined to see his old love Valentine
once more. Louis, however, realized
that for his own ends, CASTOR and
Nine. Fauvel must never meet. He
joined CASTOR In the south Of France
and got into his good graces. CASTOR
made a will, leaving everything to
Louis; then poor CASTOR became
mysteriously III and died. Louis re-
turned to Paris rich.
Madeleine seemed to wish to delay
her marriage. The count feared she
still loved Prosper, so he promised
Raoul large sum II he would In some
way ruin the cashiers reputation,
thinking thus to hasten his own mar
riage, as he really was In love with
Madeleine. The moment came when
RaOul overheard Prosper telling Gypsy
he constantly thought OF heI at the
bank. He then went to his mother
and said he would shoot himself If he
did not have a large sum of money
that very night to pay a gambling
debt. She got for him the key to the
safe. The poor lady had already given
him all her money and jewels and had
nothing left to bestow. At the last
moment she tried to stop him. hence
the scratch that was discovered later.
When she inquired how he knew the
word that made up the combination,
Raoul said that Prosper had given 1t
to him and they were to divide the
money between themselves.
Owing to the anonymous letter, M.
Fauvel intercepted his wife's mail, and
one day found letter from Raoul ask
ing her to go to his villa. M. Fauvel
followed. and on entering and seeing
his wife In the arms Of the young man,
pulled out his pistol to shoot, but for
tunately II did not go off, as Gypsy,
who had become Madeleine's maid, I'M
der Lecoqs instructions In order to
watch the house, had taken out the
bullets. At this point the great detec-
tive appeared and told the banker the
whole story. He then demanded the
100000 francs which had been stolen
and Raoul returned the money; and
what was more remarkable still, LecoQ
showed them papers that proved
Raoul was not Nine. Fauvel's son
after all-her son had died-and the
lmpostor was the son of jockey hired
by the count to play the part so as to
secure money from Nine. Fauvel at
the time when the count was poor,
before CASTOR had died.
During the conversation Raoul had
made his escape, but no one cared, for
the Fauvels naturally wished to keep
the story secret, and 1t ended happily
for M. Fauvel forgave his wife her
early lndiscretions. Lecoq was just
about to arrest the count for his many
crimes when the wicked old man went
insane and kept repeating constantly
that his brother CASTOR was poisoning
him. Strange to relate, the great Lee
cog married pretty Nine. Gypsy, whom
he had known and loved for years.
Prosper, Of course, married Madeleine,
and M. Fauvel retired from the bank.
The firm is now called Prosper Ber-
tony & Co. This amazing record of
crime still remains in the police court
in Paris and can be found In file No.
113
Copyright. 1919, by the Post Publishing Co.