The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-09-08

to himself like a worker whose heart
is In his work, his mouth full of nails
and hammering away ardently. Then
he had brought up from the smoking
room below an old sofa. With his
own hands he installed it invitlnplv
in the corner of the bay directly fac
ing the entrance to the cabinet SO
that it would be the first thing visible
the moment the door opened.
Back of the sofa he draped another
blue curtain to give it the prepared"
effect Of theatrical accessory"
stood table in the corner, with a
bracket above it, and on the bracket
again a pot o! lowering palm,
"Capital! Capital" he murmured
admiringly, and turned his attention
next to his arrangements in the CORR
dor, simply the challsing of the exact
spot on the floor where the camera
tripod must stand, proper range Of
focus by seating the waiter on the
dlvan and finishing the business by
giving him louis to hold his tongue
and to keep the camera safe in a
closet for him until tomorrow.
Next morning, at the mo-
ment OF taking the boat that
was to carry them to Bas-
Meudon, De Rosny stopped suddenly,
| struck his hand to his brow and said
to his wife and Victor:
"Heavens. have forgotten my &C
tlnometre. Go on without me. Ill
run back and get it and rejoin you in
an hour"
He climbed to the quay again:
waited till the boat had backed from
the dock and passed from sight under
the bridge; then entered neigh Dor
ing cafe and scrubbed hastily the fol-
! lowing note:
"Actinometre out of order: ,nust
stop at shop. Lunch without me-
Will reach you by > o'clock. The sun
will still be high enough" The mes
senger bearing this note arrived Just
as the hungry turtle doves-for even
turtle doves grow hungry if too long
deprived of lunch-were growing
thoroughly impatient.
and the two conyives fell to feast
ing with hearty good will, merry and
amused as two children on a lark.
But pleased as they were, they were
still not half so pleased as the hus-
band behind the door
At last came the scrape Of two
chairs pushed back at the same time,
then steps on the floor, low, pro,
testing plant from the springs Of the
divan, a silence, a soft sigh.
H:.iak as fash de Rosney stood up,
Pulled off with one hand the camera
coves, with the other threw back the
door. shouting his usual sacramental
phrase:
''Be STILL Don't stir"
1t was II o'clock the night of that
same day. The lamp in the commits
saire's Office was covered with vel.
low paper, and with the tell tale cam.
era stationed between them, the mag
istrate and Philippe de Rosny, his
liberty-he thought SO, at least-con.
quered at last. faced gravely each
other.
Eyes, NJ. lie Commissaire," said he,
II insist upon developing the slide
here in your presence in order that its
accuracy cannot be questioned; that
no one, when apply for my divorce,
as certainly shall do at once, can
possibly accuse me of having re-
touched it. The idea you see, is such
a new one, so thoroughly fin de steele,
perhaps, also, a tritle American. In
stead of stupidity riddling the culprits
with bullets from revolver, snap a
camera at them and, VOLTA! the thing
is done"
And with infinite precautions he
drew the slide from the frame and
plunged it into the reservoir. The
commissaire bent to look over his
shoulder; the opal of the gelatine was
coloring, the image appearing
But suddenly the operator tore the
proof from the bath, held it between
him and the lamp, gazed blankly a
second and a strangled cry escaped
his throat. Had they moved, had the
camera not caught them, had the
actinometre really refused to work?
Oh, no; worse than that. The
picture was perfect; the window, the
bracket, the Towering palm, the big
blue curtain, So carefully arranged as
background for the scene, only
the curtain, a solid blue wall, with
out wrinkle, hung now in front OF
the. divan. If Victor was kissing
again, his, De Rosny's wife, no one
was the wiser, for no one could see it.
Mias poiDter Shot Tramn