The Columbus journal., 1888-12-26

AS he said this his voice tVas gradually
lowered, and was finally lost in sobs. A
moment aftarward, relaxing his grasp,
heaving chest sent forth great sighs. At
last he carried his glass to his lips, took
several swallows Of absinthe, rose from
his chair and returned to his corner,
where he resumed his former mysterious
manner. Looking at him, l asked my
self If I had been dreaming. If this extra
! ordinary being were a reality and had
been sitting face to face with me, his
hand upon my arm, and speaking to me.
The servant came to tell me that my
supper was served at another table. /
did not have much appetite. However,
I made an attempt to eat my soup:
When the innkeePer returned called
him to me and said:
Tell me what you know about this
strange man who has Just related to me
the story of Mathurin's assassination"
Nv host smiled calmly as lie replied:
.Ah, he has told you that story. ]
knew he would tell it to you some time.
He tells it to everybody. He think
of nothing else. He is not happy. poor
old man."
aBut why does he remember with such
| distinctness q crime, which most of the
people of the village have long since for
gotten:"
t.Ah! He was the syndic when the
| first touched the corpse after its diScOv-
ery. 1t was he who formally announced
| the murder to the authorities and or
| dered an inquest; and he took an active
| part with the police in searching for the
! assassin. All this affected his mind. At
| first no change in him was noticed, ex-
| cent that he seemed to be q little nerv-
Gus. People said, All, the poor syndic; he
is troubled over this affair." Then, when
the inquest was finished, hcsent in his re-
signation IS syndic, saying that he was
| not worthy to hold the Office, since he
allowed people to be assassinated-just
as if he were to blame for Aiathurin's
| murder. To show their confidence in
him, the people wished to send him to
the grand council He declined to go.
He was the wealthiest land owner in this
part of the country, and was held in
great esteem by all. Soon afterward he
| lost lis wife and also his son, who died
of a cold caught on the frontier during
the war. Then he took to drink, and
would repeat to people Owe and over
again the story Of M2thurin's murder.
People began to shun him, and at last he
talked with no except strangers, to
whom he recOunted tho history of the
crime. Yes, he is certainly deEcntsd.
aud absinthe has helped to unsettle his
mind. He no longer busies himself with
anything; his affairs ere in disorder, his
property is mcrtgaged, and in a few
years he will become a charge on the
commune"
In my dealings with the inhabitants of
the valley l had found them to he very
conscientious people, and could under
stand how their sensitive minds might he
ever, the case of the old syndic seemed
extraordinary to me. l believed that l
had found in it one of those strange cases
of mental arrangement resulting from
tie cxag:s,eratiCn of ono faculty, or from
dwelling upon one idea. to which the
psychologists were beginning TO give a
great deal If attention, and l made up
my mind that l would follow it more
closely. As soon Us l had finished my
supper l approached the old man, who
had lust been served with another glass
of absinthc.
lis the place where the murder was
committed far from this village" l
asked.
He raised his eyelids, looked at me a
moment, and then rising, said:
"Comc, and l viii show you the spot"
We left the inn together.
Silence reigned throughout the village.
The houses, the roofs with their CHM
neys, tho trees end the massive old
church were all distinctly outlined in the
white moonlight. In the keen, frosty
air I could hear the fallen leaves crackle
under our feet: while the boughs of the
evergreen fir trees repeated their mono
tocous plant. The waters of the lake, q
large part of which was visible in the
moonlight, driven by the wind in waves
upon tho pebbles of the shore, COM
planned like the firs. Along the road
Arnaud's shadow advanced beside mine.
He walked with a heavy step, his back
slightly bent, his head lowered and his
arms swinging. He said nothing. By
degrees, as VIC went on over the road,
whick took US some distance from the
lake, he seemed to walk with more diff
Guilty. Although his face wa still i'm
mobile and his step was slow, his breath
ing was heavy, and at last he proceeded
Only with great effort. At O tur in the
road where three trees formed . sort Of
4 triangle he paused, drew a long breath,
and with q quick, almost automatic ges-
ture of the right arm, said:
This is the spot"
There was nothing sinister about the
place.
I wanted to ask the old mar several
questions. Contrary to my expectation,
his first emotion having been overcome,
he talked more freely than at the inn, is
If, having been obliged to make a great
effort, he Lad succeeded through that ef-
fort in putting some lucidity into his
ideas.
1.-THE corpse was there" hc said. 'at
the foot of that fir tree, stretched out in
that Objectionable extended arms al
most forming a cross, the left lee slightly
curved. There was not much blood. The
ground Was damp, and we were able TO
60 the steps Of the assassin. lie O
large shoes, with heavy nails. After tho
murder he went toward the lake by that
little path which crosses the field, per-
haps because he wanted to wash his
banda He returned and took 100 steps
toward Lien, apparently to throw people
off his track; then he went to Point. At
he edge of the village his traces were
lost-at six PAGES from my house. The
knife was never found. Nothing was
missed from Mathurin's effects; he had
100 francs in his pocket. Could you
conceive of anything so mysterious? Up
to the present time the murderer has moi
been discovered; that's certain. The af-
fair happened 50 long agoenearly every
one has forgotten it. But IL have not
forgotten it,"
As he uttered these Last words in q
broken voice, his face still expression
less, his eyes fixed ON the fatal spot, the
problem which had already presented
itself to me was brought to my mind
more clearly than ever. How, I asked
myself, could q sensible man-one whom
the citizens. not only the ignorant peas
ants, but the intelligent and educated
neonle. intrusted with their interests be-