The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-09-10


Almost the first thing my eye fell on
was a foreign telegram, bearing Il
Paris date:
"A horrible murder was committed
early this morning in the Rue de Rev
erdv. An artist named Guisac is the
victim. Guisac was found in his stu
dio by the concierge with his throat
cut from ear 10 ear. Deceased was a
man ranking high in the profession.
His picture La Bernhardt." hung in
the last years salon. brought him
prominently into notice. The MUIR
derer is still at large"
The paper fell from my hands. /
leaned back in my chair prey to Il
variety of the strangest emotions
which ever agitated the human breast.
can not convey any idea OF tae ex-
traordinary impression produced upon
nv mind by the reading of the para
graph. ! hung around town in a NOR
bid condition for two or three days.
AT the end of that time [ determined
to start for Paris.
took with me in my mind Il photo
graph of the picture which | had tin
ished in my sleep. l WAS profoundly
affected by the whole affair, ana said
nothing TO anybody.
The ocean trip somewhat restored
my mental equilibrium. BY the time
| had arrived in Paris had persuaded
myself that | had added the two fig
ures to the picture in my waking mo-
ments. and that cver-application to my
beloved art had brought on tempo
rary lapse OF memory.
| had even persuaded myself that
my dream and its confirmation by
cable in the morning paper were mere
coincidence.
Still | was possessed of an Unsuitable
longing 10 solve this mystery.
put up at a little hotel off the Rue
D'Antoine. and slept soundly with the
roar of Paris in Ely ears.
Next morning | sent for a commits
sionaire. | am very tolerable French
scholar.
What is your best paper here?"
was my first question.
There are several" was the reply.
The GditoiS is Il good journal-as
good rs any, in fact"
Go and get me the GaIl0iS of date
June II"
In half an hour it was in my hands.
| soon found the account of the muir
der. An enormous headline called at
tention TO it. 1t had been evidently
the sensation of the day. There was
column and half of it, as we'll as
an editorial consisting largely of hints
10 the police rs 10 how they should
best discover the murderer.
BY reading these | found out that
the murder had been committed short
ly after O'Clock in the morning, the
body having been found at little
after by the concierge, when it was
still warm. Roughly estimating the
difference in time between Paris and
Chicago at five and half hours. Mon
sienr Guisac must have met his death
at about the time when dreamed |
saw him lying with lis throat cut, up
on the hearth-rug.
Impeiled now by an irresistible inn
pulse to slit this mystery to the very
bottom. called upon the project OF
police and persuaded him to permit
me to visit the scene of the murder l
told him nothing. To this day he be-
lieves | was impeled to it by mere
curiosity. The body OF the dead artist
had been removed. of course, but moth
inc in his rooms had been disturbed.
| trcmbied violently as | entered the
vestibu.c. and turned somewhat pale.
The officer who accompanied me
noticed that WAS visibly affected.
Monsieur finds it too warm" he
said politely, and he threw UP a win
dow.
(Which room was the studio?' |
asked, my voice strangely thick and
husky. InstincliveIy | dreaded to
enter the apartment which had been
the scene of that horrible nightmare,
the influence OF which was now begin
ming To rcaSsert itself strangely. Nv
heart almost ceased beating as the
officer threw back the portierc, and.
passing 10y him, entered the apart
mcut.
A small painting stood upon an
easel near one of the windows. With
uncertain footsteps and Il brain whirl-
ing with the straugcSt emotions which
ever man experienced. | approached
it. There was not quite light enough
to see it diStinctivcly. | drew up the
curtain and let the sunlight stream in
TO the darkencd chamber.
The next moment | had uttered
loud cry. tottcrad aud fallen helpless
upon my knees at the foot OF the easel.
There upon small canvas was
sketca in oil. colored and drawn with
master hand. 1t was Il study of two
persons in the act Of leave-taking.
They stood boldly in the foreground of
the picture. A tail, dark. handsome
man. the counterpart of the figure IN
my Chicago picture. with tue same sad
and striking expression on his face
with the brave soul shining through it,
a woman, the very reproduction of the
conception and execution of my sleep
ing moments. on whose tender face
the trace OF recent tears was marvel
lousls deineatcd. aud about whose
low white forehead and over whose
charming eyes her hair, of Iitianesque
red. vas blown by the breeze, leant
with one hand upon the mans shoul-
der and the other haud ciaspcd in his
| looked ut the title. and amazement
grew upon amazemeat. It was also
the very counterpart OF my own The
picture was named LES Adieux."
The voice of the officer aroused me.
They saw there is romantic story con-
nected with that picture. You sec 1t
is the portrait of Monsieur Guisac
paiuted by himself. The woman he
was to have been married to, but they
quarreled and parted just week be-
fore he committed suicide"
Monsieur Guisac was not MUIR
dered. then?n
No. That was the theory at first,
but it w,.s afterward abandoned. Mile.
Helene Michaud-that was the lady s
name-came forward aud threw an
entirely new light upon the subject. A
more thorough search of Monsieur
Guisac's effects revealed small pack
ase. 1t contained his will, in which
he stated his Intention Of taking his
own life and bequeathing to Mile.
Helene Michaud everything he had In
the world.
had been captivated by the picture
of the woman with the tender face and
Titiauesquc hair. | sought her ou
I i -.