The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-06-19

UP HIS HANDS.
from Paris or Berlin or some other place
where 1t would be equally impossible TO
hunt up his antecedents.
In London such a man would be
promptly black -balled at any respectable
club. But in New York things are done
differently, and Rogers application for
membership in "The Myrtles" had been
backed by two of the foremost leaders Of
the ultra-gilded set.
The room in which the quartet sat was
in nowise different from dozens OF such
semi-private rooms in fashionable clubs
the world over 1t was papered in deep
maroon. The furniture and wainscotting
were of heavy oak. Upon one side of
the room was the door, hung with rich
Oriental portiere. Upon ~tsnother were
two broad windows overlooking the
archaeological square. Upon another
there simply hung an etching or two in
broad white and gilt frames.
Upon the fourth was an antique mantel
with oak paneling. Over this mantel
hung beautiful copy in oils of the Bea
trice Cenci, with those calm, lucid eyes
following every movement of the inmates
of the room.
Through the disposition Of the whist
players Roger Laroue sat with his back
TO the mantel, and the Beatrice Cenci
gazed down upon the top of his head.
The game had been in progress since
midnight
One Of the players, at the end OF GER
tain hand touched an electric bell, and
q moment later q club waiter appeared.
"Alfonse, some more brandy, and some
cigars.'
IA dash of absinthe with mine"
muttered Roger Laroue, absorbed in the
hand which had fallen to his lot in the
new deal.
Alfonso was not the typical club waiter.
His dress suit was irreproachable, his
face was clean shaven, his attitude was
respectful. But his cadaverous face was
disquieting, and he had big green eyes
that made him an uncomfortable man
to look full in the face. He claimed to be
a Pole and spoke English with a bar
barous accent. He was not favorite with
the members, but as he had been with
"The Myrtle" for six months, and no
specific fault could be found with him,
he was tolerated.
IL the four young men had been less
interested in the painted bits of paste
board tonight they might have noticed
that Alfonse's green eyes We're fastened
on Roger Laroue's face during the entire
time he was in the room.
And there was an ominous light flicker
ing in the depths of those catlike orbs.
The brandy and cigars were brought, and
the game proceeded. For some minutes
the silence was only broken by the
shuttle and flip OF the cards upon the
table.
Three was chimed by the silvery bell
of dainty ormulu clock beneath the
Beatrice Cenci
Suddenly there was sharp swift swish
in the air like the flight OF a heavy whip.
With scream OF agony Roger Laroue
threw up his hands, raining the cards
about him, and, with a single moan,
dropped heavily to the floor.
When his friends went TO his assistance
be was dead.
When one Of the most skillful surgeons
In New York came TO make the post-mor-
tenn this was what he found.
A Jagged wound about quarter OF an
inch in diameter, situated in the back of
the dead mans head almost directly over
the suture between the occipital and par
fetal bones.
Imbedded deeply in the brain a small,
hard bullet of evidently some compo-
sition Of lead with antimony or copper,
and nearly square in shape.
Beyond this, nothing.
AT the inquest the only relevant testi-