The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-20

paGufeui VIII spare you TUG blkut VI
E.Iei which, without doubt, you would
SaEn into testimony against myself"
"Well," said the Judge, not needing
his remark, ''is not N. Duhot, the elder,
before you now, Just as you last left
him, when the crime was doneR Do
You not recognize the familiar attitude
in which he sat, the very clothes he
wore2 The position Of the body and
the head is not changed by the fraction
OF an inch"
"And how, sir, should I know, as I
was not there at the moment when this
execrable crime was committedT
"You will observe" continued the
judge, perfectly unmoyed, "what has,
perhaps, for the moment escaped your
attention; you will notice how easy It
Is for one to imagine the whole scene.
The assassin was behind the chair In
which NJ. Duaot sat, when he refused
to countenance any longer your miscon-
duct. II is certain that some figuring
had been done, some accounts reckoned
up; that, by mischance, you had soiled
your fingers with ink, for one Of the
hands that was laid in violence upon
this venerable head has left q mark Inn
printed in the self same ink that is in
the ink bottle on this table. It was the
left hand-ahl you start!-it was, l say,
The lett hand, and you are q
left handed man! Almost at the
same instant the right handbook. you
can see the mark OF the thumb-closed
upon NJ. Duhot's neck and pressed the
carotid, not quite 80 torcibly, perhaps,
as the left, which soon came TO its
fellows assistance and completed the
work. Obi you can easily follow 1t out
yourselfl See! let me ask you to place
your fingers here, upon these finger
marks-ohl but without gloves, with.
out gloves, begl-good perfect 1s 1t
not strange that these hands OF yours, 80
delicate, should have been able TO per-
form 80 muchP Now, give aslight pres.
surs-so, gently-what have you 70 fear,
since you were not the assassin"
"Listen, sir" said Duaot; "this Is al |
most sacrilegel Besides, you see my
thumb much more than covers the mark |
left by the assassin"
"Bnt you must surely be aware"
cried the judge, smiling, that your
thumb appears longer now because 1t Ia
repose. At that moment, you will rec
ollect, you contracted it-let me show
you-so. As you have 1t now there is
little doubt-but see what has happened
extraordinary NJ. Dufots eyes have
openedl"
Armande DuAot made one quick step
backward; his face in an instant grew
pale as death; his lips visibly trembled.
Over the face of the dead man change
had come; the eye lids had contracted,
the bloodshot eyes, fixed in q
CLASSY stare.
"It-it Is indeed extraordinary" said
Duflot, with avisible effort. "And see,
how he keeps them open, as il he were
looking at us. ALL do not like this
no, truly l cannot stand it. It is a
,hastly farce, and sickens me. Por
Gods sake close his eyes, as you know
mad nothing to do with i'll All! | re.
member yes, remember once when he
cooked at me like that. It was because
II debt, a gambling debt-a gambling
lebt. He would not-no, this time he {
would not-in any case. not lmmediate-
y, and at last he looked at me, just as
le is looking at us now, and he said:
Well, so be It; this one will pay, butif
you fecommeRce l swear 10 you ] will
you Let me ask you, should
le have so? And the whole time
10 looked at me like that-ifI should
i've for hundred years could never for.
ret that look. But enough! 1tell you l
'annot look any longer, l cannot. Then
left him and ran-no l did not,
walked slowly, I remember, quite slowly
% my club-and his eye followed me,
,ould see 1t always before me. Ahl
nave l said anything bad about him?
And you? Why do you also look at me
ike thatl Bah they are all looking at
ne, they all have Rhaetly faces, they all
urn thoir terrible eyes upon me. Tell
ne, have you not had suflicient-will
you not let me go? After all, one look
8 Just like another-tkere is no reason
Why it should be otherwise. Alb! old
nan, you have tried hard to frighten
ne, but will not be superstitious. l
will not, tell you. But let me 60 on.
For two months past I could draw
nothing from him. He firmly refused.
It was unbearableI And all the time
here were his drawers full Of gold-of
,oldI l had only to stretch out my
iand-but for Gods sake close his eyes!
All! ahI Tell me, were they like that
Ehen he was first found? Were they
till like that2 Had he not bis old fash.
oned spectacles on2 All close his eyes!
They fasten upon me and are sucking
ny bloodl Stop! Yesl II was so he
ooked at me when grasped his neck
rom behindl Every moment since
hen his eye has looked at me like that,
and-and-take me away, take me away
Do not tell You that 1t was IL
who killed himv'