The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-27

4
duction Of the assassin's portrait should
be entirely possible. 1t is probable, IL
not sure, that tho eye Of the corpse now
| lying upon the slab of the morgue con-
fains the exact reproduction of the fea-
lures of the one you seek With your
permission will draw it from them"
Draw it, but howt"
''By Photographic is my business,
NJ. lie Chef. And this matter, this sub
Ject speak of, have studied it long
and almost with passion, for hold it to
De, Ill case of success, one of the most
useful and beautiful applications Of
modern science. l know it can be done.
l have myself experimental, and in one
instance have reproduced the lineaments
of the physician who had leaned above
the bed of the dying"
The man spoke with animation, and
while speaking his voice vitrated, his
| eyes burned, his whole countenance was
illuminated, irradiated with the light of
legitimate pride.
Then so be it, monsieur" agreed the
chef de surete. Take your instruments
to the morgue tomorrow morning ut 10
o'clock. will see that the clerk is in
structed. Later on 1 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 &C
cordance with the arrangements made
at the office of the surete, Frederick
| Bouscal, his body bent, his face drawn,
watched anxiously the result 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.
Sensitized? Nitalized? AT least it
| should be, and if the conditions of the
crime were 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 gelatin 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 dripped
upon the faces Of the dead in the adjoin-
ing chamber, the plunge of his blood as
it throbbed and hammered through the
arteries Of his heart.
And at last the moment came-the
moment that was to reveal to him all or
nothing. He rose-that poor, trembling
photographer rose, say, took it care
| fully 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 yellow
pane, to stagger back with a groan of
anguish, to let it crash into thousand
pieces. His son! Good heavens The
face of the murderer, the face of the son
Five minutes later when Frederick
Bouscal, tho photographer, came from
his nook, and the chief de surete, await
ing him with impotence, 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, "nothing?"
NO" responded Bouscal, nothing"
"Allons no matter. Try it n second
time. Do it again"
impossible! The transparency of the
cornea is destroyed. l wished to wash
it, and burned it through mistake in
tho walls. l salute you, NJ. lie Chefm
And Frederick Bouscal turned away.
The next morning the commissaire of
the quarter of Ternes, forwarding to the
prefecture his regular report, headed it
with the following item:
To-day at 10 o'clock summons to 100
Rue Laugiere. a call from the con
cierge, suspicious of charcoal fumes
from the room of the Bouscals, man and
wife, his locataires. The door by my or
der was forced. Too late-they were
| 1nn1 hnt1, nf L. 1
the bed, brazier OF lighted charcoal
plainly indicating the manner of their
death. double suicide-poverty the
cause. "-Tit-Bit Prize Story From the
French.