New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-30
AFTER THE CRIME

FEoM THE FRENCH OF CONSTANT GCEEOCLT
1t was at the extremity of u village window
was hurriedly thrown open; and a man appeared
At II, his features livd his eyes hasGard. his lips
agitated by n cOnvnlsivc trenor; his night hand
grasprd O. knife from which blood was dripping,
drop by drop. He cast look into the silen,
r0ri a 'n pTansb to tic e cs an"
At the end Of quarter of an hour he stopr =,
exhausted, brcathlcss, at the edge OF WOOD,
twenty PAGES from highway. He searched Tor
the most closely. grown, the most lmpenrtiani"
spot to I've fond, and pressed his way into IT,
regardless of the thorns that We're tearing him :;
then he began to die up the earth with his knife;
When he bad made a hole foot deep, hc placed
the weapon in it, and covered it with the sol
he had dug ont. recovered i with grass 500,
which lie trsmpled down solidly after which he
sat down upon the wet grass -,
lie listened; and appeared terrified " the
silence which hung upon the COUNTY; ~ r,n,,
1t was the hour when the darkness oil night
is replaced by that gray and uniform tint wh>c'
il neither day night, and through when 3D.
jects look like phantonls.
IL seemed 10 him that he alone in this
funeral immensely. in Tn" midst of this DUMB ana
dim nature. Suddenly a sound mad" Inn START
a league away perhaps; bnt in the s'lc,"" .tl,l,
strange and dscordant noise made Itself heard
with singular distinctncS* =. man, ,h, ,o,,,
Then Nature awokc little by llttl" me . id 1is
took flight toward the blue sky. pouring out his
notes, at once timid and charming. overliowins
sing and fiutter amid the leaves glittering with
dew: on ali sides-in the mos, on which the the
Sjse.st osS where ths S 1opto"sy pmed
herself In the etlcr-arosc II morning concert so
harmonious in its eon1s"n :" i G.'T rst !" ravs
coming from the East that it might well DC
called a hymn 10 the sun: ;r;,,,
Nature expanded herself. radiant and virginia a.
all was grace, freshness. sparkle, in the forest
whore q blue mist still float"d: I'll was cam an,
hushcd in the plain. the great lines Of which IN:
Ha'ed :. G" ,f gray i" Blue 4" skS '
The murderer rose: his limbs trembcd. and his
teeth clnttcred one against tho other.
the branches with precaution, stopping, etarting
drawing back his head hastily At tho least sounl
then, at length. Ire Quilted the ;. dcns se grown
He pressed forward deeper into the forest choos-
ing always the most shaded portions and avoiding
the open parts and the beaten paths, mas'ns Ire;
befofe him ere ne advanced. In this way ne
walked all day without being conscious OF fatigue
great wac the he %c q" rees
whose imposing trunks stood white and smooth
like thousands Of columns. crowned win folia%c.
A calm dav, harmonious silence, added 70 thc
impression OF grandeur and retirement made 10y
this beautiful spot something animate seemed 10
throb amid the luminous shade of the motioniess
b"nchs. as IL a soul were there amid the Shadows
murmuring mysterious syllables. -,
The fugitive felt i'll at ease. and; creeping IKE
Su:l D the Ssas ms of T %hc %" Simplicity
When hc was In safety, he frst raised his hand
10 his had and then TO his stomach anu muttered
II ain hungry!
IN. sound Of bis voice made him shndder: it
was the first time he had heard il since the muir:
der, and It resounded in his ears like knell aud
q menace For some moments he remained mo
tionIcs and held his breath, il in fear of having
When he had become little calmcr, he felt in
his pockets one after the other they contained a
few s0us.
THAT will be enough he said in low tone:
lin six hours | shall haye crossed the frontier :
then can show myself; / can work, and shall be
At tho end Of an hour he felt the cold begin TO
stiffen his limbs. for with the coming OF night the
dew fell. and his only clothes were linen blonSe
cautiously quitting his thorn bushes. continued
his march. lie halted at the first signs Of
and must now enter upon :he oocn country. must
show himself in the full light Of day and struck
with terror by this thought he dared not advance
While he was standing hidden in ,hicket tho
sound Of horses koofs was heard lie TUNED
''' "Gendarmes,o he ga4pcd. crouchins down upon
the ground.
IL was farm-laboier going to the fields: with
two horses to lie wac az MS Shn
81 ~ Voice Sc sreS t" f h i Oh Ills ""'
The peasant turned round 49,,
Halo! is that you. Franco~' Where are
10h I'm going to wash this bundle of linen at
the spring close bv.
I'm goin2 within two steps oil II; put your
bundle on one OF my beasts
hanks!--fhat's not to be refused. Iow6 the
wife and the little ones-all OF them
I'm the weakest OF the family, replied
jacques, LAUGHING loudly; all goes well-work.
Joy, and health"
He tied his lash. and the sharp crack was re.
peeted BY echo after echo.
The murderer followed him with hi, eyes as far
a. he could zee him. then n deep ash escaped from
hi lips. and his gaze turned to the open country
spreading before hQn
Il must get on he murmured. 1T is twenty.
four hUurs Stree L.. All ~ discovered, l am be-
iny sought, an hours delay NAV ruin me-"
He made up his mind resolutely. and quilted
Tie forest
Al the end Of ten minutes he came within sight
OF . church tower. Then he sacxencd his pace
. prey TO q thousand conflicting feelings. drawn
toward the village b. hunger, restrained by the
tear which coun6elled him TO avoid habitations.
However. after . long struggle, during which he
had advanced o. much as possible under the screen
OF outh0uaee and brslics. he about IN enter
tfe village, when lie saw something glitter about
. hundrel PAGES from him.
IT, wac the brass badge and the pommel Of
rural pocemant sabre.
He may lave my description" lie murmured
with ahudder.
And, shrinking back quickly. he ran TO o little
10 It. pushing further and further into It's depths
forgetting his hunger, and thinking only OF flying
ffe0 che village and the rural policeman.