Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-06-26

MS VOICE was CuOheu. ne WAS SlI6ub5
unable, evidently, 10 go on.
pardon me, monsieur" said the chef de
surete, 81 have reopened painful wound,
butt listen TO you-you were sayingr'
The man passed his hand across his brow
and eyes to clear his vision, then resumed:
IL was saying, NJ. lie Chef, that in the case
which occupies US now the reconstruction
of the assassin's portrait should be entire
" possible. The victim was struck in the
face, the direction of the blow and the
form Of the wound indicates it plainly.
More than this, it must have been light
enough TO see the murderer, and with suffl-
cient clearness to have stamped his like
ness upon the retinal screen, for the papers
assert that even in death her eyes were
fixed in a wide and frightened stare
Thus, monsieur, we find ourselves in the
presence of half certainty; it is probable,
if not sure, that the eye of the corpse lying
now upon the slab of the morgue contains
the exact reproduction OF the features of
the one you seek. With your permission
will draw it from them"
Draw it; but howl"
"By photography is my business, II.
lie Chef. And this matter, this subject /
speak of, I have studied it long and almost
with passion, for hold it to be, in case of
success, one of the most useful and beauti.
ful applications Of modern science know
it can be done. l have myself expert
mented, and in one instance have repro
duced the lineaments of the physician who
had leaned above the bed of the dying.n
The man spoke with animation, and while
speaking his voice vibrated, his eyes
burned, his who countenance was illumi-
mated, irradiated with the light of legiti-
mate pride NJ Theodore regarded him,
visibly moved himself by this ardent con-
victlon.
"And you concludes" he questioned, after
q amoment'sNthought.
II couclude-but authorize me to attempt
the experiment on the woman assassinated
yesterday and 1 will tell you what 1 con-
clude If l succeed it will be for us-my
wife and me-a little glory, and also little
money-a ray of hope in our misery; If I
fail-well, no matter-we are used to mis-
fortune A deception, more or less, need
not be counted. In any event, M. le Chef,
you lose nothing in the adventure but the
chance of an unhoped for success"
''Then, so be it, monsieur" agreed the
chef de surete. "Take your instruments to
the morgue tomorrow morning at ten
O'Clock. 1 will see that the clerk is in
structed. Later on shall myself be there.
have the honor, monsieur, to wish you
good-morning."
In the obscure nook at the morgue where
he had inclosed himself in accordance with
the arrangement made at the office of the
surete Frederick Bouscal his body bent,
his face drawn, watched anxiously the re-
suit of his last washing. The plate was
there before him in its bath of quicksilver,
into which he had dropped it awhile ago
with such fear and infinite precaution.
Sensitivizedl Vitalized' At least it should
1gas
such as he supposed them, and the victim
before dying had really seen her murderer's
face, the portrait of the assassin would be
there under that bed Of gelatine en- traine
to melt away.
His throat closed as by grip of iron, the
operator held himself immovable, hearing
only with painful distinctness the gurgle of
the water as it drlpped upon the faces of
the dead in the adjoining chamber; the
plunge of his blood as it throbbed and
hammered through the arteries Of his
heart.
And at last the moment came-the mo-
ment that was to reveal to him all or
nothing. He rose, that poor, trembling
photographer, rose, say, took it carefully
by its dripping edges, that plate upon which
his fate was hanging, half closed his eyes,
held it to the single ray of light that
filtered through the yellowed pane-to
stagger back with groan Of anguish, to let
it crash INTO thousand pieces!
''His son! Great God! The face of the
murderer, the face of the sonp'
Five minutes later, when Frederick
Bouscal, the photographer, came from his
nook, and the chef de surete, awaiting him
with impatience, hurried to meet him, he
saw Immediately by the pallor Of his face,
by his somber eyes, that he had nothing
good TO announce to him.
''Well' said he, ''nothinga"
''No," responded Bouscal, ''nothingn
SALONS! no matter; try it second time;
do it over again"
'lmpossible! the transparency of the
cornea is destroyed 1 wished to wash 1t,
and l burned it through mistake In the
vials. I salute you, NJ. lie ChefI" And Fred
eriGlf Bouscal turned away.
The next morning the commissioner Of
the quarter OF Ternes, forwarding to the
prefecture his regular report, headed it
with the following itemi
To-day at ten o'clock a summons to 100
Rue Laugiere. A call from the concierge,
suspicious of charcoal fumes from the room
OF the Bouscals, man and wife, his 10
cataires The door, by my order, was
forced. Too late--they were 5ead, both Of
them, side by side upon the bed, a braziST
of lighted charcoal plainly indicating The
manner Of their death, a double suicide
poverty the cause.
"From = Commissaire, quarter Of
Ternes, third month, 10th day, 1SS-."
''Bah, these inventorsp' murmured NJ.
Theodore, as his secretary concluded the
reading, "they are AZ alike, stupid and
rashl though /, too, on this occas asien, have
naught to boast Of But how the Deuce"
he added as the memory of that pale sad
face rose up before hiHa, t'hew the deuce
could think Of suicide for cause as trifing
as this1'
"a cause as trifiing as thisp'
All, my worthy chef de surete, it is not
every ti1pg thatis known in that prefecture
of thine nei-FransiaLe1 from the French by