The copper country evening news., 1898-02-17


Deeds of valor against thieves, male
factors and insurrectionists abounded IL
Bernardet's life, and M. Ginory hao
just discovered in this man, whom he
believed simply endowed withthe activ-
| ity and keenness of hunting dog, an
intelligence singularly watchful, deep
and complicated. Bernarder, who had
nothing more to do until the body should
be taken to the morgue, left the house
directly after the magistrates.
"Where are you going?" asked Paul
Rodier the reporter.
"Home-a few steps from here"
"May go along with your" asked
the journalist.
ITO find an occasion to make me
speak? But l know nothing, l suspect
nothing, shall say nothing"
"Do you believe that it is the work
of thief or revenge?"
81 am certain that it was no thief.
Nothing in the apartment was touched.
AS for the rest, who knows?"
IN. Bernardet, laughingly said the
reporter as he walked along by the
officers side, ''you do not wish to
speak"
"What good will that do?" Bernardet
replied, also laughingly. "It will not
prevent you from publishing an inter-
view.
"You think so. Au revoir / must
hurry and make my copy. And your"
81? A photograph. "
They separated, and Bernardet en-
tered his house. His daughters had
grieved over his sudden departure on
Sunday ON his fete day. They met him
with joyous shouts when he appeared
and threw themselves uron him. "Pa-
pa! Here is papa'
Nine. Bernardet was also happy.
They could go then to the garden and
finish the picture. But their joy subsid-
ed; night had fallen, and Bernardet,
preoccupied, wished to shut himself up
90 that he might reflect ON all that had
happened, and perhaps to work little,
even today.
"It is thy fete day, Bernardet. Wilt
thou not rest today?"
II can rest at dinner, dear. Until
then / must use the time reading over a
mass of evidence"
"Then thou wilt 0ed lamp" asked
Mime. Bernardet.
"Yes, my dear. Light the lamp"
Next to their bedchamber M. Ber-
nardet had fitted up little room for
his private use 1t was tiny den, in
which was mahogany table loaded
with books and papers, and at which he
worked when he had time, reading, an
notating, copying from the papers and
collecting extracts for hours at time.
No one was allowed to enter this room,
filed with old papers. Nine. Bernardet
well called it "a nest of microbes. ;"
Bernardet found pleasure in this sporad-
ic place, which in summer was sti-
fling. In winter he worked without a
fire.
Nine. Bernardet was unhappy as she
saw that their holiday was spoiled. But
she very well knew that when her hus-
band was devoured with curiosity, car
ried away by desire to elucidate a
puzzle, there was nothing to be said.
He listened to no remonstrances, and
the daughters knew that when they ask
ed if their father was not coming to re-
new his games with them they were
obliged to content themselves with the
excuse which they knew so well from
having heard it so often, Papa is
studying out ID crime. -
Bernardet was anxious to read over
his notes, the verification of his hopes,
of those so called certainties of today.
That is why he wished to be alone. AS
soon as he had closed the door he at
once, from among the enormous piles Of
dust laden books and files of old news
papers, with the unerring instinct Of
the habitual searcher Who rummages
through bookstalls, drew forth gray
covered pamphlet in which he had read,
with feverish astonishment, the expert
ments and report of DR.. Vernois upon
the application of photography in GRIM
inal researches. He quickly seated him
self, and with trembling fingers eagerly
turned over the leaves of the book so
often read and studied and came to the
report of the member Of the Academy
of Medicine. He compared it with the
proof submitted by DIR. Bourbon of the
Medical society, in which it was stated
that the most learned savants had seen
nothing
"Seen nothing or wished to see moth
ing perhaps" he murmured.
The light fell upon the photograph
which had been sent a long time before
to the society, and Bernardet set him.
self to study out the old crime with the
most careful attention, with the passion
Of photographer deciphering palimp-
sest This poor devil of police officer,
in his ardent desire to solve the vexing
problem, brought to it the same ardor
and the same faith as a bibliophile. He
went over and over with the method
of an examining magistrate all that old
forgotten affair, and in the solitude and
silence of his little room, the last refec-
tions Of the setting sun falling on his
papers and making pale the light of bis
lamp, he set himself the task Of solving,
like mathematical problem, that ques-