, 1879-05-24
Houses of Crime.

~ hYC9,H
"No. eol"
"Exactly."
"That houso there1''
."Ycs, Monsleur."
And 50 another stops IN the street, lttts his
eyes to the house, utters m ejaculation, and
questions the people already assembled. Ono
Of them, the ceutre Of the crowd, Is doing the
honors Of the bloody story.
"On the SECOND aoorl"
AYES, SIR"
"Can you show nc the window1'
+" 1F1M pleasure. There, over tho
tailor's siGn."
"l1ow stranget Aud you say tho aasassin
did not Try to escapel"
"Not the slightest attcmpt1'
"But ho might havet'
"Ycs. be might"
L did as everybody else, and stopped at No.
eB, whcr1 thcre lad been an attempt ut murder
tue night before. listened to what was said,
without taking part in the discussion.
Somebody turned to mo and said:
NDon't you think there Is something sinister
about tint housed i suggests murdef.'
II do not SEQ t." replied, VT looks like
ally other house,"
who read faces tluontly,-wlIich somo people
dcuy,-conld hayu made anything out Of the
nllysioenomy Ut houses. Stone does not give
IN its secrut as easiy md quickly rs flesh.
Where the mouth opens, the door Is closed.
WiIor, tho tongue speaks, Tho wall ie silent.
Houses arc tho masks of sogety- Ahl nil
ta}ln,g into thu style Of TIC gentleman from
What mean is. ttAt houses are not to 10 re.
lied on. r!sclr exterior ls noro dccuptiYe than
Is generally supposed. There arc nome that
bafIIc observation al,d cheat conjecture. One,
With an ignoblo exterior, shclters. al the vlr-
tues; another, white With grccn blinds, IL d deu
is rifle, there aro few houses Ia Pasia that
hare not, al one ttme or another, heen the scene
OF dramatic eplsodes.
i make It point, every time am about to
hire IN apartment, to nnd out whether anythng
sad or trnglr has happened within It's walls.
Yuu can understand that, without being tow
ard. .y0 do not wish to llavo cur nights
troubled by tho recollection OF butcllery; or
to lind out, oil at oncc, By paragraph IN q
occupied BY seountlrcl capable Of cutting Ills
fellow.1nan up into eighteen slices.
To obtain tie Information | desire I some.
litnes resort to aEtiilee.
Let us suppose Il concierge, or tanitor, taking
mo through the apartments wish to sec. l
pretcua to take 1tvtly Interest In what ho
saws, lie calls my Intention to the admirable
condition oil floors md cet!thEs, tho multiplicity
ton, tic mirrors In every room, tho new pAper
window nnll goc. into rapturcs over tho yicw.
III congl,lxio1 ho cxtols the peaceful habits Of
At tnls 1nomunt, with an mir Of assumed ludlf-
ference, put t!e fnsttlioua question: "lsn't
th!s tho house wllaru thnt dreadful thing hap
poncd, 10 much talked Of at tho titnn1"
"Ohl aioulleur, that was more than aftcon
years ngo."
Thai settles It.
/ WON'T tako the rooms: bnt continue to
question tho taEltor.
III was." continue, VII remember Alright,
-"No, Monsieur, IL was woman.'
10, yes, n woman; tho wretch
"liow, Monsieur, you know that dreadful
s'Pcrfcctty." .......
"'rho proprietor forb!ls us to speak OF It, be-
Cause there aro people who ara upsrt BY things
lilo that But soc with pleasure that Mor-
acar is aboYo allcta weaknuss."
.,shs staoo:a !.im ~ =, VII! a.. = tponiarda"
"Strangled hlnl-ycs, flint was it.''
"And tinisi,oa him with Kitchen knife" con-
tfnucs tic lanator.
IA carving -kntfo, probahlyf"
"Tnera was pool Of blood these, right by thu
"Aba!n
III was when waa sweeping the stairca,s, at
Q Ia ,hc morning, that saw IT,"
Carried away by tho riyidnsss Of his recollec..
tons, tho tmprudsut janitor let's loose tho lool-
gDtes Of memory.
"Look here, alr, +" says he. ''jast step this way
Tor moment"
"WiIlhgly."
" The crinlc was committed In this room,-
which you will probably use ~ yonr bedroom"
"MOht asaureuIy.''
VT wtll suit you nlccly.n
VI know II wtll," ropiy, shudderin9.
so Monsieur has madu up h's mind to take
themin
~ will let you know tomorrow
n-tnn