Connecticut western news., 1920-07-08


 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 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. m-.-.
 Lecoq discovered that years ago Mime. Fauvel, then Valentine de Yer berie, had been engaged to the counts brother, Gaston. In defending her name at a country inn, Gaston had killed a man and fled to America, al- though he was thought to have been 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 un- 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 Mime. 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 Lagors.
 The situation became even more complicated. GastOn 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, Gaston and Mme. Fauvel must never meet. He joined Gaston in the south of France and got into his good graces. Gaston made a will, leaving everything to Louis; then poor Gaston 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
 
 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 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 it to him and they were to divide the money between themselves.
 Owing to the anonymous letter. M. Fauvel intercepted his wife's mall, 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 it did not go off, as Gypsy, who had become Madeleine's maid, un- der Lecoq's 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 350, 900 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 Mime. Fauvels son after all-her 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 Mime. Fauvel at the time when the count was poor, before Gaston 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 M. Fanxel forgave his wife her early indiscretions. 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 Gaston was poisoning him. Strange to relate, the great Le- coq married pretty Mime. 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 Der tony & Go. 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
 (The Boston Post).
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