Evening journal., 1922-11-16
CHAPTER III

this robbery had been committed b
some one OF the hotel thieves c
Paris. who were accustomed to er
ter any building which they wer
able 10 get into. and TO search an
apartment that they happened I
find OPEN" continued M. JoDquellI
But the Marquis reminded For
neau that the person committin
this robbery had brought with hir
a piece OF paper from the basement
that mere thieves entering on tn
chance OF finding some valuable
would not have taken this preoau
ton.
This theory pleased Forneau. an
he adopted every excellent sugges
ton which the Marquis was able 4
make But he ventured 10 wonde
from what source the thief had beei
able 10 obtain the combination Il
the safe, since IL was known onl,
TO Nine. la Maquise.
THE Marquis was again able tC
indicate a valuable suggestion
Women, he ventured 10 suggest, hao
always the same habits. They did
not trust their memories for any
thing that required an accuracy OF
numbers. The Marquise would have
somewhere this memorandum writ
ten down. He suggested that For
neau make a search OF her writing
table
ITO their surprise they found the
lock to the drawers Of this table
broken. and among some papers
hastily turned over, at the back Of
one Of these drawers, a small book
with a red leather cover. On the
last page, in pencil, was precisely
the same memorandum which the
Marquis had picked up on the slip
of paper Under the door-'the com
bination to the safe of the Mar
quise de Chantelle," and following,
the four columns Of four figures.
The problem which now present
ed itself was 10 discover what en-
ploye in the building could have
written this memorandum. Forneau
and the Marquis had before them
the handwriting. With the histories
ard associates OF the valet. the
concierge an the older employees
they were familiar. and were con-
vinced that It was not one OF these
persons but there were other en-
ployes in this apartment. and the
problem was how TO obtain speci-
mems OF their handwriting without
lncurring suspicion. In his per-
plexity ForDeau asked the opinion
Of the Marquis de Chantelle.
"The Marquis suggested the fol-
lowing clever device: The Service
de la Surete should send an agent
10 the building pretending to be an
official OF the government concerned
with certain mental tests required.
in order TO register citizens for the
electorate. Among other tests, he
should require them to write the
names of the president of France
and that OF the premier at the close
of the war. This would include tho
names Of Millerand and Clemenceau,
and by this means they could OBJ
tain the NJ OF the word Marquis and
the c of the word Chantelle. which
had been written by the unknown
thief upon the memorandum which
contained the combination OF the
safe"
The Prefect OF Police stopped. The
attention OF the Marquis de Chan
telle seemed to have passed from the
narrative to a contemplation OF the
opera
Nine. Zirtenzoff was at the point
OF her greatest scene. Her voice
filled the immense house like a silver
bell, like innumerable silver bells
& quality OF the human voice that
no other diva had ever brought TO
Paris. Her youth. her alluring
beauty, added TO the enchaDtment.
Monsieur le Marquis de Chantelle
was looking at her, one hand finger
ing his mustache, the other turning
the monocle at the end Of the silk
cord. The Prefect Of Police did not
interrupt the absorption, but he
continued to speak.
And as It happened" he said, ut
was the ingenuity Of thsS device
suggested by the Marquis de Chan
tells that enabled Forueau to locate
the one who had committed the rob-
berry. He found an employe lately
taken on by the concierge because
he offered 70 assist in cleaning the
building at a lower cost. The agent
from the service de la Surete came
TO this person in the course of his
interview with the employees OF the
building.
Monsieur he said, I am com
PEELED 10 ask you 10 submit to some
mental tests, but I will make them
brief. Tell me the form OF govern
nent under which we live and write
down for me the name OF the presi-
dent Of France and that Of the
premier who conducted the peace
terms in the Great War, and I will
give you no further annoyance
THE man replied that France was
a republic and wrote the name OF
Alexander Millerand. But when he
came to write the c in Clemenceau,
he hesitated. The agent seized him
at once. snapper a pair Of handouts
on him and confronted him with
Forneau. He was shown the slip
OF paper which the Marquis had |
picked up in his apartment. He /
was told the details OF the crime as
he had carried It out. and in his
confusion he confessed"
The Prefect af Polica continned M