Page:Mystery Tales of Edgar Allan Poe.pdf/76
A day or two before the Prefect called upon us, however, some important information reached the police, which seemed to overthrow, at least, the chief portion of "Le Commercial's" argument. Two small boys, sons of a Madame Deluc, while roaming among the woods near the Barrière du Roule, chanced to penetrate a close thicket, within which were three or four large stones, forming a kind of seat, with a back and footstool. On the upper stone lay a white petticoat, on the second a silk scarf. A parasol, gloves, and a pocket-handkerchief were also found. The hand-kerchief bore the name "Marie Rogêt." Fragments of dress were discovered onthe brambles around. The earth was trampled, the bushes were broken, and there was every evidence of a struggle. Between the thicket and the river the fences were found taken down, and the ground bore evidence of some heavy burthen having been dragged alongit.
A weekly paper, "Le Soleil,"[1] had the following comments upon this discovery—comments which merely echoed the sentiment of the whole Parisian press:
- ↑ Philadelphia "Saturday Evening Post."