Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-14
THE CONCEALED PAPER.

1 RSSaAieti surrounding objects mysterious and tragic | air by sharpening shadows, the yellowish glare of the bulls eye lantern illuminates the l scene It was in the office of the conmis. saire of police of one of the quarters border. l ing the left bank of the Seine. ! The bulls eye, placed on his desk, traces r the outlines. like Chinese shadows, of a group of men gathered about something in l visible and extended-a person or thing. One distinguishes the kepis of the sergents de vile, few fashionably cut coats, a blue | blouse, hand clasping sort of barge mans hook; and then, talking together at one side, the commissaire of police and a young doctor of neighboring quarter On the command of the commissaire one of the sergents de vile lifts the bulls eve. the group divides and the luminous arrow falls upon stretcher and a rigid form sharply de- fined, whilst the faces of the spectators and the rest of the room disappear in inky night with but single fantastic reflection left upon the ceiling and a restless shadow or two upon the wall. The rigid form is that of woman. young, blonde, very pretty, undisfgured, the simple woolen dress nodded to the limbs by the weight of the water with which it is soaked and which drips to the floor. The little boots are coquettish, the stockings fine. the underlinen lace trimmed, che entire cos tune that of one of the better class of work ing women, probably a milliner i'll some shop on the boulevard. In her ears are tiny tur- quols forget-me-nots, and on her fingers rings
 The doctor, on one knee, beside the stretcher. feels her hands, studies her face moment. and speaks:
 "Three days, at least three days, she has been dead"
 Then commences the search for the identi- fication of the drowned girl. In her pocket Is handkerchief embroidered with an "A ? a purse containing ten francs twenty-five centimes, bunch of keys, gold thimble. One after another the commissaire receives and notes these objects
 Murder or suicide?" he questions the doctor, who does not hesitate.
 "Suicide!"
 But to be sure of it he re-examines her neck, whose round, plump whiteness shows not the slightest mark; the calm face sleeps lmmovably; he lifts the arm and regards the wrist, where clink some Turkish bangles nothing, not an abrasion, of the fine, delicate skin. He repeats, "Suicide"
 As he drops the pallid hand again an ob- ject rolled into 0 ball and hidden in the closed palm of the dead remains between his fingers. It IS a paper-perhaps the revela- ton of this grewsome mystery. Almost in- sttnctively the doctor conceals it; if it proves of importance 1t will always be time to speak Besides, in case of suicide the reason of it is not matter of importance, and that suicide it was Is evident to all. These were the only indications that could serve to identify the young woman.
 Perhaps she will be recognized at the morgue," concluded the commisSaire.
 Perhaps"
 VOllnpr DhvSipion riS l, night and the group separates
 Once in the street, the doctor walks rapid ly, mechanically lingering the scrap of paper which he had retained in the grasp The sentiment which had kept him silent was & complex one which it would have been diff cult for him to explain. He had acted from impulse and almost unconsciously Was it pity for that young creature whom all those curious eyes had been searchinga Did he think to hide from their vulgar and common place conJectureS soma sad and touching drama of lovea Was he one of those who be- lieved that the secret which the suicide had hoped to engulf with herself in those dark and struggling waters should not be wrested from her? A little of all these sentiments, perhaps, floated through the young physi- clans soul as he walked thus through the night.
 All at once he stopped in front of a bril- liantly lighted shop window, and smoothed out the crumpled paper, wet still with the water of the Seine, and read it.
 ''rhree days did I says" he murmured aloud; "three days-then-but no, no, am wrong; it would be too horrible! Neverthe- less, will speak to him-I must speak to him-I must make him rnderstandr
 And the doctor fetraced his steps, turning ,;e Tow, ~5 T. drawn and agitated by tenacious and un- welcome memory.
 Still young, his beard and hair untouched by time and work, his eyes clear, his figure supple and erect. Dr. Lucien Telurque was one ot the most pleasing members of Parisian society, and at the same time 0 practitioner with future. Tenacious and perseverine like all Bretons, he had made his own way in the world, using in the service of an iron will superb physique and an inbroken and TO- bust constitution Esteemed and appreciated by every one as he undoubtedly was, there were sttll not few who did not pardon him for the brusque frankness which kept him constantly at war with the loose morals and careless callous consciences of the majority of the worldllngs with whom he associated.
 Among his patients there was one in par
  lege companion and chum, handsome Rob- ert Berain," as he had been called, at pres ent a stock broker, husband of charming wife and father of three lovely children. Telurque felt for him sincere and genuine friendship, although their characters diff fered as widely as the poles.
 As a bachelor, when their college days had passed, Robert had been thorough rake, d. ways in some 'affaire" or dangling at some womans apron str1ngs-briefy, through and through, though Telurque had refused to be- lieve 1t, an interruptions scamp. Tn late years Lucien, by reason of his position, his manly character and serious way of regarding women and love, had engaged in many a hot discussion with his friend, whose sen- suality, which he was beginning to find out, knew no bounds and recognized no obsta- cles.
 When Berain married Telurque had hoped for time to see him change, but alas! at the end of six months of married life the rake had returned with greater self indul- gence than ever to his bachelor vices, and Telurque was saddened and disheartened moro than I can say
 "Ah" he would exclaim when angered by some fresh proof of Roberts frivolous pro