The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-11-06

OF money matters, COuHl LOUIS LuiLfeu
pale. Returning home that night the
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 he 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 NsneI
Nine. FauveI, then Valentine de very
berie, had been engaged to the COUNTS
brother, CASTOR. In defending her
name at a country inn, CASTOR haq
killed a man and fed to America, al
though he was thought to have been
drowned while escaping. A son was
horn 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 child's existence from an
old nurse. He made inquiries. Not
long after this, the count introduced a
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 kaowtng
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. FaIveI must never meet He
joined Ga StOn in the south of Frame
and got into his good graces. CASTOR
made a will, leaving everything TO
Louis; then pOOT CASTOR became
mysteriOusly i'll 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 a large sum if 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 her at the
bank. He then went to his mother
and said he would shoot himself II he
did not have q 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, NJ
Fauvel intercepted his vffe's mail, and
one day found letter from RaOul ask
ing her to go to bis villa. NJ. 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 1t did not go of, as Gypsy.
who had become Madeiefne's maid, I'M
der Lecoq's instructions in order tc
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
$4,000 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. FauvePs son
after all-heF son had died-and the
impostor 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 it ended happily
for NJ. Fauvel forgave his wife her
early indiscretiOns. LecOq was just
about to arrest the count for bis 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 NJ. 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, 1918. by the Post Publishing Co
CThe Boston POST.