f Secret of tbe Plundered Safe I
j By EMILE GABORIAU j
CHAPTER II. (Continued.)
Prosper foresaw the result of this con
versation, lie quietly placed bis bat on
the table, to show that be had no inten
tion of attempting to escape, and passed
Into the adjoining room. Fanferlot also
went out, but not before the commissary
had made him a sign, and received a nod
In return. Following the teller closely,
be slipped into a dirk corner, took a seat,
and pretended to doze oil.
Bertomy took a seat in the chair of on
absent clerk, with his usual manner,
which surprised the beholders the frigid
haughtiness which keeps even sympathiz
ers aloof and had made him disliked in
the bank. But he presently stopped play
ing with a pencil, and drew toward him
a sheet of paper, upon which he scrib
bled a few lines.
"Ah!" thought the Squirrel, whose
hearing and sight were wonderfully good
in spite of his profound sleep, "eh! eh!
he makes his little confidential communi
cation on paper, I see; now we will dis
cover something positive."
His note written. Prosper folded It
carefully in the smallest possible size,
and after furtively glancing toward the
detective, who remained motionless in his
corner, threw it across the desk to little
Cavnillon with this one word:
"'ypy!"
All this was so quickly and skillfully
done that Fanferlot was confounded, and
began to feel a little uneasy. A minute
or two later Prosper was called into the
main office, where the commissary grave
ly informed him that he was under ar
rest CHAPTER III.
It was Fonferlot's duty to take the
prisoner to prison, but he asked his prin
cipal to let him proceed in another di
rection. He wanted to secure the note of
Bertomy's which he knew to be in Ca
vaillon's charge. The easiest way was
to arrest him, but he might refuse to
betray who the "Gypsy" was, and, on
second thought, the detective concluded
to dog the envoy until he could catch
Ii Ira in the act of delivering the note.
This was but play to the detective. Fan
ferlot waited a long time, but did not
wax Impatient Finally, about one
o'clock, he saw Cavaillon rise from his
desk, change his coat and take down his
hat
"Very good!" he exclaimed, "my man
is coming out."
In another moment the clerk came
forth, and after a slight hesitation in
choosing the shortest route, he darted off
at such a smart pace that the Squirrel
had much to do to keep up with him. On
reaching the Hue Chaptal Cavaillon
suddenly stopped and entered the house
numbered 3!). . o,
He had scarcely taken three steps up
the narrow corridor when he felt a touch
on his shoulder, and, turning abruptly,
found himself face to face with Fanfer
lot. He recognized him at once, and
turning very pale, he loked around for
means of escape. But the detective bar
red the passageway. Cavaillon saw that
he was fairly caught.
"What do you want with me?" he ask
ed, in a voice tremulous with fright
"You will be kind enough, my dear
monsieur," said Fanferlot, "to excuse the
great liberty I take; but I wished to say
that M. Bertomy threw you a note this
morning. And I am sure you will be
kind enough to give it to me."
"Never!" exclaimed Cavaillon; and,
believing the moment favorable, he sud
denly attempted to Jerk hia arm from un
der Fanferlot' and escape. But his ef
forts weri vain; the detective's strength
was equal to his suavity.
"Don't hurt yourself, young man," he
said. "If you persist in being so obsti
nate, I shall call two policemen, who
will take yon by each arm, and escort you
to the commissary of police; and, once
more. I shall be under the painful neces
sity of searching your pockets, whether
you will or not"
Cavaillon was devoted to Prosper, and
willing to make any sacrifice In his be
half; but he clesrly saw that it was
worse than nw! to struggle any longer,
as he could not have time to destroy the
Dote.
"I am in yonr power," he snid, and
then suddenly drew from his pocket book
the nnliicky note and gave it to the de
tective. Fanferlot trembled with pleas
ure as he unfolded the paper. Then he
read as follows:
I)ear Nina Follow my instructions in
stantly, without a moment's hesitation
On the receipt of this note, take every
thing you have in the house and estab
lish yourself in furnished lodging at the
other end of Pans. Do not appear In
public, but conceal yourself as much as
possible, aiy lire may uepena on your
obedience. I am accused of robbery,
and am about to be arrested. Take with
you five hundred francs, which you will
find in the secretary. Good by.
PROSPER.
"This Madame Nina Gypsy Is doubt
less a friend of M. Bertomy?" he then
asked; "and she lives here?"
"You know it well enough, as you saw
me go In."
exactly; ana wnicn noor, if you
please?"
"On the first" ,
During this colloquy, Fanferlot had
folded up the note, and slipped It into his
pocket
"A thousand thanks, monsieur, for the
Information; and, in return, I will re
lieve you of the trouble of executing
your commission. With your permission
I will myself take this note to Madame
Gypsy. Now, you had best take my
advice and return to your business.
The poor fellow had no sooner turned
the corner of tne street than Fanferlot
entered No. 0, gave his name to the por
ter as Prosper Bertomy, went upstairs,
and knocked at the first door he came to.
It was opened by a servant.
"Is Madame Gypsy at home?"
The groom hesitated; seeing this, Fan
ferlot showed his note, and said:
"M. Prosper told me to hand this note
to madam, and wait for an answer."
Fanferlot was ushered Into a little
room, furnished in blue and gold silk
damask. Heavy curtains darkened the
windows and hung in front of the doors.
One of the door curtains was pushed
aside, and Madame Niua Gypsy stood
before him.
CHAPTER IV.
Madame Gypsy was quite young, small
and graceful, with dark complexion and
tiny hands and feet Long curling silk
lashes softened the piercing brilliancy of
her large black eyes; her lips were full,
and her teeth very white. She was rav
ishing. Her beauty was so startling that
the dazzled detective was speechless with
admiration.
"Well," he snid to himself, as he re
membered the noble, severe beauty of
Madeleine, "our young gentleman cer
tainly has good taste very good taste.
Two perfect beauties."
After scrutinizing him from head to
foot with undisguised contempt, Madame
Gypsy said, haughtily:
"What 'do you want?"
"I am charged, my dear madam," he
answered, in his softest tone, "by M.
Bertomy, to give you this note. I may
be so bold as to claim him as a friend."
The detective slowly drew Frosper's
note from his pocket, and, with a bow,
presented it to Madame Gypsy. At a
glance she read its contents. She turned
very red, then very pale.
"Explain yourself," she cried. "What
does all this mean? Do you know any
thing nbout the contents of this note?"
"Alas! yes, madam; he is accused of
taking thousands from the bank safe."
"Prosper steal!" she cried; "what a
stupid idea! Why should he steal? Is
he not rich?"
"M. Bertomy Is not rich, madam; he
has nothing but his salary."
"But" she insisted, "I have always
seen him have plenty of money; not rich
then He committed this robbery
in order to gratify my extravagant
whims."
"Very likely."
"No," she cried, "I regret to say that
Prosper would never have stolen for
me. One can understand a man robbing
a bank to obtain means of bestowing
pleasure and luxury upon the womnn he
loves; but Prosper, who is my cousin,
does not love me; he never has loved me.
I know what love is. Once I was be
loved by an affectionate, true-hearted
man, and my own sufferings of the last
year make me know how miserable I
must have made him by my cold return.
Alas! we must suffer ourselves before we
can feel for others. No, I am nothing to
Frosper; he would not care if "
"But, then, madam, why '
"Ah, yes," interrupted Nina, "why?"
You will be very wise If you can answer
me. For a year have I vainly sought an
answer to this question, so sad to me.
He promised my dead mother he would
always care for me, and has been a
true brother, Impoverishing himself prob
ably for my extravagant whims."
Mndnme Nina was overcome bv
thoughts 'of the past and tears silently
coursed down her cheekB. But her do-
spnir was ouly momentary. She started
up, and, her eyes sparkling with gener
ous resolution, she cried out:
"But I love him, and I will save him!
will see his master, the miserable
wretch who dares to accuse him. I will
haunt the judges, and will prove that he
is innocent. Come, monsieur, let us
start, and I promise you that before sun
set he shall be free, or I shall be in
prison with him."
"T an at your command, fair lady.
Let us go If you desire It; only permit
me, while there is yet time, to say that
we are very probably going to do great
Injury to Monsieur Bertomy.
"I cannot remain here Inactive, with
out attempting to contribute in some way
to bis safety."
"You have it in your power, madam,"
he said, "to render a great service to
him. Obey him, my child," soid Fanfer
lot, in a paternal manner.: "It is your
duty, your sacred duty.
"Oh, I understand now! Fool that
was for not seeing it before: My pres
ence here, where I have been for a year,
would bo an overwhelming charge
against him. An Inventory of my pos
sesions would be taken of my dresses,
laces and jewels and my, luxury would
be brought against him as a crime. He
would be asked to tell where he obtained
ao much money to lavish all these ele
gancies on me."
"That Is true, madam."
"Then I must flee, monsieur, at once
Did not M. Bertomy say to the other end
of raris?"
"I know of a hotel, but It might not
suit you. It Is not elegantly furnished
like this room, but upon my recommen
dation you would be treated like a queen,
and, above all, concealed. It is on the
other side of the river. Quay Saint Mi
chel, the Archaugel kept by Madume
Alexandre."
"Here are pen and paper; write your
recommendation.
He rapidly wrote, and handed her the
letter.
"With these three lines, madnm, you
ran make Madame Alexandre do any
thing you wish.
Madame Gypsy was about to send for
a hack, but Fanferlot said be was in
hurry, and would send her one. He
seeded be In luet that day, fov a hack
was passtng the door and he hailed it
"Walt here." he taid to the driver,
after telling him who he was, "for a lit
tle brunette who Is coming down with
some trunks. If she tells you to drive
her to Quay Saint Michel, crack your
whip: if she gives you any other address,
get down from your aeat and Cx your
harness. I will keep in sight."
He stepped across the street, and stood
In the door of a store. He had not long
to wait In a few minutes the loud
cracking of a whip apprised him that
Madame Nina had started for the Arch
angel. "Aha," said he, gayly, "I hold her, a:
any rate."
CHAPTER V.
At the same hour that Madame Nina
Gypsy was seeking refuge at the Arch
angel, so highly recommended by Fan
ferlot, Bertomy was being entered on th
commitment book at the police office.
Since the moment when he had resum
ed his habitual composure, he had not
faltered. But when he was ordered to
empty his pockets on the table, and they
began to search him, his eyes flashed in
dignation, and a single tear dropped upon
ins Hushed: cheek.
The search would have, perhaps, been
carried to the most ignominious lengths,
but for the intervention of a middle-aged
gentleman, who wore a white cravat and
gold spectacles, and was sitting quite at
home by the fire. ' He started with sur
prise, and seemed much agitated when he
saw Prosper brought in by the officer.
In spite of his own troubles. Prosper
could not help seeing that he kept his
eyes fastened upon him. This man, treat
ed with all the deference due to a su
perior, was no less a personnge than M.
Lecoq, the celebrated member of the de
tective corps. When the men who were
searching Prosper were about to take off
his boots, Baying that a knife blade might
be concealed in them, M. Lecoq waved
them aside with authority and said:
"You have done enough."
He was obeyed. All the formalities
being ended, the nnfortunnte cashier
was taken to a cell; the heavily barred
door was swung to and locked upon him;
he breathed freely; at last he was alone.
While his whole past was the object
of the most minute investigations, Pros
per was in prison, In solitary confine
ment Five days passed; and the
wretched man, tortured by sufferings
which quickly break the spirit, sunk into
the depths of despair.
On Monday morning, at one o'clock.
an hour when the jailer never came, he
heard the heavy bolt of his cell pushed
back. He ran toward the door. But the
sight of a gray-headed man standing on
the sill rooted him to the spot.
"Father," he gasped, "father!"
Prosper's astonishment at seeing his
father was Instantly succeeded by a feel
ing of great joy. Without reflecting, im
pelled by tender feeling, he was about to
throw himself ou his father's bosom. M.
Bertomy harshly repulsed him.
"Do not approach me!" he exclaimed.
He then advanced into the cell, and
closed the door. The father and son
were alone together Prosper, heartbrok
en, crushed; M. Bertomy, angry, almost
threatening.
"You, too, Prosper bitterly cried.
You you believe me guilty? Oh, fath
er! i ou overwhelm me, at the moment
when I need all my courage; the victim
of an odious plot."
"Victim!" cried M. Bertomy, "victim!
Dare you utter your Insinuations against
the honorable man who has taken care of
you, loaded you with benefits, and had
insured you a brilliant future? It is
enough for yon to have robbed him; do
not calumniate him." i
"For pity's sake,' father, let me
speak."
I suppose you would deny your bene
factor's kindness. Yet you were at one
time so sure of his affection, that you
wrote me to hold myself in readiness to
come to Paris and ask M. Fauvel for the
hand of his niece. Was that a lie, too?"
"No," said Prosper, in a choked voice,
no."
"That was a year ago; you then loved
Mademoiselle Madeleine; at least, you
wrote me that, and the thought of the
pure, innocent girl whom you loved did
not prevent your entering upon a path of
crime."
"Ah, fother, you do not know that I
wns suddenly banished from Madeleine's
presence; that I wns compelled to avoid
her. I became desperate. I sought ob
livion, and found shame and disgust. Oh,
Madeleine, Madeleine! Everything is
against me!" he exclaimed, "but no nint
ter. I will justify myself or perish in
the attempt Human justice is liable to
error; although innocent, I mny be con
victed; so be it. I will undergo my pen
alty; but people are not kept felons for
ever." "What do yon mean?"
"I mean, father, that I am now an
other man. My life, henceforth, has an
object vengeance! l am the victim of
a vile plot As long as 1 have a drop of
blood In my veins I will seek Its au
thor. And I will certainly find hiin; and
then bitterly shall he expiate all of my
cruel suffering. The blow came from the
house of Fauvel, and I will live to prove
it."
A thousand conflicting emotions seem
ed to rend the old man's heart He had
resolved to leave, as he had entered,
stern and nngry; he had not the cruel
courage. His heart wns breaking. He
opened his arms and pressed Prosper to
his heart.
"Oh, my son!" he murmured, "heaven
graut you have spoken the truth."
(To be continued.)
Corfee-DriiikinK Mraall.
Brazilians are great coffee drinkers,
Numerous cups ure drunk each day
by the avornge man and woman. The
beverage Is made very strong and
very sweet. It produces an exhilara
tion of a more Intense and lasting kind
than beer. Those addicted to thin
habit become very restless and
scarcely able to sit still or stand still
even for a moment
Baked Apple Dumpling;.
Take a quart of flour and work into
It a spoonful each of butter and lard.
Wet it with a pint of buttermilk con
taining a spoonful of soda; roll' out
and cut out circular pieces, using a
saucer to determine the size. Have
ready some pleasant sour apples and
place as many of the slices upon one
half of the crust as the other will
cover; wet, the edges and press them
together. Place the dumplings In a
baking tin as soon as prepared, prick
them with a fork and bake until the
apple is cooked. Serve with a hot
sauce, or sweetened and flavored
cream.
e
Carmel Custard.
Turn one-fourth of a cup of sugar
into a stewpan, and stir it over the
fire until It becomes liquid and brown.
Scald a cup and a half of milk, and
add the browned sugar. Beat two eggs
thoroughly, add to them one-half cup
ful of cold milk, and turn the mixture
slowly, stirring constantly that no
lumps form, into the scalding milk.
Continue to stir until the custard
thickens. Set away to cool and serve
in glasses.
ITow to Roast Green Corn.
To properly roast green corn, re
move all the husks, rub the ears with
butter, and season with pepper and
salt Then lay the ears side by side
in a flat pan a dripping pan will do
and put Into a very hot oven. Oc
casionally change the ears in the pan
and turn them over, so that they will
brown evenly. When sufficiently brown
they mu6t be served at once.
Oatmeal Bread.
Set a sponge over night, as for white
bread, and In the morning work Into
It two cups of slightly salted wheat
flour and two cups of oatmeal, with
a sponoful of molasses. Knead
long and hard, and set to rise. When
very light, make Into loaves and set
in a warm place for an hour or until
light Bake in a steady oven. Cover
with paper the first half hour.
Citron Cheese Cakes.
Boil near a quart of cream; when
cold add the yolks of four eggs, well
beaten; boll this to a curd; blanch and
beat two ounces of almonds, about half
a dozen bitter; beat them with a little
rose water; put all together, with three
or four Naples biscuits, some citron
shredded fine; sugar to taste; puff
paste.
Tomato Pickles.
Slice a gallon of unpeeled green to
matoes and six large onions and mix.
Stir into these a quart of vinegar, a
cup of brown sugar, tablespoon each
of salt, pepper and mustard seed, a
half tablespoon each of ground all
spice and cloves. Stew all until the
tomatoes are very tender, put Into
glass Jars and seal.
Spiced Plums.
For seven pounds of plums take
three and one-half pounds of brown
sugar, one pint of vinegar, one ounce
each of cloves, allspice and mace, and
two ounces of cinnamon, putting the
spice in a thin muslin bag. Cook slow
ly until the juice is a thick Blrup.
Grape Preserves.
Pulp and boll the grapes until the
seeds loosen. Run through a sieve,
boil half of the skins in a very little
water, put pulp and the boiled skins
together, and for every pint of grape
add a pound of sugar. Boil the whole
for fifteen minutes.
Bice Muflins.
Into a cup of cold boiled rice beat
a quart of milk, three beaten eggs, a
tablespoonf ul of shortening and enough
prepared flour to make a soft batter.
Pour Into greased muffin tins and bake
In a quick oven. Serve at once.
Cottage Cheese Sandwiches.
Rub cottage cheese smooth with a
little cream and to every cupful of it
add a tablespoonful of minced chives.
Mix well and spread between thin
slices of buttered, crustless white
bread.
Blackberry Jam.
Allow half a pound of good brown
sugar to every pound of fruit; boll the
whole together gently for an hour, or
till the blackberries are soft, stirring
and mashing them welL Put in small
Jars and tie down.
Canned String Beans.
String both sides of the beans. Boll
until tender In salted .water, pack in
Jars, boll up the liquid and fill the Jars
to overflowing, sealing Immediately.
Bngrgestlons for the Housewife.
Bub all rusty places on Iron with
kerosene oil.
In purchasing tinned goods always
look whether the head of the tin Is
concave, a bulging appearance being
indicative of decomposition.
Ayers
Impure blood always shows
somewhere. If the skin, then
boils, pimples, rashes. If the
nerves, then neuralgia, nerv
ousness, depression. If the
Sarsaparilla
stomach, then dyspepsia,
biliousness, loss of appetite.
Your doctor knows the
remedy, used for 60 years.
" Returning from the Cuban war, I wn a
perfect wreck. Mr blood vu bad. and mr
health was none. But a few bottlei of Ayer'e
SarsaparlUa oompletelr cured me."
if. C. fiOKULEB, Scranton, Pa.
1 .00 a bottle, j. o. a van CO.,
AUrueKlatii ffoi" eBBewaawaamaaiaaeea
Impure Blood
Aid the arsaparilla by keeping the
bowels regular with Ayer'e Pills.
W. M. Scott of the Department of Ag
riculture is making experiments at Fort
Valely, Ga., to find something to ston
"brown rot" in peaches.
Deafness .Cannot Be Cured
by local applications ai they cannot reach the
diseased portion ot the ear. 1 cere la only one
way to curedeaioess, and that is by constitu
tional remedies, l'cafncss ia caused by an in
flamed condition of the mucous lining of the
Eustachian Tube. When this tube is inflamed
you have a rumbling sound or imperfect hearing-,
and when it is entirely closed. Deafness is
the result, and unless the inflammation can be
taken out and this tube restored to its normal
condition, hearing will be destroyed forever;
nine cases out of ten are caused by Catarrh,
which is nothing but an inflamed condition of
kuo-iuuuous auriaces.
We will give Oni Hundred Dollars for an
case of Deafness (caused by catarrh) that can
not be cured by Hall's Catarrh Cure, bend for
eirculars, free.
e. J. uhemix CO., Toledo, O.
Sold by Druggists, 75c.
Hall's Family i'ills are the beat.
Lady "drummers" In Berlin, seeking
trade for the department stores, make
tours around the city on bicycles, which
are arranged to carry samples of goods.
k-Keelev liouor-morphine-tobacco
I tt- himtc. PFPUiNFwnYninrn
C FOR FULL PARTICULARS
TMITOLrV INSTITUTE- POWTL ANO.OUt,
Quack! Quack!
A stranger entered the postofflce the
other day, and, approaching the ladies'
general delivery window, asked:
"Any letters for John Drake?"
"Next window, Mr. Drake," replied
the polite attendant "This window is
for ducks only."
flTQ Permanently (jurea. irontsornerroasnesa
f I lu afterflratday'suseofDr.Kllne'sUreatNerve
Restorer. Bend for Free S2 trial bottle and treatise,
fir. H. H. Kline. Arch St. Philadelphia, Pa.
A perverse temper, and a discontented,
fretful disposition, wherever they pre
vail, render any state of life unhappy.
Cicero.
Mothers will find Mrs. Wlnslow's Boothing
Byrup the best remedy to use for their children
during the teething period.
We like to divine others, but do not
like to be divined ourselves. Rochefou
cauld.
A prominent Southern lady,'
Mrs. Blanchard, of Nashville,
Tenn., tells how she was cured
of backache, dizziness, painful
and irregular periods by the use
of Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable
Compound.
"Dkab Mrs. Ptnkhaji: Gratitude
compels me to acknowledge the great
merit of your Vegetable Compound. I
have suffered for four years with ir
regular and painful menstruatioa, also
dizziness, pains in the back and lower
limbs, and fitful sleep. I dreaded the
time to come which, would only mean
suffering to me.
" Better health is all I wanted, and
cure if possible. Lydia E. Pink
ham's Vegetable , Compound
brought me health and happiness ia
a few short months. I feel like another
person now. My aches and pains have
left me. life seems new and sweet to
me, and everything seems pleasant
and easy.
" Six bottles brought me health, and
was worth more than months under
the doctor's care, which really did not
benefit me at alL I am satisfied there
ia no medicine so good for sick women
as your Vegetable Compound, and I
advocate it to my lady friends in need
of medical help." Mas. B. A. Blaw-
chard, 423 Broad St., Kaahvllle, Tenn.
foooo forflt fjr erfaYwaf eyal
tl! 4 ?;: . VWVT 'foMyi 'V U" t I
I