The evening world. Newspaper, December 31, 1904, Page 6

THE SATURDAY EVENING NOVEL ‘Lorr ' (Copyright, 1883, by George Munro’s Sons.) CHAPTER I. Ihe Murder. CAB rolied through the Place Ga Carrousel, Paris, ene warm day in ; Apri, Its occupants were two young men—George Caumont, a jaw stu- Gent, ané bis dearest (rien@, Adbemar de Puymiroi, « studert of med- fofme They were on their way to the wedding breakfast of an aCquaint- ' ance, Pierre Dargenthal ; Dargenthad bead ied @ wild Life, and scores of were at- tributed to him. Blanche Pornic. the famous actresa, had, ip hie ¢. estima- tion, been chosen at last for his wife Put to every one’s surprises he bad recently announesd his engagement to the Countess de Lescombat, a widow, who, though enormously rich, was credited with a more or less unpleasant past The cab in which Caumont and Puymirol rode was halted by a biock of vehicles cear the end of the Place du Carrousel A man, walking hurriedly past, baited beside the carriage and dropped = Russia-leather walict in through the open win- @ow at the occupants feet, vanishing ip the crowd before they could catch a ; glimpse of his face. Caumont picked up the wallet with the remark that some pickpocket having Stolen it and being hard pressed by the police had tossed it into the cab to elude eapture. The friends at first considered the plan of turning ® over to the police, but, on a examination, found #H contained ne money. Its only contents were a handful of letters and some lottery tickets. They were already inte to the wedding break- fast, so Puymtrol thrust the waliet into his pocket, reserving closer inspection un- ti a more convenient tima On arriving at the rostaurant where the banquet was to occur they found the j other guests already there. But Dargeptha!l bad not yet appeared and many half- apxious, half-laughing conjectures were made as to his absence. As tlme passed and the host was still absent, George and Puymirol decided to go to his rooms and make inquiries But on arriving there they at once perceived that something was wrong. A crowd stood before the door. Pushing their way In, the friends ronfronted Dargenthal's panic-stricken walet, who cried at sight of them: “Monsieur is dead I just went to his dining-room and found him eo!” He pointed te a large armchair. In ft sat Dargenthal, apparently asleep. But closer inspection showed a bullet-hole over the heart. The police were at once summoned, made the usual Inquiries and ended by ar- Testing the luckiess valet. There was no evidence against the poor fellow, except that he alone was ksows to heve Been im the room wih Darcentbal when the shooting occurred. George and Adhemar left the fatal spet as econ as the Inavtry was over. They : were greatly shocked and sat long in Caument’s »partment talking over the trag- edy. At length it occurred te Puymira to examine further the contents of the wallet. The letters were gianeed over hastily. Then he exclaimed: “These are all love letters from various women! The wallet’s owner was evi- dently a blackmailer who induces women to write to bim compromising missives and then extorts money from them under threat of exposure. See!" with a start, “Here is one from Blanche Pornic, and here is another from Mme. de Lescombat! Why He broke off suddenly, seized by a new idea which the conjunction of those names occasioned. He closely examined the waliet. “Just as I feared’ be went on. “Dargenthal'’s Initials stamped under the Tap. He was doubtless killed by one of the women he threatened Could ét have been Blanche? Or the Countess de Lescombat?” “He was about to marry the Countess.” “Perhaps he refused at the last moment and she took this revenge. One thing ts clear. We cannot now give this wallet to the police In view of the murder they would never believe our story that an unknown man had thrown it inte our cab. We must keep it” “That unknown map was the murderer! Or the murderer's agent!’ declared George Caumont. “He was on his way from the deed when he passed us!” It was at length agreed that for the present the letters in the wallet should be locked Im George's desk, while Puymirol teck charge of the lottery tickets. Puy- mirol also thrust the wallet back In his vest pocket. - . . . > Some days later Puymirol was dining alone at the Lion @ Or, the sme res- taurant that had been the scene of Dargenthal’s strange wedding breakfast. A man, plainly dressed and elderly, had followed him in, and now seated himself at Puymirol’s table Leaning forward, the etrancer asked, abruptly “Did you find a wallet In the carriage that took you to the Lion 4’Or a fort- night ago?” “Here it comey at last!” though Puymirol. “I have you now, my fine fel- low. You are the murderer of Dargenthai.” “A wallet?” he repeated, tn pretended astonishment. “No, certainly not. Had there been any in the carriage I should of course have Icft it there.” THE SATURDAY EVENING NOVEL SUPPLEMENT TO THE EVENING WORLD, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, DEC. 3% 19°. ih 1 tom t he told t! It ! t » « f the ve Ir od cupanta, I have ’ t n you ‘ r y ’ et it ward ind r a t t te w h are the r « w nythiog im t gizas nba thas are xte y adve 2 Why, the $ a ? t € y of such a wort : i erty The r ret ae ta ar y “I do not know w r, but I feel sure that you © an honorable man, so I do not hesitate to tell you st &2 Wosass repulativos is at “eke, The walict als« od several ke The stranger passed his hand over his £ bead, then after some hesitation reptied “‘? see, sir, that I must tell you the whole truth. I tad a great deal of aeme culty in ot aining pox<ser<io ! ‘lure 4g threaten the rx He fnally yic had me foNowed by © of his hirelings. I perceived this fact, and mistrusted hie plan, His spies intended first to find out where I was suing. then to spring ubon me Just as 3 was entering the house, and wrest the willet from me.” “In broad daylight, and Im the heart of Paris? Why. you woud only have Been obliged to cali to a policeman or to seme passer-by to foll the a-oundreia™ “That was exactly what they wanted. Had I called for assistance my as*all- ants would have accused me of stealing the wallet. A crowd would have cath ered around us, and we should have been tuken before a co smiemwner of polo, who would have found the missing wallet apon me This discuvery and an « amination of the contents of the wallet would have bees enough and more thae enough, to ruin the person I winhed to save.” “You argue exactly as if I had the wallet In my pocket.“Adhemar remarked Nightly. “I did see thie amillet It foli at my fect.” “You can at least teil me what you dé with it.” “I did what any '@ne cise would have done with It. commissioner of police” Tre man was stient, end Puyniirot. cuddenty noticing the direction of bis com- panior’s gaze, perceived that it was bent upon his ’uymirol’s breast, Inetinc- tively raising his hand to # he foun4 that one end of the wailet was prajecting from his breast-pocket. He had unbettoned hts coat on sitting down te dinner, But he now hastily closed ft again. “I am greatly obliged to you.” anid the stranger. slowly. “Thanks to you, £ have now dlecovered where the letters are. I am very sorry to have <roubled you, and I will inflict my company upen you no longer.” With these words he rose, returned to bis table and asked the waiter for his bm. “2 eee your little game,” ¢hought Puymirol, “ycu Imtend to follow me when 5 leave the restaurant. Try It. old fellow. He laughs best who laughs last.” Leaving the place by a side entrance, Puymirol was enadied te watch unper- ctlvel as the stranger departed. He followed the tman at a distaece uolll tha un- known turned into the Rue de Madrid. “Both Bianche Pornic and Mme. Lescombat Ive near here,” thought Puymirot. “Which can be de going te, I wonoder?” The stranger suddenly turned a corner and vanished When Puymirol reached the corner the other was nowhere to be seen. Puymiroi did not realize the danger he might be tacurring until tt wag too late The man knew that the wallet was in Puymiral’s possession, for he had geen ft projecting from his overcoat pocket tm the restaurant, and he had every Fearon to suppose that the Ictters were still in it Consequently, he might have conceived the idea of, taking them by force This refiection made Puymirol pause, but only for a moment. He had gone toa far to retreat, eo, as be hurriot on again, he opened the wallet, took from it the lottery tickets, all it now contained, slipped them into his veet pocket. and re- Placed the wailet In the pocket from which he had taken it While the young man was hurrymg on after the enemy he wished to overtake, just when he was least expecting it, this enemy, em-rging from an alley in whieh he had concealed himsclf, sprung out upen him, and seized him by the throat, Puymiro: was strong, but he was of bis guard. and the attack was so sud- @en and so violent that be bad not time to defend himeel! fle felt some one give bis cravat a vielent twist, aed (hat war ali. tim breath failed hun, his arms. Muttered, and he lost his footing, and rumk, Nalf fainting, open ‘he paremen® Me aid not entirely lose conscwusness, but his semrations were vague smd can- fused. He fancied tha there was a heavy weight wpon bie breast, and that Bie Cont wes unbottered and his pockels searched, bul al! this was done so quickly that ‘he was scarcely aware of it How many minutes paseed before he regained hie cenzes, he never knew: bet when he did recover them, be perceived that his assailant had Jisappeared He rove with diMculty. acd while satisfying bimmelf that no bones «cre broken, he likewise satisfied himself that bis walict had disappeared On ~a- amining his other pockets he found his watch, his money, and the lottery tickets safe The man wanted only the letters, and be was foiled in his attempt, for he had not found them Puymirol endeavored to console himecif with this refiection, but his vanity was deeply wounded He still possessed the letters, it is true, but this waa only @ meagre consolation for he did not know what use to make of them, Nothing short of a miracie was now required to extricate him from his dilema, but Puy- apirol was no believer in miracics. CHAPTER II. Love’s Young Lream. EANTIME George Caumont sas far more agrecably employed than was his friend George, though poor, a student, and without say especial prospects, had Jared to fall head cr heels in love with beautiful Gabrivlle Verden, whose mother was a well-known society womat and widow of a wealthy merchant Gabcieic © an hetress and Caurmont bad long since reniized how futile hi« «ult must be Sun, it was with joy that he accepted the Verdons’ Invitation te a military tournament given by the reg in which Gabrielle's brother Albert was an officer. As Gabrictle, her mother and George were watch- ing the show a woman in the balcony threw a bouquet of violets to Albert Ver- aon. George recognized her as Hlanche Pornic. To his 4iscomfiture she bowed te bin. A few moments later Gabrielle, under pretense of golng to look at the horses, @rew George away from the crowd. “There is something I must say to you.”” she began. burriedly. sundrel who held them, an@ who intended to make use «f them, ded, but he hoped to reg D possess sof (hem again ul I took If to the office of the }