Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-08-10

very picture of an honest, healthy, hap
Ply man, a strange contrast to the villain
Gus countenance of the man who now
bent over him.
Remond had approached the bed at the
side farthest from the window, but his
keen eyes soon perceived the corner of tho
pocketbook he was in search of project
ing little from under the pillow at the
side opposite to where he stood. He at
once perceived that he had a somewhat
difficult job before him. He dared not
risk stretching across the sleeping man,
who lay with his face toward the win
dow, in order to reach it, for the bed was
wide, and in such strained attitude as
he would have to assume he could not
rely on the steadiness of his hand. The
only alternative was to go around to the
other side of the bed, where it would be
within easy reach, in which case there
would be the danger of a shadow in con-
sequence of his having to pass between
the sleeping man and the uncurtained
window, and he knew by experience
how little sometimes awakened sleep
er. Any attempt at closing the curtains
was of course quite out of the question.
1t would be much too long and risky a
process. AL this passed rapidly through
his mind, and he promptly decided to
try the other side of the bed.
1t was a large, old fashioned 4-post
bed, and getting softly down on his
hands and knees he crawled noiselessly
round like some noxious reptile. BY this
device he avoided the danger of throw
ing his shadow on the sleeper. When he
got opposite the place where the pocket
book lay, he cautiously put himself in
such position as to be able to spring at
once to his feet if necessary, then raised
his head till his eyes were on level with
the surface of the bed. And slowly,
gently, cautiously, very cautiously, that
hand with its rapacious fingers crept over
the coverlet till it touched the prey it
sought-frst touched, then grasped, then
gently, gently, drew back again.
But what was that? What unheard of
sound disturbed the sleeper? Was it per-
chance the grating of Atropos' shears.
Who can tell? Warned by that almost
imperceptible movement, the hand lay
still as though cut in marble, while a
baneful CLEAN shot from the evil eyes
which watched the sleeper. After a
pause the gentle, gliding movement be-
gan again. Slowly the pocketbook was
drawn from its hiding place, and success
seemed certain. With shudder-the
shears must have grated more loudly
than before-the sleeper opened his eyes
Those eyes which had closed on happy
smiles and loving looks opened to fall
on that rapacious hand and evil face.
Great God! how came they there?
He had no time to think, to look, to
breathe At one fell bound the robber
springs upon him, and the long hands
clutch his throat i'll grasp of steel.
The need has come, and he looks to-
ward his companion.
Come, - he motions with his lips rather
tnlan speaks The old man struggles
hard for his dear life, and he is strong,
but that avails him not. Bertrand APP
proaches, white with fear and trembling
in every limb not at the idea of a crime,
but at his own danger.
The knife" mutters Remond hoarse-
ly, with a motion toward his pocket
Bertrand takes it out and opens it-a
wicked knife it is, with long, curved
back blade. He opens it and offers it to
Remond, who, however, seems to read
something in his hangdog face and in
stead of taking it mutterS savagely, while
his grip tightens on the old mans throat;
mo, sacre cochon! You don't play me
that trick second time. You'll take
your full share now. Cut and be quick
about it," Seeing the other hesitate,
"Cut, or by all that's damnable III slit
your throat from ear to ear and leave
You here to keep him company if swing
for it. He said this with savage fe-
rocity of look and tone that convinced
| his companion he was in earnest.
One quick movement of the venorn-
BUS curved knife, one cOnvulsive .shud-
Ter, and M. Gerpenil fell back dead,
his throat cut from ear to ear, while the
| red blood oozed slowly ont of the gaping
wound and saturated the snowy linen
| sheets.
Remond wiped his knife carefully on
the sleeve of NJ. Germenils coat-the
coat he had intended to wear at his
daughters wedding and which hung
over chair beside the bed along with
his embroidered waistcoat and hanked
+! by his silver buckled shoes. He then
shut it up and put it in his pocket, took
the pocketbook from under the pillow,
| opened it, took ont the notes, which he
carefully counted, and put it into his
breast pocket, returning the empty peck
etbook to its Place under the pillow.
Then, as though u sudden thought struck
him, he said:
I'VE may as we'll divide now" So TAX
ing the parcel of notes out of his pocket
again he divided them into two equal
shares and handed one to Bertrand, his
thought being that in case they should
be detected he should not be found with
all the money upon him, and Bertrand
thus perhaps escape at his expense,
though he had taken care he should be
sharer in the deed itself. Still il
would be we'll that he should be found
with his share of the money as proof OF
| his complicitv. Remond being quite de.