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THE PITTSBURG
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PAGES 9 TO 12.
a i .i, i. nMnas
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tKOW FlltST
ISERIES OF SHORT STORIES
. By J. Marsden Sutcliffe,
ENTITLED
C:THE .ROMANCE OF M INSURANCE OFFICE,
jPBeikg Passages is the Exfebiejj ce or Me. AUGUSTUS WILLIAM WEB-
' .' BEB, Formerly General Manager of the Universal Insurance Company.
ALL MGETS
IT.
Doctor JoquEt'B SecrEt.
IV.
Madame Jaquet had died painlessly in
her sleep.
Snch was the verdict given an hour later
by her medical attendant, Dr. Crosby. The
opinion was borne out by the expression of
perfect calm that rested on her pure and
beautiful face, -which, in its sculptured,
marble stillness, lay on her pillow like the
fair image of some saint.
There was no actual disease in Madame's
case, Dr. Crosby proceeded to explain, ex
cept debility. Her constitution had proba
bly been impaired by wearing anxieties, or
secret sorrow of some kind, leaving the
action of the heart excessively weak. The
fact that she had fallen asleep late in the
afternoon was significant of exhaustion.
Cases of syncope transpiring during sleep
were by no means rare, especially in per
sons so enfeebled as Madame Jaquet He
saw no reason for withholding a medical
certificate. He avowed his desire to con
duct a post mortem examination, but when
Philippe learned that the result expected
by Dr. Crosby would be simply to confirm
his foregone conclusions, he refused to al
low his mother's remains to he interfered
with.
Strangely enough, the visits paid to Mad
ame Jaquet by the mysterious stranger did
not occur to Philippe's mind in the early
days of his grief. Least of all did the no
tion present itself that the stranger's visits
might be connected in some way with his
mother's sudden death. He was so over
whelmed with the great calamity that had
befallen him, so utterly desolate in the bit
ter consciousness that he was alone in the
world, that the powers of an active and
shrewd mind were as though they had been
suddenly numbed and depressed by a para
lytic stroke.
From this state of mental inertia he was
aroused by Mr. "Webber, his chief at the
Universal where he was employed. After
kindly sympathizing with the young man
in his heavy loss, Mr. "Webber inquired
what steps "he had taken to prove his
mother's will, and offered to render him
every service that lay in his power.
"I do not think my poor mother made
any will," said Philippe, after thanking
Mr. Webber for his condolences.
"Have you examined her papers?" Mr.
"Webber asked.
"There is a cabinet full of papers letters,
old diaries, and so on," said Philippe,
"but I have not liked to disturb them. It
seems a kind of sacrilege to the dead," he
added; and the unbidden tears rushed to
his eyes.
"I can quite understand your feeling; and
sympathise with it too," said Mr. "Webber,
"but I fear you will find that yon must try
nnd conquer your reluctance. Probably
you are not aware that y6ur mother was in
sured with us?"
"No, indeed; I had not - the faintest
knowledge of that."
"Nevertheless it is true," said Mr.
"Webber.
"Perhaps I had better explain. Tour
mother came to us in the summer of 1852 to
propose an insurance on her own life. She
explained to me, in confidence, her reasons.
They were these. She was not a widow, as
I might have supposed from her making
her application in her own behalf. She was
the wife of Dr. Jaquet, an eminent French
specialist, who had been mixed up in the
troubles of the times, and they had got
separated. Her own fortune was seriously
reduced, and she had no clew to the where
abouts of her husband. But, as she had
reasons for thinking that he had ultimately
effected his escape to England, and was
probably then in London, she hoped to meet
him before long. Meanwhile she was anx
ious about her little boy yourself, I pre
itune fearing what might be his late in the
event of her death before her search suc
ceeded. I gave her some advice how to
proceed in her main object, and the insur
ance was effected. I 'tancy you will find a
will, and when you do, come to me, and I
will assist you to get the formalities com
pleted as quickly as possibly, so that your
claim may be presented and met without
delay."
Philippe, who was in a maze at this reve
lation of his mother's reticence and fore
thought, thanked Mr. "Webber for all his
kindness and retired. His mind was in a
whirl as he-returned to his desk. This con
versation, which took place a week after
his mother's funeral, and was the first busi
ness transacted by Mr. "Webber after his re
turn from his summer holiday, was an im
portant epoch in Philippe Jaquet's life. It
supplied him with the first inkling he ever
had of the truth about "his parentage. On
this subject his mother had maintained an
almost -unbroken silence.
Philippe's mind going back could recall
very few passages in his early life out of
which he could frame & consistent theorv of
family history. He could, of course, 're
member vaguely his home in Paris; but he
' saw so little of his father in those days that
his mind preserved no distinct recollection
of his form and features, his disposition and
character. He could recall a time of terror
and alarm, of streets filled with smoke, and
the sounds ot fighting heard below and in
the distance. He could remember his grand
father, M. Benoit, coming to stay in the
Sue Castligione with them, and could re
call, too, his death, which occurred soon
afterward, and his mother's grief; after
which all recollection of his father went
completely from his mind.
Then they came to England, and from this
time all interest in the past seemed to leave
him. But child-like, he could remember
that he was curious to know when papa was
coming back, and his mother's evasive re
plies rose before his mind now, as he sat
thinking. Another vision presented itself
of a time not very long ago, when the
thought had occurred to him for the first
time that he was not as other lads; that
-other boys had fathers living and spoke of
them freely before their schoolfellows; that
the only lad who was orphaned seemed to
know all about the dead parent, while he,
Philippe .Taquet, knew nothing whatever of
his father, nor whether he lived or was
dead. There was something to be learned;
something which his mother was keeping
back. He determitad to penetrate the se
cret if he could, and when he reached home
he carried his trouble to her.
Never would he forget the effect produced
on his loving-hearted mother by his indis
creet curiosity. A spasm of pain con
torted her beautiful features, and bursting
into a sudden fit of weeping she exclaimed,
'Tour father was a gentleman. Philippe,
and the very soul of honor. "Wait until
you hear his explanations. He will tell
you himself some day the whole story of his
sad, sad lire. Xow ask me no more, and
promise me that vou will not refer to this
again until I speakV'
Philippe gave the required promise
readily, not onlv far the sake of the live he
here his mother, whom he regarded with a
worship that was almost idolatry, but be-
fcaB.se "Madame Jaquet had contrived, con-
PUBLISHED.!
RESERVED.
1 sciously or unconsciously, to instil into his
mind the suspicion that some disgrace at
tached to his father's name, though of what
nature he could not divine; that there was
some dark episode in his father's life that
had brought suffering and penalty, and
which he, the son, must learn from his
father's own. lips in order to forgive him.
From that time he manifested no disposition
to unlock the family cupboard and gaze on
the grisly skeleton that he believed it con
tained. This dread of laying bare the se
cret it his mother's life, which she had so
jealously guarded, had been the main in
spiration of the reverent feeling that had
held him back from examining the volumin
ous papers that she had left behind.
He was a little hurt to find that a stranger
Mr. "Webber knew more of his parents ce
than his mother had thought proper to re
veal to himself. He found himself at a
loss to imagine the reason for her reserve.
If the facts were as stated by Mr. "Webber,
what disgrace could attach to his father's
name? An eminent French specialist,
mixed up with the troubles of the stormy
period of revolution, imprisoned, or pro
scribed and compelled to fly withont oppor
tunity to communicate with his wife what
was there in this to make his mother shrink
from breaking through the silence she had
imposed on herself?
Doubt and suspicions of various kinds
began to 'enter his mind and assume a
threatening shape. "Who was this stranger,
he began to ask himself, whom his mother
was in the habit of receiving? Could it
be ? No, he could not harbor that de
grading suspicion of his sainted mother.
He was not her lover. "When was he then?
He remembered that when he returned to
Cornwall road one evening in the early
summer he found his mother lying on her
couch and looking better than usual
pleased and excited even. "An old friend
whom I knew in Paris, many years ago,
called to see me this afternoon" she ex
plained. '"His visit has done-mt much
good. He is a physician, staying in En
gland for the present, and thoroughly ap
proves of Dr. Crosby's treatment. I hope
to-present him to you someday before he
returns to Paris." And there the explana
tion ended. "When he asked his mother the
name of her visitor she appeared not to
have heard, or to prefer to pass by his ques
tion in silence, and he had neglected to
press her further. Philippe had grown so
accustomed to his mother's habitual reti
cence, that though he wondered greatly who
this old friend could be, and how he hap
pened to turn up just then, he left her to
take him more fully Into her confidence
when she felt inclined to be more communi
cative. He had learned to trust her most
implicity, as was natural, seeing that he
was all that was lett to her whereon to
lavish her affection.
"Who was the stranger?" he still found
himself repeatedly asking. That it was
someone who had known his father, seemed
to follow from his mother's remark, that she
had known him in Paris. Philippe knew
very well that his mother had not lived in
Paris until shewent there' as a "bride' He
concluded, therefore, that the stranger who
had come and gone so mysteriously, whom
he had never chanced to meet, whose name
his mother had not disclosed, was some
former colleague or fellow student of his
father. In that case the Unknown was
probably aware of the secret that hung over
his father's fate. "What more natural? It
would explain his mother's reticence, too.
"With this supposition in his mind, the im
portance of making some effort to track this
stranger, began to "be evident, unless he was
content to let the mystery of his parentage
remain Unsolved.
Then it suddenly flashed across him that
this stranger had not been seen at Cornwall
uau buiw ue .ikiuuuu ui tue uay on
which Madame Jaquet died. That was
nearly a fortnight since. The sudden cessa
tion of these daily visits was full of suspi
cion, now that Philippe Jaquet had begun
to meditate on matters. He knew that the
stranger had not called in his absence, for
the fact had been commented upon by the
sharp-tongued young damsel who waited on
Philippe, as she laid his breakfast that
moraine. Did the girl know his name?
Philippe had asked. No, she did not know
it She knew that he was a doctor. "Why?
Because on the first day he called Madame
bad asked her to find a trustworthy person
to carry a note for her. "It so happened,"
said the girl, "that one of them commis
sioners was passing, and I said, 'Here's the
very man.' He came in, and Madame gave
him the note, and told me afterward that
she was expecting a fresh doctor to call.
That is all." Would the girl know the
commissionaire again? No, she would not
know him She might, but it wasn't
likely.
There was something of sinister meaning
in all this; of that Philippe felt assured.
For what purpose had this stranger's iden
tity been concealed with so mnch care?
Philippe grew so restless and disturbed with
the wild fancies and dark suspicions that
alternately took possession of him, that he
decided to ask for a few days' leave of ab
sence till his doubts were liid to rest, one
way or the other. He felt unfit for his work,
ana explained to'Mr. Webber the state of
mind into which this revelation in conjunc
tion with other matters had thrown him.
"You see, sir," he said, "I have learnt
more of my family history than I knew be
fore. I was not aware that my father was a
doctor, or that he had been involved in
political troubles, nor that my mother came
to England seeking him."
"You think, then," said Mr. Webber,"that
there is some family mystery that has been
kept back from you?"
"I do indeed," Philippe replied sadly.
And then he proceeded to inform Mr. Web
ber of the few facts he knew concerning the
visits of the mysterious stranger.
"Look here, my lad, said Mr. Webber
kindly, "there may be more or less in
this affair than you are inclined to think.
In any case it is not a business that a young
fellow can pull through for himself, es-
Seciallyin your agitated state of mind.
ake a holiday by all means, and look into
your mother's affairs carefully. If you
want legal advice speak to me. At present
you only require a shrewd, long-headed
fellow, who can assist you in going through
things, and who can hold his tongue. Dog
gett, our private enquiry agent, is your man,
and it so happens that we can spare him.
Will you have Doggett?"
Philippe warmly thanked Mr. Webber
for his kindness, and accepted his offer td
place Doggett's services at his disposal.
"Now one word more,"said Mr. Webber.
"If you are going to have Doggett, trust
him. Ton understand? trust him. No
sentiment, no secrets; work together, and if
it is within human possibility. Doggett will
solve your doubts or confirm them. .Do you
agree?"
Thilippe assented, and Mr. Webber,
speaking through one of the tubes that
hung near half a dozen together, like
strands id a cable, called Mr. Doggett to
attend him in his room.
"You know our Mr. Jaquet, I believe?"
said Mr. Webber, as Doggett appeared in
the doorway.
Mr. Doggett acknowledged that he had a
bowing acquaintance with Mr. Jaqnet.
"Well, lie is in want of your help. You
can lay aside that Wilson trust ease for a
week or two, and, meanwhile, do all von
can to help Mr. .liquet. Now go with Mr.
Doggett to his room," said Webber to Phil
ippe, laying his hand affectionately on the
younr man's shoulder, "and tell him all
you know nnd all you want to know."
"It's about lunch time," said Mr. Doggett
to Philippe, as he left Mr. Webber's room.
"Now I've noticed that a man is very sel
dom all there who has a story to tell fasting.
What do you say? Shall we have a little
lunch together before we begin?"
Philippe confessed that his mind was
too much burdened for appetite, but he
would gladly wait until Mr. Doggett was
refreshed.
"So bad as that, is it?" said Doggett,
looking at Philippe with a penetrating
glance. Then, linking his arm in Philippe's,
he said: "You just come alone witfi me,
and I will give you-such a beefsteak as vou
never had between your teeth, before. You
swells in- the city" don't know where good
things are to be had. Glass and glitter,
and nothing for your money, that's your
stylel We old fellows know a trick worth
two of that."
Philippe resigned himself to be led away
by his'new mentor and guide.
"Ever hear Of the Peackock's Feather?"
Doggett inquired.
Mr. Jaquet was compelled to acknowledge
that he had never heard of the Peacock's
Feather.
"No," I don't suppose you have," said
Doggett, crowing over the young neophyte's
ignorance of that famous hostelry. "Well,
it ain't much to look at, ain't the Peacock
I don't mean the bird, but the place but
if you want to gel a steak that would set an
epicure's eyes starting out of his head as
soon as the smell of it was under his nose,
and if you want a steak washed down with
a pint of good ale, not muddv and heavy,
you know, but good ale that sharpens the
wits ad braces the spirits, then the Pea
cock is the place."
And so the detective went on, singing the
praises of his favorite inn. in simple warmth
of feeling, seeking to rally the downcast
heart of his companion.
"Here it is," said Doggeit, as they
reached a small tavern, with grimy exterior,
jammed in amongst city warehouses. It
was certainly not much to look at, as Mr.
Doggett very justly remarked. "Bnt what
then?" he said, "you cannot, have every
thing. Good food, clean cooking, good ale,
and a private room afterward, what i more
can a man desire for the small sum of
well, you shall see?"
The cheery talk of the detective supplied
Philippe with a piquant sauce that gen
erated appetite, and when the juicy steak
was placed betore him, he submitted to the
pangs of hunger and attacked with zest.the
homely fare.
"Now. Mary," said Doggett, when the
meal was dispatched, addressing the wait
ress, a fresh-faced country lassie, who was,
like himself, regardless of grammar, "me
and my friend here want a chat Which
room can we have?"
"Number five is at liberty," said the
Abigail. u
"Number five bo it then. Now. if you
are ready come this way," said Doggett,
taking his glass with him.
The two men seated themselves in num
ber five, which, judging from its examples
of art, in the shape of family portraits
painted after the style of a sign-painter,
and the knicknackB strewn about, seemed
to be the family state room, only occupied
by them on occasions of high festivity.
."Something about yourself, I presume?"
said Doggett, proceeding to fill the enor
mous bowl of a portentious-looking meer
schaum pipe.
"Yes, it is a family matter," Philippe
replied.
"Then start at the beginning, and reel it
off. Everything, mind; omit nothing,
whether yon think it important or not."
Philippe obeyed. He commenced with
his earliest recollections in Paris; then
sketched the life led by himself and his
mother down to the day of his death, in
cluding the visits of the mysterious stran
ger, not forgetting the facts that he had
learned for the first time from Mr. Webber
that moraine.
When he had concluded his narrative,
Mr. Doggett sat for a long time reflectively
puffing at his pipe, while Philippe re
mained toying nervously with his watch
chain. Presently the detective spoke.
"This is a very singular story," he said;
"I should imagine there are very few young
men of your age and standing who have
lived with their mothers all their lives and
know less of their family history than you
do."
Philippe shrank back under the force of
this remark, though the detective had not
meant it as a taunt
"There were reasons, no" doubt," he
said.
"Exactly, and you want to find out what
those reasons were?"
"I am tired of being left in the dark, and
left to thiuk I don't know what," Philippe
replied.
"I don't blame you, lad," said the detect
ive, good natnredly; "and in your place I
should feel the same. But now suppose
mind I only say suppose that your mother
carried some dark secret about with her, re
ferring to your father; that there was some
disgrace which it has been her long life
effort to hide from yuu? Supposing that she
had done this to spare you the pain of
knowing it, would you still wish to lift the
curtain? Now don't be in a hurry, take
time to think."
"If I could believe that my mothers's
days-were darkened by any disgraceful act
of my father's, which she, his wife, deemed
too shameful to tell her own son. I would
never rest until I had hunted him down
and brought him to a strict .account," was
the fierce reply.
Mr. Doggett sat still, patiently smoking,
his placid face betraying no sign that he
was moved by-these heroics. '
"Yon did not know my mother," Philippe
resumed, after a pause. "My mother was
an angel, and the bare suggestion that she
was made to suffer from my father's fault,
or crime, if it were crime, is enough to de
cide me, her son, to say that, with help or
without it, I will probe this mystery to the
bottom, and then "
"Well, what then?" asked Doggett, as
Philippe paused in the stormy flow of his
eloquence. '
"Then, if I find my mother wronged, I
will act as becomes, the son of such a mother
ought to act." .
"Cost what it may?" asked Doggett
"Though it wrecked my peace of mind
forever!" was the stern reply.
"Very well, then," said Doggett, "we
have to fill in the gaps of this lamily his
tory, to begin with. That is so. isn't it?"
Philippe gloomily bowed his head in as
sent '
"And we have to discover whether your
mother died a natural death or not"
,"Wbat?" cried Philippe. "You do" ,no
PITTSBTJEG, SATURDAY, ATKIL
mean to suspect that my mother's life was
practiced upon?"
"I mean to- keep xny suspicions to my-'
self," replied Doggett, but I will tell you
what is the theory I have found. Your
mother kept her secret, fearing to' tell it
Depend upon it, it was a bad one. Her
mysterious visitor knew that secret. When
we discover the stranger we shall put our
hands upon the man who knew the story'
that Madame Jaquet kept from her son, and
he may be able to tell us how she came by
her death. More than that I do not say. '
"Come manl we are wasting time," cried
Philippe, clutching Doggett by the arm.
"Steadyl steadyl Young man, you've
got a powerful grip ot your arm," said the
detective rubbing his arm. Then he added
soothingly as be removed the ashes from his
pipe, "I am ready, bnt before we begin
work, you must give me one promise."
"What is that?" asked Philippe ex
citedly. "Keep your head eool and be as quiet as
that hot French blood of your's will let
you. This is likely to be a bigger affair
than you think for,"
It was an old-fashioned oak cabinet of
food honest English make, such as must
ave belonged to an honest owner with no
secrets to hide, that the two men stood be
fore in Madame Jaquet's apartment, for
there were no secret drawers to baffle them
in their search.
There was no confusion anywhere. Every
thing was systematically arranged, as if the
owner had designed to- facilitate examina
tion of her effects when examination became
necessary.
The first drawer that-was opened contained
Madame Jaquet's will, her policv of insur
ance with the Universal, and the receipts
for the premiums she had paid, all neatly
tied up together. On the top of these was a
letter addressed: For my dearest son,
Philippe; to be opened at my death.
Philippe would have 'opened it immedi
ately, but wss arrested by a peremptory
movement from the detective.
"Put that (back where you found it,"
Doggett exclaimed. "We will open that
last."
"Why?" demanded Philippe.
"If you are going to ask me why for
everything I say, I must put on my hat,"
Doggett replied firmly. "Either you aot
on your own impulses, or you walk by my
experience. Now choose."
Philippe recalled Mr. Webber's advice to
trust Doggett, and placed himself in his
uanas, ana murmured an apology.
"It is all right, lad," said the detective
kindly. "Do you think I cannot guess how
that handwriting must affect you? All the
same, it might have lain there till the crack
of doom and you no wiser, if you had kept
your resolution not to meddle with your
mother's papers. Now that you are wiser,
just leave it where you found it till we have
finished."
The contents of another drawer were
turned out and found to contain the docu
ments necessary to establish the marriage of
Felix Jaquet' and Claire Benoit; also the
papers establishing Philippe's birth as the
Issue of such union. .
The documents were in French, and
though Mr. Doggett had picked up a smat
tering of the Frenchanguage, sufficient to
enable him to detect the character of the
papers when he found them, and to decipher
a phrase here and there,, he handed them
over to Thilippe for translation.
"Just make a fair copy of them in English
for me," he said, "while I look a little
further."
The next drawer opened, was filled with
letters neatly tied in bundles. The detective
took up the first bundle that came to hand
and examined it There was a neat label
attached containing something written in
French which he could only unravel with
difficulty. There was a number written
1852 from which Doggett concluded that
the letters which were in English related to
that year. He began to read them slowly,
one by one, penciling down a note here and
there. When Philippe had completed the
fair copy of the particulars relating to his
parents' marriage and his own birth in
English, Doggett had made an important
discovery.
"Here are some letters written to Madame
by a firm of private inquiry agents. Many
of them are mere demands for money, ac
knowledgements of moneys received, or
complaints that, unless their employer is
prepared to bleed more freely, satisfactory
results cannot be obtained. But there are
one or two facts to be gleaned which per
haps vou will put down."
Philippe resumed his place at the table,
where h'e had been writing, and began to,
write again at the detective's dictation.
"Item: M. Felix Jaquet left home at
No. 43 Bue Castlglione, to visit his pa
tients on the morning of the 30th of Novem
ber, 1851; later in the day' sent a message
that he was detained; did not return, and
since then no communication has been re
ceived from him.
"Item: M. Jaquet visited his last pa
tient at 4 o'clock the same afternoon on
foot, after whioh'he took out passports for
himself and wife. No further particulars
of his movements ascertained.
"Item: On the 30th November Mdlle. St
Hillaire, of the Opera Comique, failed to
keepher appointment at the theater, and
has not since been heard of. Left a num
ber of unpaid debts behind her. Questions
raised whether the lady was known to
Madame ? And written across the letter in
Madame's handwriting: Non I il n'est pas
possible.
"Item: Inquiry raised whether Madame
has any drawing or picture of her husband?
Answer written across: Noni
"Item: Diligent search has been made
among the Frenchmen who haunt Liecester
square, and the names of members of an
Orleanist club ransacked without 'result
Hotel books searched from December 1 to
May 1 with the same disappointment No"
Dr. Jaquet in London. Further instruc
tions and more money wanted. Answer
written across: Je desespoir."
"Do you think these fellows are to be
trusted," inquired Philippe, alluding to
the inquiry agents.
"They are leeches and won't work with
out money, and a good deal of it too," Dog
gett drily answered. "There is one thing,
however, worth noting. They would not say
that all hotel books had been searched be
tween those two periods' if they hadn't made
search: and that is clear proof that Dr.
Jaquet had not 'arrived in London in that
time. A stranger in his position would
naturally make for an hotel the first thing,
and there is no probable reason for conceal
ment Of name." .
"What is this?" cried Doggett, as be
opened another drawer and brought forth a
man's glove, nearly new, aud,of tho latest
6, 1889.
mate. "This very likely belonged to your
mysterious stranger."
"But why so carefully put away?" ex
claimed Philippe.
"There's matter in it, as there was in
Desdemona's pocket handkerchief," the de
tective replied significantly.
"What kind of matter?" said Philippe.
"Come, take me into your confidence as you
go along."
But the detective was not to be drawn.
He thought that the case he was investiga
ting was very plain sailing, but he was
afraid lest his-theory might break down lor
want of sufficient .evidence, and he was de
termined to breathe no word that wonld give
Philippe a hint of what was passing in his
mind, until he held the chain of evidence
complete in his own hands. Meanwhile he
considered the glove an Important link In
the chain, tending to confirm his suspicions.
The question that Philippe had asked
had occurred to him also when he brought
forth the glove from its hiding place.
It could belong to no other tha'n
to Madame's daily visitor. Why had
such care been taken for its preservation?
Because Madame valued it as a treasure for
the sake of the owner. Whose glove was
Madame likely to value unless her hus
band's? The detective was not given to
sentiment, but he caught himself in the act
of wondering how many times Madame
Jaquet's lips had pressed that glove in a
frenzy of passionate love and joy over the
return of her husband.
Hastily thrusting the glove back into the
drawer where he had drawn it, the detec
tive proceeded to examine the contents Of
another drawer. Here he found a number
of cuttings from French and English news
papers, carefully pasted on separate slips of
paper, with penciled notes written on the
margin. These he proceeded to examine
with care, and alter remaining absorbed in
this employment for some time he suddenly
looked up,
"Does Dr. Crosby live far away?" he
"About five minutes walk off," Philippe
replied.
'Get him here if you can. I want to ask
him one or two questions which are better
asked now than later. If he comes, you
must introduce me as a near relative your
uncle, if you like who is anxious to know
particulars of Madame's last illness. I am
an Englishman John Brown married
your mother's sister shocked to hear of the
death want to know all about it There,
yon understand; set about it quickly and
leave the rest to me."
Philippe snatched up his hat and .was
gone in an instant.
"There," said Doggett to himself, as he
heard the door bang oehind the messenger,
"I am glad to get rid of him. He would
have seen it in my face in another mo
ment. What do I find? 'Here, among
these cuttings from old French and Eng
lish newspapers containing accounts of the
coup d'etat, is a scrap from a London news
papernot six weeks old with an account
of an extremely clever operation performed
at St. George's Hospital by the oelebrated
Dr. Jaquet, of Harley street, extracted from
the Lancet, and underneath in Madame's
writing: 'My clever Felixl' "
Mr. Doggett folded up the paper and
calmly transferred it to his pocketbook. "It
won't do for that young man to see this not
just yet," he murmured softly to himself.
He would want to pay Dr. Jaquet a visit
immediately. I wonder what else there is
pointing in the same direction?" And
forthwith he buried his head once more in
the cabinet and began to search.
Presently he drew forth four small manu
script volumes written in a small delicate
hand. The ink in the earlier volumes was"
faded, but a brief glance at their contents,
was sufficient to convince the detective that
what he held in his hands was nothing less
than a carefully written account of Dr.
Jaquet's disappearance, and Madame
Jaquet's conjectures upon it, including
the steps she had taken to discover his
whereabouts. The find was of the utmost
importance to his search. He laid the vol
umes down, and took up the latest volume
of the four. He noticed that the last en
tries it contained were very brief, compared'
with some of the earlier notes. The French
puzzled him greatly, but he stumbled on a
word here and there which caused his eyes
to scintillate with dangerous light
At that he moment he heard the sound of
footsteps ascending the stone steps outside,
and the olick of the lock in the door as
Philippe opened it with his latchkey. Mr.
Doggett had barely time to secrete the last
volume that had been left unfinished by
Madame Jaquet on his person, when Phil
ippe entered with Dr. Crosby.
Philippe played the role assigned to him
with admirable skill, and introduced the
detective as his uncle, ihe husband of his
mother's sister, who had lately returned
from abroad aud wished to hear details of
Madame Jaquet's illness at first hand. He
placed a decanter on the table and invited
the doctor to help himself, which the doctor
was nothing loth to do. Mr. Doggett as
sumed an air of deep dejection, and as soon
as the doctor had mixed his grog assumed
an attitude of attention.
"I was called to Madame Jaquet, In what
I regret to say has proved her last illness,"
the doctor began to explain, "last May. At
first I thought she was suffering from dis
eased heart the symptoms pointed that
way but a later examination convinced me
that the heart, though excessively weak, was
organically sound. I arrived at the conclu
sion that Madame had suffered from some
shock or other."
"Of joy or sorrow?" the detective in
quired, modulating his tone to one of com
monplace inquiry.
"That I could not say. Joy probably, for
her expression was one of calm generally.
Occasionally I found her excited, bnt not
unpleasantly so. It was not altogether fa
vorable to her in her weak state, and while
seeking to calm her nervous system I em
ployed such remedies as were calculated to
strengthen the heart's action. The treat
ment I followed, Madame gave me to un
derstand, was approved by an eminent
French doctor, an old triend of former days,
who was in England, and occasionally visit
ed her.
"A relative, you mean," said Doggett,
again interrupting him in the narrative;
"not a friend'
"Madame said he was a friend," answered
Dr. Crosby.
"Ah, well, it does not much matter," said
Doggett, "I know him."
"We made very slow progress up to the
day of her death; still we made progress,
but the heat . of the summer tried her ex
cessively. There was always danger that the
heart might give way, though there was no
positive "disease. And that is what hap
pened. She must have tried her strength
too much, then fallen asleep through pure
exhaustion, and the debilitated heart, un
able to reassert itself, collapsed. That is
the whole case in a nutshell."
"Would you say that small doses of
chloral administered to her. in that state
would be beneficial or injurious," Mr.
Doggett asked.
"Decidedly injurious."
"Mind, I do not mean a poisonous dose;
but a dose t9 allay excitement."
"I would not have given Madame Jaquet
a dose of chloral, large or small, in any
case," Dr. Crosby returned with emphasis.
"Supposing that you had been compelled
to perform an operation upon her, would
she have been a good subject for chloro
form?" "Madame Jaquet'sstrengthwouldnothave
permitted auy operation of a serious charac
ter being attempted."
"But the use of chloroform?" Doggett
persisted.
"She would not have rallied after chloro
form." "Then I may take it-that any narcotic
would have been injurious?"
."Most unquestionably injurious. Bat to
what end are you putting these questions?"
Dr. Crosby inquired, naturally becoming
suspicious under a leading examination
that teemed to him to cast doubts on his
treatment
"I do not understand how my dear sister
came to fall into such a low -state as your
answers to my questions describe.".
"I should think she had suffered much;
mentally Imean," Dr. Crosby replied.
''That Is'true. One more question, if you
will pardon me. If you had found Madam
on the occasion of one of yonr visits falling
'into such an exhausting state of slumber as
yoahave mentioned, would you have per
mitted her to remain in that condition?"
"Not Off anyaccount I do not say thatl
should have roused her, but I should have
concluded at once that her heart wanted as
sistance, and I wonld have moistened her
lips with brandy and water. If she had
awoke I would have administered her a full
dose and ordered her to have beef tea pre
pared at once, giving her the brandy while
the beef tea was being prepared." -
"Then you would not have considered it
safe for her to have remained in such a state
of. slumber as you have, described, without
making some effort to administer nourish
ment?" "I would not"
"You would not have said that it was a
good thing that she was sleeping so nicely,
and that itwould be better for her to have
her sleep out"
"Certainly not; such sleep, produced by
exhaustion, was always open'tp the risk of
syncope occurring."
"I presume you have met my brother-in-law."
"Your brother-in-law? I do not under
stand." "The gentleman whom Madame Jaquet
spoke of as her friend."
. "Oh, dear, not My visits to Madame Jaqnet
were invariably paid in the morning. The
gentleman called in the afternoon, so Ihave
understood."
"I am greatly obliged to you for your
explanations. They nave satisfiedTny mind
that nothing but your presence at the crit
ical moment could have saved my dear
relative's life."
"I wish it had so happened thatl had
called that afternoon. The result might
have been different" '
"I presume," Doggett inquired, after a
pause, "that this syncope which you seem
to have apprehended was the only danger?"
"Well, not scarcely that. With the con
tinuance of functional disorder there was
also the risk of organic changes being set
""P-" j
"Still, no organic changes had appeared?"
"None whatever."
"And you say that up to the time of this
sudden attack of syncope you had been
making slow progress, so that if this risk
had not appeared Madame Jaquet might
have recovered?"
"I will put it in this way," said Dr.
Crosby. "If Madame Jaqnet had always
husbanded her strength', and been careful
never to exert herself to the point of fatigue,
the risks of syncope would have been in
definitely less, if not entirely obviated. Her
strength wonld have gradually improved,
and she would have made a good recovery."
"Poor soul! Poor soul!" Doggett mur
mured softly.
He had obtained all he wanted to know,
aud then the conversation was diverted
into ordinary channels of common place.
"Dr. Crosby, making an excuse for his early
departure, took his leave.
When Philippe retnrned to the room
after seeing Dr. Crosby to the door, Dog
gett yawned wearily, and declared that he
could carry his inquiries no further that
night But if h'e- anticipated being al
lowed to leave without satisfying Philippe's
curiosity, which had risen to fever height
since he had listened to the catechising to
which ihe detective had subjected Dr.
Crosby, he was mistaken.
"Now tell me the meaning of all this,"
Philippe said as he flung himself into a
chair. "Did my mother die a natural death
or not?" ,
"Am I doctor?" asked Doggett, evasively.
"HowcanXtell? That maybe a question,
for the experts hereafter.. Look here what
I have found," Doggett went on, bent on
diverting Philippe's attention from the sub
ject that was" most deeply interesting to him
just then. "Here is a diary kept by your
mother.. One volume seems to be missing,
and that perhaps the most important one of
all; it'is the latest, which might shed light
on her mysterious visitor. I will take these
three with me if you will permit me, and
when you nnd the other you can let me nave
that, too."
The crafty old fox, who had the missing
volume in his pocket, was determined to es
cape without making any disclosure; but it
was not to be.
''Loot here," Philippe exclaimed, "you
are not treating me quite fairly. Remember
what a deep interest I have at stake in all
this. If you do not speak I shall only con
clude that my mother was unfairly dealt
with; murdered, in fact"
The detective was fairly driven to bay by
the force of this appeal which he did not see
his way to evade. After taking time to
think this is what he said:
"Now listen. Your mother may have
had an entertaining guest who did not leave
her until he saw that his talk exhausted
her. Finding her inclined for sleep, he left
her, unconscious of having worked any real
harm, and without having intended to do
her an injury. In that case he has been
careless and thoughtless, and your mother's
life has paid the penalty. Do you follow
me?"
Philippe'assented.
"But this entertaining visitor Is a physi
cian of some eminence, and not less ac
quainted with the character of your moth
er's malady than that fellow who has just
gone out. He leaves a message that she is
inclined to sleep and must not be disturbed.
In that sleep she dies. Moral: Culpable
carelessness on his part May it be more?
Yes, if w'c could find him and show that he
had something to gain by her death. In
that case he might prove to have been more
than an entertaining guest; a dangerous
visitor, in fact Do not ask me how? That
is his secret. There are a dozen ways in
which an experienced hand might hasten
the end without much risk of discovery. He
might never have laid a finger upon her. He
might frighten her by violent and gro
tesque gesticulations; set her heart thump
ing and keep up the game until she sank
back exhausted, and so died."
"But chloroform,?' said Philippe.
"Did you perceive any smell when you
entered the room?"
"Not the faintest."
"How was the window open or shut?"
"It was left open to admit the air. The
weathe.r was hot"
"In that case chloroform was not impossi
ble; but until we find the man conjecture is
iv&stcd
"How is that to be done?" asked Phil
ippe. "Examine the maid and anyone else in
the house who has seen him. I leave that
to you. We must trace him out. And
now good night I shall not be able to see
you to-morrow, perhaps not the next day,
but you will have plenty to do."
Doggett drew a sigh of relief as he turned
out of Cornwall road, and the cool evening
air blew on his face. He was glad to es
cape the importunity of Philippe's ques
tioning, knowing that he held the clew to
the secret sorrow of Madame Jaquet's life
and the too probable cause of her death.
That newspaper cutting, recording the
clever operation performed a few weeks ago
by Dr. Jaquet, with its admiring annota
tion, told him that Madame Jaquet's hus
band was tobe found in Harley street The
latest volume of Madame Jaquet's diary he
had only had time to catch a brief glimpse
of. But it was in his pocket, and he knew
that a further acquaintance with its 'con
tents could only tell him what he already
knew; that the name of Madame Jaquet's
frequent visitor wasJDr. Felix Jaquet, the
father of her boy, and the direct or indirect
cause of her death. How could he face the
lad and tell him that his mother was mur
dered, and that the man who had done this
deed was his own long-lost father, the mys
tery surrounding whose fate he was seeking
to unravel?
To be concluded next Saturday. ,
GAIL HAMILTun)Sorrou'DisPATCK
an article defending the truth of the incarna
tion of Christ, nd making a scathing attack
upon the agnosticism of the age.
LATE HEWS IN BEIEP.
Commodore Boabam took command ot Mw
navy yard at Mare Island, CaL, yesterday.
The President has appointed Joel B.
Erhardt. to be Collector of Customs at New
York;
'The President has appointed Cornelius
Van Cott, ot New York, to be postmaster at
New York.
The -record and findings of. the Lydecker
court martial trill be sent to the Secretary of
War to day.
C. -K. Faulkner, of Indiana, chief of the
record division of the Pension Office, has re
signed by request
Schuyler Baryee. of Virginia, has been ap-
ointed chief clerk of the Patent Office, vice
jpscomb, resigned.
The test of- the pneumatic gun carriage,
which was to have taken "place at Annapolis
yesterday, has been postponed.
Secretary Tracy has gone from Washington
to New York to attend the funeral of Judge
McCue. It Is his Intention to inspect tbe Phfl
adelphia (League Island) navy yards while
way.
The records of the retiring boards In the
eases of Paymasters J. B. Carmody and F. N.
Hlnman and Passed Assistant Snrgeon A. C.
Heffenger have been sent to tbe President for
his action. '
The firm of Daniel H. Downs and Cornelius
M. Finch, doing business under the name of
Downs &. Finch, shirt manufacturers. New
York City, made an assignment yesterday to
Theodore Miller, withont preferences.
The Major General commanding the army
has decided to recommend to tbe Secretary of
War that Major George A. Armes, retired, bs
tried by court martial on charges based on his
conduct on inauguration day and bis assault
upon Governor Beaver.
The American commissioners to the Sa
rnoan conference have engaged passage for
Europe on the Umbria, which sails from New
York on tbe 13th. Meanwhile thoy are ire- -quently
at the Department of State consulting
with tbe officials and studying the protocols of
the last conference.
L. Q. a Lamar, Jr.. chief of the stationery
division of the Interior Department has re
signed to engage In private business. Mr. La
mar's resignation was unsolicited. He was re
garded as an efficient officer. Mr. "William' R.
Lapham, of R ew York, has been appointed act
ing chief of the same division.
Upon the assembling of the Connecticut
Senate yesterday. Governor Bulkley sent in
veto of the resolution passed by both branches
of the General Assembly commuting the death
sentence of John H. Swift. Tbe Senate passed
the commutation resolution over the Gov
ernor's veto by a vote of 12 to 8.
Representative Ryan, of the Fourth Con
gressional district of Kansas, has sent a letter
to General Clarke, Clerk of the House of Rep
resentatives, to the effect that he has tendered
his resignation to tbe Governor of Kansas as a
member of Congress. Mr. Ryan was nominated
by the President as minister to Mexico.
A general order has been issued by Presi
dent Cable, of the Rock Island Railroad, an
nouncing that tbe Chicago, Kansas and Ne
braska Railway, in Kansas, Nenraska,CoIorado
and Indian Territory, is a part of its own line.
Heretofore the latter, while virtually a part of
tbe Rock Island system was under a separate
management
The funeral of the late Alexander McCue,
ex-Judge and ex-Sub Treasurer of the United
States at New York City, took place in Brook
lyn yesterday. The services were at StPeter's
R. C. Church, and were attended by repre
sentative i men In. every walk of life. One of
the pallbearers was General Benjamin F.
Tracy, Secretary of the United States Navy.
James W. Romeyn. Counsel at Valparaiso,
in reporting to the Department of State upon
tbe trade and commerce of Chill, comments
upon tbe fact that while the imports into Chill
In 1887 amounted to $48,630,000, but $3,200,000
came from the United States, and that while
15,000 vessels entered, and cleared at Chilian
ports, the American flag-waved over only 221 of
them.
The story told in a dispatch from Newark,
O., of the arrest of two foreigners who "con
fessed" that tbey had been hired to poison a
woman named Luvin, in Forty-first street New
York City, has been investigated by the police,
who pronounce it a lie from beginning to end.
It is thought that the two foreigners want a
free passage to New York and had taken this
means to obtain It
The Rochester street car strike is still on
and both sides are firm. The company bad 23
cars running yesterday. Tbe strikers are
quiet: The barn'mferf, about 100 In all,oined
tbe strikers yesterday morning. Thursday
night two turntables on the outskirts of the
city were stolen and obstructions placed on tbe
tracks In many places. Tbe strikers claim that
the roughs did the work.
Tbe cruiser Atlanta, now at Asplnwall, has
been ordered by telegraph to New York. Al
though subject to future emergencies, it is tbe
present intention to send the Yorktown to New
York on tbe 20th, so that the latest efforts at
naval construction may be seen at tbe centen
nial celebration. She has been formally ac
cepted from the contractors, subject to tha
special reservations of money on account of
work yet to be done.
Tbe tb ree strikes in Buffalo are still on, and
there is no material change in the situation. In
those of tbe painters and carpenteis and loin
era both sides remain firm. The strike of Erie
Railway switchmen does not hamper operations
of the road to any extent One striker Is
under arrest for trying to force a new man to
quit work. Another passenger train was de
railed last night and an attempt made to burn
a box car. The strikers emphatically deny the
charge of being connected with either outrage.
There is considerable excitement over the
reported discovery of silver on the farm of
Peter Kearon. six miles north of Fort Dodge,
Iowa. The find was made by a well digger at
the depth of 110 feet Tbe vein is 64 inches
thick. Jewelers pronounce the quartz richer
than any ever examined by them. Several
pieces have been sent to a Chicago assayer for
examination, and it bis report confirms the one
made by local jewelers tbe find will prove a
rich one, and can be worked' In paying
quantities.
Tbe German corvette Sophie, which sailed
from Zanzibar yesterday for Samoa, is another
fine ship, superior to either tbe Richmond,
Adams or Alert which will constitute the
American squadron at Samoa. Sbe is of com
posite type, 14 knots speed, 2.200 tons burden,
carries eight 6-inch and two 3-inch rifles and
four machine guns, with a torpedo outfit, and
uses forced draftwblch engineer experts think
contributed largely to the escape of the Eng
lish war vessel Calliope, as it enabled her to
get up steam In a short time.
Tbe war between the temperance people at
River Falls, Wis., and tbe saloon keepers has
taken a new turn. A saloon keeper named
Drnkee has had arrested, on a charge of falsa
imprisonment the Rev. James Evans, pastor
of the Methodist Episcopal Church; tha Rev.
J. Whltelaw. pastor of tbe Congregational
Church; Dr. T. W. Ashler, Mr. StahL G. J.
Roberts and Charles Hanson. The first five
men signed an Indictment againstDrnlr.ee some
time ago. Drnkee was beaten in tbe Justice
Court but appealed the case. In tbe higher
court the case was dismissed on a technicality.
Now Drnkee prosecutes the party for false
imprisonment
DIAMOND THIEVES, SSS&
inal methods adopted by them in the Bouth Af
rican fleldt to enable them to purloin gems, U
the subject of an article in tomorrovft Dis
patch, written by a gentleman who spent sev.
erat years at the diamond mines.
Dealers Langhed at Us.
When we said last year that people had
common sense enough to call at a place of
business to buy a sewing machine and not
be annoyed by persistent peddlers. People
are wise in this generation and know a good
thing when they see it Now, when a ped
dler calls and persists In "just leaving his
machine over night" he Is met with "be off
with you; will call at Hopper Bros. Ss Co.,
and get a sewing machine when we need it
and not before." Very sensible people
indeed! Dear reader, don't forget our place
of business is 307 Wood street ttssu.
Closing; Ont nt Great Sacrlnce
Fine and varied assortment of lace cur
tains, portier curtains, furniture goods,
poles, etc. Elegant styles in Madras and
silk curtains- below cost Call soon to se
cure choice patterns. Entire stock must be
sold in next 16 days, to vacate store.
H. Holtzhax & SONS,
ttssu 35 Sixth street
Bargains In Hosiery!
Full Tegular made imported ' hose, 10c,
13e, 15c, 18, 20c, 22c, 25c; fast black onyx,
22c, at BOseubaum & Co.'s.
Easter Creomi, Easter Creams,
Just new. One of the. daintiest and best
cakes made. Try a pound,
ihssu S. S. Mabvxx & Co.
Gest's new neckwear, light underwear,
100 doz. balbriggan hose, 16o up, at Eosen
baum & Co.'s.
The favorite for restoring life and color
to the hair is Parker's Hair Balsas.
Parker's Ginger Tonlo thebesteovghesre.
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