Evening star., 1925-03-31
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

Over coffee we settled that I should
ring her up later on in the afternoon,
about six she said. l was to tell
her of the result of my visit to the
Rue Etienne Dumont and TO ask
whether Lavelle had succeeded in
solving the riddle of the cipher. 1t
was further arranged that before
calling on my granddaughter | should
60 to the police and make inquiries
about the little Jew who had been
arrested on the previous night.
l drove her back to the secretariat
and left her at the gate OF a terrace
garden, which gave upon a desolate
quay and a mournful lake. But l
had no eyes for the dismal prospect.
The moment had come for Beatrice to
depart into the vast building, all
windows, in which the secretariat
was housed.
There was a disposition to prolong
that departure We stood for mo-
ment on the pavement, Beatrice smil-
ing at me in the old friendly way,
and yet with slight embarrassment
which was new. but which 1 felt in
an equal measure.
At last l said, most inadequately:
Beatrice. it's terribly good to see
you again"
Her smile deepened.
Next time" she said, you won't
perhaps leave it for two years"
She left me at that, and I directed
the taxi man to drive me to the
bureau central de police, which was
apparently in the Hotel de Vile. We
were soon proceeding slowly through
the steep, narrow streets of the old
town, where it is for a moment pos
sible to recapture in a certain degree
the charm of a vanished age.
After some difficulty, l arrived at
a kind of municipal office, where /
asked to see an inspector, and was
shown into a small room with the
usual official furniture. There l
interviewed a typical policeman.
Police officials are the same the
whole world over. whatever their
nationality. This man was enormous,
with huge feet, and a black curling
mustache. He seemed quite ready to
answer my questions.
l explained that l had been in the
Moulin Rouge on the previous eve
ming, when at about 1880 a small
dark man, who looked like Jew,
had been arrested by the police just
at it's entrance. AS l had had some
little conversation with him prior 10
the arrest, | was, I said, anxious to
ascertain what was being done about
his case.
He heard me to the end and pressed
a bell, telling the clerk who entered
to bring the police report of the pre-
yious day.
On receiving it, he studied it at
tentively for some moments and
finally said:
Three arrests took place last night
outside the Moulin Rouge, monsieur,
but all were later on, between
IN,
women faisant du scandale in the
street"
Are you sure?" I asked Il was
certainly under the impression that
the man l met had been arrested
The chasseur told me So
THE chasseur was lying" said the
official "C'etait probablement une
plague. When the town is in en- fete
many strange things happen. and
there are always persons ready to
play tricks on strangers"
| thanked him and took my leave.
Outside 1 paused, uncertain what TO
do. l did not like this new develop
nent The chasseur had lied to me
once when he had denied that the
little Jew had left the dancing hall.
Apparently he had lied again. The
Jew had not been arrested. He had
simply disappeared and he had dis
appeared in the company of two men
of whom he was obviously terrified.
(. AS il still lacked half an hour or
so, of the time fixed for tea with my
grandmother, l accordingly decided TO
find the chasseur.
I walked straight down steep
street to the Place Neuve. crossed IL
and soon arrived at the Moulin Rouge.
/ found the chaSseur in a dirty little
hole behind the yestibule, alleging as
an excuse for my visit that l had lost
an article of value and wished to see
him about it,
He eventually appeared, in his
shirt sleeves, heavy with sleep and
inclined. to be bullied, as well as
bribed.
why did you lie to me last night
! began abruptly.
He started to protest, but l cut
him short.
The little dark man who left this
building about 1870 yesterday even
ing was not arrested. I know per-
fectly well. What really happened
to him?'