The evening world. Newspaper, December 31, 1904, Page 5

“Yes, and they were all written by ladies, former sweethearts of Dargental's, evidently. In fact, I feel almost positive that !t was one of these women who in- stigated the rourder. The best means of getting at the truth would be to find the man who threw the wallet into our carriage, and who afterward succeeded In taking it from me. When he ts once under arrest you will have no difficulty in @iscovering «ho he ts, as well as something about his acquaintance and connec- tion; besides, it is more than ilkely that ne will make a full confession, and name the woman who hired him to commit .he crime, tor it will be greatly to his inter- est to throw a pari of the responsibility «pon Ser.” Just then a clerk entered by a side door and, approaching the Magistrate, said & few words in a low tone “Very well, show hin. in.” was the response. dan Instant aftecwerl tie door opened for the second time. 1 George Caumont appeared. His manner fas much more crave and cold than al, and It was very evident that he was trying tien. He bowed politely to the omgistrate, then hard to repraas some strong emo Walked strzight t» Puymirel, who said as the two shook hands: “Tam very glad to sce you. Your testimony wil confirm the statements I have just made.” “Pid you bring the letters?” asked the Jucze, point blank. “What letters, sir?” quired George, pretending not to understand hins “The letters that were tn the wallet.” “Ll haven't the siightest idea whal you mean.” “In the wallet that a pavser-by threw tnto your carriage. Your friend, here, took the letiers, and kept them tor a while, Yut Gnally tatrusted them to your care Georzce glanced at Puymirol, who exclaimed: “You can speak. I have told all.” Geerze turned pale lie forgot that Puymirol did not know Mme. Verdon, and hence that he could not bave mentioned ber as one of Dargental’s correspondents. “it would Hl become me to contradict a man I like and esteem.” he said, tn a voice bucky with emotion, “aad nothing could have induced me to betray tne recret be coniided to me. vut as he bids me speak, I admit that on the day I saw him for the last time jonsieur de Puymirol tatrusted a package of letters to my care. begging me to take charge of them until his return home. As he failed te make his appearance. i #as beginning to feel very anxious about him whea Monsieur talmer tafurmed ae that my missing fricnd was in prison. I also learned fron. the same source that his rooms bad Seen searched, and I was per- fectiy satisfied in my own mind that chis visit bad been made for the express Ppurposo of eccuring the letters in qucstion.” “That seems to me still another reasen why you should have brought them to me.” “I thought just the contrary.” “What bave you done with they >?” “T burned them.” “You have done very wrong: and it Is my duty to tell you that In destroytag them you have made yourself. at ast in a measure, the accomplice of an #s- sacsin.~” Here Puymirol, thinking that Goorge wus getting them both Into trouble, dcemed it advisable to intcrfere. - ou “Confess that you have not burned them,” he interposed, quickly. Eromised io keep them, and your word can be depended upon. You prevaricate from an excess of delicacy. and dDecause you are afraid of tmplicating some of Dargental’s old sweethearts. That is absurd. We should be simpietons to com- promise ourselves on their account. I would give up their letters, if I had them, without the slightest compunctions of conscience.” George was suffering terribly. fle was on the rack, and his friend seemed to be deserting him. Ah, how glad he would have heen to throw the letters on the magistrates desk, If one of them had not been from Mme, Verdon. He regretted now that he had act kept the other two, or, at éeast, that of Mme. de Lescombtat, whom he hated «ith al} bis heart. “I repeat that I have not got them.” he said, gloomiiy. M. Rebergecot was about to put an end to the discussion, when the clerk re- appeared, this time with a note, which the magistrate tore open carelessty, littic suspecting its importance. But he had scarcely glanced at it when his face changed. “ “Who gave you this note?” he inquired, eacerty-. “A man who is waiting for an answer.” “Very well; go and tell him that I will send for him in a few m.oments. You can show him in when I ring Until then, do not lose sight of him, and ff he attempts to go away. detain him, by force if necessary. even ff you have to call upon the cuaras for assistance.’ . Alter the clerk had left the ren M. Robergeot tcrned to the two young and suid: “To which of you am I Indebted for this mystification? For it i the work ef one of you. l am aimost certain.~ Then, seeing them look at each other in very natural astonishment: “Theee are the contents of the letter I have just received.” he continued: “Pierre Dargental’« murderer desires aa immediate interview with the Judge of instruction. Me gives himself up. but he har some revelations to make before the magistrate signs the order for his detention.” ” CHAPTER V. The Sacrifice. RING this man im,” eommanded the Judge, turning to his secre “B tary, as doth George and Puymirul denied all knowledge of the strange mesrage. The mun tered, closely followed by the clerk, an@ ad- venced a few steps toward the desk at which the Judce was seated; but on perceiving the two friends, whom he had falle@ to notice at first, be turned pale and stopped short. Puymirol found it very @Mcult to obey the oriers be had received, for he recognized the mysterious stranger of the Lion d'Or at the very first glance Ceorge Caumont remained si- lent and motionless; but every vestige of color had fied from his cheek, leaving him even paler than the visitor who declared himself to be Dargental’s ecsanstn; for he, too, recognized the stranger. “Sir,” the Magistrate exid to the newcomer, without inviting him to be seated, “I do not suppose that you came tiere to play a joke on me; but I cannot help wondering if you are in your right mind. I warn you that I have no time te lose. Speak, tuerefore, and explain the meaning of the extraordinary letter 1 have just received from you.” “T will do so as soon as I am alone with you.” “These gentiemen are suspected of being accomplices tn the crime of which you accuse yourself. I am, therefore, extremely anxious that they sheuld hear what you have to say.” “They accomplices!” ex<ciaimed the stranger. “I Geclare that they are both innocent. I had no accomplices.” “Then you know neither of these genticmen?” asked M. Robergeot. Instead of falling into the trap set for him the man coolly replied: “I do not know their names, but I have seen them before. I have even had va lorg conversstion with one of the gentlemen. That one,” he added, pointing to Puymirol. “Where, and under what circumstances?” “At the restaurant known as the Lion d'Or, which I entered for the express purpose of speaking to him.” “And where did you see that genticman?” asked the judge, pointing to George Caumont. “I eaw him once fm a carriage, on the Piace du Carrousel.” "And you have not seen him since thet day?’ “No, sir.” “Now. do you still persist tn declaring that tt was you who killed Pierre Dar- ental. sn the ninth of April last?* "Why did you kill him?” “Because he refused to give me letters which he jntended to use against @ “But why did you interest yourseif in her behalf?” “She is a married woman and Dargental threatened to denounce ber to ber husband, who would certainly have killed her, had he seen these proofs of her former infatuation for anether on.” “We will return to this subject presently. You must now give me the partic- wiars of the murd+r.” “That is what brought me here.” replied the stranger, coldly. “T called on Dar- gental at about Il o'clock on the morning of April & He admitted me himmelf, ashered me into the dining-reom, and left me In order to go into his bedchamber, He returned a moment afterwarml, with a pistol in bis hand; and I bad scarcely begun to explain the object of my visit before he began to abuse me !n the most tmsulting manner. He showered offensive epithets upon me, and attered the most vivient threats against the person [I wished to place beyond the reach of his hnavery. He declared that If she did not pay him the sum of 200,000 francs before two days had expired he would send the tetters she had been so smoprudent as to Write him *o her husband. Me added that these letters were then tn his pocket, trady to be produced at any moment. Frantic with rage, I leaped at his throat. He freed himself, and threatened me with his revolver; I tried to wrest it from bim. luring the struggie,. and at a moment when the barrel of the pistol was pointed at his breast, the weapom went off.” “Write,” said the magistrate, turning bastily to his secretary. “Yes. write, and omit nething,” added the stranger, as he, too, turned to the u have not teld me ali,” went on the Judge “What occurred after the murder?” “I left the house, fully Intending to returg home and burn the letters, after showing them the wriver, but. upen the Boulevard Maussmann I saw two men whom I instantiy recognized. In epite of their disguise, as two employees of a detective agency. whom the lady's husband had hired to watch his wife. They fcilowed me. and at least twenty minutes must have elapsed before I mis- trusted their plan, which was to get me arrested on a charge of having robbed her. At the -wrner of the Rue de Rivoli and the Rue de la Pyramides one of thera Stopped to smak to a policeman, while the other continued to follow me. I Watched the movements of the policeman out of the corner of my eye, and saw that be refused to Interfere. The next one we met might prove lees scrupulous and I might be arrested and taken to the station-house, where I would certainly be searched and the letters found upon me. I realized my danger and felt that I had not a momint to lose In getting rid ef the letters, so, without stopping to reflect, I adopted the very first plan Chat occurred to me. I tossed the packet into the window of a passing cab."* The stranger rose, approached the clerk's table, picked up a pen and wrote at the bottom of the iast page this short but explicit sote: “I declare that I persist in my statements correctly recorded above; that I alone. and of my own free will. Killed Pierre Darcental; that no one urged me to commit the crime, and that no one knew the perpetrator of the murder, anti! after the confession which I made in the presence of M. Robergeot. Judge of Tastruction, and of two gentlemen who are unknown to me.” He then handed the decument to M. Robergeot, who, after glanci gaid quietly: —— “Very well, You will now be taken to the depot.” The man retreated to the wall, which was only three or four steps from him, pet his hand in his overcoat pocket, and drew out a weapon that elicited an exclamation of dismay from the Judge This weapon was a pistol of heavy calibre, one of those old-fashioned horse pistols, rarely seen nowadays. The Judge sprang to his feet, the secretary tried to hide himself under the table: and Puymirol and George Caumont both rushed forward to disarm the rash man, who seemed about to commit a new crime, even more incomprehensibie than the first. They reached him too late; but they had been deceived in regard to his intentions. Instead of levelling hie pistol at one of the spectators. he saluted them with a nod of the head, placed the muzzle of the pistol to his lips and pulled the trigrer The man who had just blown his brains out in the presence of the two friends was Roch Plancoet, and It had cost George no Uttle effort to conceal his emotion when he saw him enter M. Robergeot’s office. Why had he killed himself? and why had he, before his death, declared, to George's profound astonishment, that Be was Dargental’s murderer? Evidently to spare Gabrielle the pain of knowing her mother’s disgrace. The concierge at bis home handed him a visiting card that bore Albert Ver- @on’s name and these words written in pencil: “Everything has been arranged. I have seen my sister, and this evening I shall take her to the house of Mme. de Brangue. my colonei’s wife, who willy ct as her chaperon for the present. Call on me to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock at the Hotel de 'Empereur Joseph, on the Rue de Tournon. Try to find Plan- coet before you come and bring him with you. Lis visit to my mother accom- Plished wonders. What a friend we have in him! He has saved us all'” “At the cost of his life!” murmured George, sorrowfully, for he did not share the Musions of bis Cuture brother-in-law. . . . . ° ° . When George reached Albert's quarters he found the young man opening a letter he bad just received. It had been mailed the previous day and was from Roch Plancoet. It read: “‘My Dear Boy—You, as yet, know only a part of the truth. and you must know it all. You will benceforth be the nead of the family, and until your sister marries you will be responsible for be-, for { shall aot be at hand to watch over ter. For a long time four mother was a willing victim to Dargental’s fascina- ons, Dut she Snally discovered that she not only had several rivals in bis af- fections, but that he cared only for her money. A rupture followed. but she could net escape from Dargental’s persecutions His demands never ceared en- tirely, and latterly, they assumed such a threatening character that I resolved to put an end to them. I could not choose my means of doing this. It was absolutely necessary to secure the restMution of a letter that Dargental threatened te eend w M. Rochas, in case your mother would not consent to purchase it at a ecst of 500.000 francs, and I could net hope to secure g by persuasion. Your mother was terribly frightened and wished to marry as soon as possible In order to have a protector capab'e of defending her. I took good care, however, not to say a word to her about the plan which I had formed and which I executed with- out the aid of any one. I resolved to kill Dargental, and I kilied him.” “Plancoet an assassin! Impossible!" exclaimed the Lieutenant, greatly agitated. ' “I knew ft,” murmured George “Go on to the end, my friend.” . Albert was overwhelmed with consternation, but he mevertheless continucd: “IT killed him, after a violent altercation, which would almost justify me tn pleading that I acted only in seif-defense, but I should have killed him In any case. This man would have cast a shadow over Gabrielle's whole life. He was a disgrace to mankind I secured the letter which he had imtended to use as a weapon against its imprudent writer, and left the house, and we would all have been saved but for the strange fatality that pursues me. 1 inclose in this letter those written by two ladles that I do not know. I keep the third, which will be of service to me tn negotiating with your mothor. “ ‘If she accepts the conditions we save agreed co impose upon ber—as I have 20 doubt she will—I shall teave ter letter with M. Berlier, my Botary, who re- sides at No. 1 Quai Saint-Michel, with instructions to give tt to your mother in exchange for her written consent to the marriage of your sister and M. Caumont. “"M. Caumont’s most intimate friend has been arrested and ts still In prison, charged with a crime of which he is Innocent. He shall eemain there ao longer. I will not permft &. I shatf call upon the Judge ef Instruction this very day and inform him that it was I who killed Dargental He will esk me why I killed tum, and I shall be obliged to invent some xtory that will ecreen your mother from any possible suspicion “ "He will also ask my name. but T shall refuse to give It. and after appending t the clerk's copy of my deposition a note certifying that it le correct ip every particular I shall kill myself there tn the cffice“of this same Judge of Instruc- THE END.