The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-06-21 00:00:00

[ALL RIGHTS RBSTUATED.]

A CRIME IN AN OMNIBUS.

A ST 0R Y OF PARISIAN LIFE.
BY FORTUNE DU BOISOOBEY
Translated from the French.

CHAPTER X. —(Continued).
" cod day, comrades! My respects, Master
Poivreau 1" said a deep voice that roused the bead
of the house from his dreams, and caused the
druggist to look up from behind his journal.
" Pii louche! " cried Binos, "there you are at
at last. That is lucky. For the last three days I
have been inquiring for you everywhere."
"To offer me a glass of something extra superla-
tive, I bet," said the illustrious Pi6:lottche, laughing.
He seemed in a gay humour.
"Well, yes; but for something else besides.
What have you been doing with yourself? Have
you been ill ? "
"I ill—never! Look at this chest. Do you
think I look like a conscript rejected for his feeble
constitution ?"

" No, Parbleu ! But what is the use of being
strong; one is not
.proof against indisposition? I
have often a pain m my temper, and I am as strong
as the Pont Neuf. When you were missing three
whole days I got very uneasy, and should have gone
to look you up if I had your address.'
"Oh ! that was quite unnecessary, I never go
home except to sleep, and it happens that on Tues-
day night I was obliged to go to the South, and only
returned this morning."
"That explains. Did you go far ? "
"No ; about fifty leagues from Paris; purely a
business matter; a litt e inheritance that has
tumbled on to my head unexpectedly."
"Better than a brick or a chimney pot. I con-
gratulate you my friend—that is the kind of ac-
cident that will never happen to me."
" Bah ! who knows? But in the meantime I
stand treat this morning. Master Poivreau' glasses;
do you hear? Hullo ! the old fellow has already
guessed what I wanted; there is the cognac. He
has put the tray down near the estimable Pigacho,
that he may be asked to share with us. Very good.
lam agreeable. To day I mean to make merry."
"By Jove, if I came in for a legacy I would
regale all the passers-by. But I d n't care to drink
close to old Pigache," said Binos.
"Why not? What has he done, poor old
buffer ? "

"Oh, nothing; only I have a long 'story to tell
YOU, and your advice to ask—something private."
"He will not hear us talking; he is as deaf as a
post."

"That is true. I was forgetting. If we speak
low he will not catch a single word. We will sit by
him.*
"So you have secrets! Confidential communi, a-
tions ! This is something fre h. Are you conspiring
against the Government ? That will not do for me,
you know."
"1 should think not, indeed," said Dines, who
took this idea seriously. " I quite understand that
YOU would never have to do with anything of that
sort. When one belongs to the administration—but
I assure you this is a different matter—quite private
in character!'
"Of a private character—eh ? Very good.
Explain yourself; but first let us dank,' replied
Piedouche, who had just filled the glasses, and
seated himself at Pigache's elbow. "Your health,.
nay dear sir !" he continued, tapping his shoulder.
"Very well—and you ?" answered the old man,
nodding imbecilely.
"He thinks I am asking how he is," chucleed
Piedouche. "Ho must have swallowed a lot of
drugs to have grown so hard of hearing. Let him
alone, and tell me your story. He will drink if he
ha i a mind, and if not we will empty the bottle
between us."
Binos, already settled with his elbows on the
table, was all impatience to enter upon business.
He ot ened the recital with the omnibus journey,
omitting no detail from the place resigned inside to
the fatal discovery at the end of the journey. He
described in glowing colours the actors in the drama,
the two accomplices and their victim, the silent but
important episode near the Pont Neuf, and the
stupidity of the officials when informed that the
Young passenger had expired on the road.
Nothing was wanting in the touching picture,
only he put himself in the scene in the place of his
friend, boldly appropriating the role played by
Paul.
Pietlouche listened with great attention, not to
say a sustained and marked interest. Now and
then a smile stole over his face, and at last he
cried:
"Well, this is an adventure ! But how the devil
came you to be in the neighbourhood of the Halle
4UX Vins at a quarter to twelve at night F"
" I:had been looking for someone all the evening
outside the barrier a—a model," stammered Binos,
who had not anticipated this question.
" Urn I ah I Well, it is very interesting, this
story of the sudden death; but, a—what do you
want to consult me about ?"
"I want to know what you think of this strange
occurrence !"
Well, replied Pi6douche, shrugging his shoulders,
"I can't think anything particular about it. I am
not a doctor.''
"Neither am I. All the same I feel quite certain
this girl was foully murdered in the omnibus!'
"How and by whom if you please ?"
Thereupon Binos began the second part of la's
narrative, which he had ready in his mind three
days ago. He related the discovery of the poisoned
pin and the torn letter, the experiment which had
cost the cat's life, his repeated visits to the Morgue,
his ancertainties. and finally the resolution at which
he had arrived after three days' reflection, n ended by adjuring Piklouche to help him with his
superior far-sightedness, to enter into the campaign
With him, and aid .him in hunting down the abomin-
able pair who had perpetrated this atrocity.
Piklouche became anxious. He nodded his head
with an air of comprehension at each of his com-
panion's observations, and drained a glass of neat
brandy little by little before responding.
"Good heavens !" at last he ejaculated. "I
begin to see that the death was not natural. Have
You made known the facts to the Commissary of
Police?"

"I have precious good. care not to; I want to d D
without him. Time enough to let him know who rt
I can feel sure of laying hands on tho woman and
her accomplice."
"Quite right. The commissaries can none of
them see- a hole through a ladder; . . . he would
have suspected you. . . . But tell me. . . . I sup-
pose you have kept the p:n and the letter ?"
"Ah ! I should think so! I carry them next my
heart!"

So saying, Binos drew from the pocket of his
ulster a case in which he usually carried his favourite
pipe, opened it, and took out the two evidences of
guilt confided to him by Freneuse. The pin fitted
into the groove for the pipe stem, and the letter lay
folded in the depression for the bowl.
"There is an ingenious biding place," laughed
Pii:douche.
"You see I am afraid of losing these things, to
say nothing of pricking myself," cried the artist,
"But I don't mind your examining them; in fact I
want you to, only handle the pin cautiously."
"I won't touch it, that is the safest! If you will
allow me, I will be satisfied with trying- to make
out what is written on this bit of paper."
" What ! If I will allow P I tell you I long to
know what you think. Myself, I find a proof of
crime in every line !"
While Pi6douche was smoothing out the crumpled
letter, Binos happening to look up noticed a
malicious smile on the face of old Pigac
The good man had been in no wise disturbed by
the foregoing conversation, which his deafness pre-
vented his understanding; but the sight of the pin
and the paper appeared to give him uncommon
pleasure.
my buck," said he, pointing with his brown
old finger, "so you turn your sweetheart's pretty
trifles into relics, oh? What it is to be young! ho
is handsome, I dares, the damsel who pinned her
bonnet en with that?"
"Don't touch! It bites!" shouted Binos, and for
greater security he shut the case.
"All right! All right ! 'on% be jealous my boy,"
answered the druggist; "such fooleries don't belong
to my age." •
" Then go back to your pdper, and let us alone,
old game cock," muttered the youth.
"You say I am still game ; you flatter me, young
matt, but I bear no malice," gravely replied Pigache,
taking up his journal again, for he always devoured
it to the last line.
We have no need to be uneasy about him ; he is
idseaa:ferr even than I thought for, and father l'oivrcau
e Bu'ring like a pig over there, so you can tell
me
just what you think of that letter, my dear
friend."
•
t‘her Itedoies not prove very mu*" returned Pi(.douche,
8 not a line of which one can make complete
sense."
"No; but one
can read in between the lines.
A(.47 ar)ired a mouth ago.
'She '—that is evidently
the girl they sectu-ed in the omnibus. / 'wiz) n to
Prqjf't'—the plan of killing her with the
pin, that's clear. ' Goes out very Zittl-, but so,ntiines
in the tvening—epeaking all the time
of the girl:;
the brutal writer does not know whom she went to
see, but he know where, in the neighbourhood of the
Halle ally \Tins. Good Heavens! And he laid in
wtiit for her return."
"My dear friend, you go too far. I can't see
that you have much to guide you. Nothing like
ulvit you suppose. As for the pin, I can find out if
you like the pcison it was dipped in; I know a
chemist who is a first-rate authority on that sort of
thing. lie can make some axperiments—analyses,
and so on."
"That ifthe style," cried Dines.
"Only you must give me the pin to make over to
him," actoed Pi4douche.
"Ali right !" said Binos, " I ask for nothing
better. I am sure you will not make a bad use of
it. It will be as safe with you as with me."
"I would offer you to be present at the analysis,"
continued Pijdouche •, "but I am afraid my friend
SviCt/Iti raise obie:tions.because.-vou see. in fact. he is

an expert retained by the tribunals, and as this is not
a legal, but a sort of private, affair—in short, if he
were told the omnibus story he might fear being
compromised should he employ his skill for an indi-
vidutil he did not know, whereas I am his friend,
and he will not ask for any explanation, or, at lest,
ho will not question whatever I choose to tell him."

-
"That is enough; take the pin, old fellow, and
the case into the bargain. I make one condition,
though-.!'

"'What ?"

"That you will promise to work with me. I have
sworn to hunt down this guilty couple, and without
you I shall do no good.'
"How came you to form such an estimate of my
talents as a detective ?" asked Piedouche, laughing.
"How P' cried Binos ; "well, as we have gone so
far, I don't mind telling you I fancy you have had
something to do in that line up to pretty recently."
"You are very complimentary, especially as you
do not seem to share the prejudices of most people
against the police and all that appertains to them.'
"I toll you, if I were not an artist I would be
a detective myself—that is, you,; understand,, n t
paid spy. I should enjoy going in for amateur man-
hunting—for my friends, like M. Locoy in Gabo-
rian's novels."

"If I am not mistaken,' M. Lecoy had been a
secret agent by profession."
"Well, I have not. I have mistaken my veca-
tion ; but with you it is different, surely!"
"Whatever I may have been," answered Pie-
ctouche, with a discreet smile, "I must beg yo,i to
believe I am not of the professional brotherhood
now.,
"All the more reason why you can help me;' said
Dines. "If you were attached to the PrefeAure
you would not be so free, while at present you can
follow up any investigations you choose,"
"There is certainly nothing to prevent it, ly•t,"
said Piedouche, "if the investigations result in
anything what good will ensue?"
"Vengeance for the death of the poor girl assas-
sinated by heartless villains."
" '.['hat is something, I admit. The question is,
have we a chance of success? I think you told me
the victim had not been recognisel at the Morgue."
' " No, worse luck! And she is to be buried this
evening."
"The deuce! Then we have not a moment to
spare. If we can't find out who she is, we can't
find out who killed her. I must own Ido not see
the way to discovering her name."
"There is only one way--discovering her
tom e."

"Not so easy—"
"No, but still quite possible. We have already
an indi ation. Turn back to the letter. At the
third line you will see 'rue des' not rue de.'
"I see, you take the plural as a basis of a,tion."
"Just so. And before this I should have gone
through all the streets with a name in the plural if
I had not been waiting here for you. For three
days I have been chained EO to speak to the Grand
Bok,' as Poivreau could bear witness if he was
not drunk, or old Pzache, only he is too deaf to
ask."

"how could I help it. I was engaged in the
le;_L,ra y business. The delay is very aggravating--
we mu t try to make up for it. By looking in the
calendar we shall find all the streets that are likely
to interest us, and we can divide the labour. You
shall visit one-half of Paris and I the other. There
is one way also to reduce our search. You say the
unhappy girl took the last omnibus from the.lialle
aux \ ins "
" Yes, the one that gets :to its destination after
midnight."

" SO-then she was evidently going home to bed,
and must have lived in the latitude of the Place
Pigallo. Therefore it would be wise to begin look-
ing in that quarter. Do you know a 'rue des'
thereabouts?"

"Yes, several. Rue dos Martyrs—Rue des
Abbesses."

" We 1, we will inspect thope before any others."
" Hum ! The Rue des Martyrs Is terribly long—
reaches from the Notre Dame de Soxrette to the hill
of Montmartre."

" What!" cried Piodouche, laughing, " drawing
back already at the rrospect of the work 1'
" No, but I dread a loss of time," replied Binos.
"Then let us attack the Rue des Abbesses."

"That is quite close by," said the artist, "and
not very long. Good! There is nothing to prevent
us. I say us, because you mean I am sure to
accompany me. That suits me to aT. Without
you I should do no good. I don't know how to
talk:with porters; I only know how to cheek them.
You must teach me the business, and when I have
had a lesson or two you will see I shall not do
badly."
'Jam convinced of it," replied Pi 'douche, gravely;
"you will see the matter is not difficult. It requires
a little confidence and sharpness. But ilyou really
want to profit by your appr. nticeshin, you must
make your enquiries yourself. I shall be there to
prompt you."
" Splendid ! Let us beg.n the campaign at
once.'

"Ah ! I love this noble ardour. lam all yours,"
answeved PhdouGhe. "Can I take the poisoned
pin F"
",The pin and letter both if you like. shall feel
more comfortable when:they are in your possession.
for in my lodging there is not a single article of
furniture that locks, and nearly all my pockets ha % e
holes in them."
"The deuce! But it would never do to lose such
precious bits of evidence. I will take care of them,
giving them up, of course, to you the first time
they are wanted," said Pi6douche, enclosing the
letter in the pipe-case with the pin.
Pigache, worthy man, having finished his reading,
regarded the proceeding with a placid grin:
"You are astonished, papa, that I pocket such
frivolities," shouted Piedouche ; "but you ought
not to be. It only shows that our friend Binos has
implicit confidence in me."
'Eh! What? " ask-ed the old fellow; putting
his hand to his ear.

"Nothing, old blockhead," retorted Bines, who
was already standing up.
Piedouche cros,s2d over and shook the master of
the establishment till he awoke, paid the reckoning,
and went out. Binos followed, and they walked
together towards the Place St. Pierre, which opens
at the foot of the hill, Montmartre. One can reach
the flue des Abbesses that way, and Piedouch had,
no doubt, his reasonings for choosing it. Fiklouche
was always singularly well dressed, and, perhaps, he
did not care to be seen in the more-frequented
thoroughfares in company with a Bohemian clad in
a shabby ulster, and an old felt hat with a flapping
brim.
As they were entering the flue d'Orscl he ob-
served, "I do not imagine from your description,
and from all you have told me, that this poor girl
can have had any goods of her own. Probably she
was in a furnished room."

"It is true her toilet was not imposing—the dress
of a work girl," answered Binos. "She must have
lived in some garret."
" Yes ; let furnished. I ask you, because w(
shall perhaps do well to begin with the lodging
houses."

"A good idea! A capital idea! All you have
such perception. Now I should never have thought
of that. As you reason so quickly, can you not give
a guess as to why they killed her? It was not lo
rob her, that is certain. They only found 7721. in
her pocket."
" What? Have you not guessed yourself?
Why, parbleu! It was some woman's vengeance!"
" l'erhaps, perhaps," said Binos." "And yet he
did not look one of the sort to excite jealousy."
"Pardon me You said she was remarkably
handsome."

" Yes ; but she had the reserved, modest air of a
girl brought up by a strict mother."
" l'ooh ! You can never go by appearances.
Such damsels are not allowed to run about at mid-
night, nor to travel alone in omnibus.s. For that
matter we need not conjecture just now as to w`ny
she was killed; when we know where she lived we
can do that."

" Eight, as usual," assented Bino3, who was
always of the same mind as Pidouche.

Tliey were walking fast, and had already passed
the theatre of Mcntmartre. A little beyond com-
mences the Rue des Abbesses, and runs up as far as
the I:tie Sepic. It is one of the best streets in the
neighbourhood, and the kind of lodgings which are
abundant enough on the exterior boulevards are not
common there. The houses look w ell tenantod and
respectable; it is also the quarter for the Maine
and the Post-office for the eighteehth district. It is
not a street much frequented; one can walk there
without being pushed about by other foot
passengers.
Presently Pi&louche stopped in the middle of the
road, and, pointing out a low doorway supported by
an arched window-frame, said:
"There, my friend, there is an odd den which
does not look too inviting! On that very account it
may pay you to go into it."
"With you ? " added Binos.
"Certainly not."
"'low now? You want me to go into this
infernal warren all alone !--interrogate the owner
about a person whose name I don't even know.
Deuce take me if I know how to set about it."
"You shrink from mere trifles. There are three
or four ways of setting about it."
"Which would you take yourself ? "
"The simplest. I should draw from my pocket a
five franc piece, which I should be careful to let the
master of the establishment catch sight of—or if you
have only to deal with a porter, two francs would do
—and I should politely ask him whether such and
such a in had ever lodged with him. It is long
odds that you get an answer, and if the answer is
No,' ' will be the truth, for those people know the
value of their words, and understand that you only
fart with your coin in exchange for useful informa-
ion.''
" It soi,nas to me you would carry out the part
much better than I could."
You are mistaken. I never saw the girl, and
sl.ould describe her very badly' whereas, you had
leisure to examine her, and could give a sketch in a
fe-w words that would be recognised at once."
"in fact I should paint her from memory. I
have some thoughts of doing so—reposing as she was
at the Morgue. What a realistic subject for next
year's salon."

"Very• well, then go ahead 1 What holds you
back "

" Parbleu I since I must tell you—what holds me
back is, that I haven't got a five frano piece, nor yet
two francs either. I—l—a forgot my purse."
"Oh! is that it? Here is mine," said Pi4dou(he,
drawing from his pocket a handsome one of leather.
"Inside there is the wherewithal to loosen the
tongues of all the lodgers of Montmartre, and I
hope you will make use of it.'
Binos hesitated for form's sake, but accepted the
offer, saying
"It is only a loan, my dear fellow, you know. .
A loan I will certainly pay back before long, and
you may rely on my managing the financial
question. . . Perhaps I shall get the informa-
tion for a franc. . . but now I think of it . . .
when once I have it, what good will it be? I shall
not be much further on—suppose they say the
person in question did live there, but has not been
heard of for three days—what else can I do ?"
"Find out something of her habits, and who went
to see her. . . ask whether she left any luggage.
or papers in her room . .what name she was
known under, and when you know all that, you will
only have to hasten to the Morgue, make your decla-
ration to the recorder, and he will inform the police.
The landlord will be called up; he will identify his
late ten Int, and then you will have a basis to go
upon, and can begin serious enquiry."
"In conjunction with you, I hope ?"
"Assuredly, if you must have it so. I do not
care to figure prominently in the business, but I
will not stint my advice if you really believe your.
in need of it."

" Pi6douche, my dear friend, we will stick together
through thiok and thin !" exclaimed Binos, in a
transport of enthusiasm. "I will cross the thresh.
hold of this dwelling (the reverse of a palace) and
enter on a diplomatic career under your auspices.
You will wait for me ?"

"Willingly—over there, opposite the Maire.
Take 3 our time, I am in no hurry—if we have hit
ulon the light place, pursue your enquiries. Lea/n
all you can, and above all, do not forget to ask
whether the lost girl left any papers. It is very
important that hr identity should be thoroughly
established at the outset."

" All right; I understand. Now for it !" ex-
claimed the volatile youth, striding towards the
doorway indicated by his sagacious friend, who, for
his part, turned back up the Rue des Abbesses.
The entrance to the alley was open, and 13inos
went in with cautious steps.
"Whit a man !" he murmured. . . . "Hit shoul I
prove that the little one loiged hero. Piklouche
will have shown himself the keenest detective of
modern times, for he brought me straight to the
spot. On my honour, I should almost suspect he
kileu it 1"

(To be continued.)