Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-29
CHAPTER Ill

S1AP1 Eh Ill
Nothing in the antcchamber indicat-
ed that tragedy had taken place there
Fber- Were pictures on the walls, pieces
Cd falence. some arms OF rare kinds.
japanese swords and a Malay creese
Btrnardef glanced at them rs he PASSED
ty.
He Is il the salon." said The con
clerre ID low tone.
One Of the folding doors stood open.
and stopping on The threshold III order
80 take III the entire aspect Of the place.
Bernardo SAW IN the ctErer Of the
roam, lying On the floor in 4 pool Of
blood, The body Of NJ Revere. clothed
IN long, tlue dressing gown. bound n
The waist with heavy cord, which Law
IN coils On the floor. like a serpent The
cdrTlse was extended between the rwo
windows which opened on the Boule-
ward de Clichy, and Bernardet's first
1hulrhI was thai il was a miracle thar
the victim cupld have met his death in
spch q horrible manner two steps from
the I1assersly ca the street
Whoever struck the blow did II
quickly. thought the police officer.
He advanced softly toward the body.
casting ms eye upcn the inert mass and
taking IN al q glance the smallest OBJ
9ec1s near ii and the most minute de-
tailS. He bent ever and studied il thor
mchly
NJ Ro7ore seemed living in his tragic
pose. The pale face. with its pointed
and wei trimmed gray beard, express
I'd IN its fierce i-n.n.tility sort Of
nlellaclnC anger. This man Of about 80
years had evidently died curSing some
one IL ms supreme agony The fright
ful wound seemed like a large red era
va1- which ha1Inanized strangely with
the half whi1eRed beard, the end Of
which was wet with blood
But what struck Ee1nardet above ev-
e-vthinr else, arrested his attention and
Flned him 10 The spof was the look. the
extraordinary expression in the eyes
The mouth was open. as if 10 CITY ont;
the eyes seemed TO menace some one,
AID the lips abour 10 speak.
They We're frieh1fzl Those tragic
eyes were wide open, as If rransfixed by
fear or furv.
They seemed fathomless. staring
ready 10 start from their sockets. The
eyebrows above them We're black and
trls1llns. They seemed living eyes in
that dead face They told If a final
struggle Of some atrucious duel Of looks
and Of words They appeared, in their
ferocaons imm6bility, as when they
Eazed upon the murderer, eye 10 eye,
face 10 face
Bc-nardet looked AT the hands
They were contracted and seemed. in
some obstinate assistance. 10 have clunS
10 the neck OF the clothing Of the assas-
SIN.
There ought to he blood under the
nails, since he made n struggle. " said
BeInarde1, thinking aloud.
and Paul Rodier, the reporter, hur-
riedly wrote, There was blood under
the nails -
BeInardet returned acain and again
TO the eyes-those wide open eyes
tIiEhtful terrible eyes, which, in their
fierce depths retained without doubs
the image OF phantom Of some nightmare
Of death.
lie 1onchcd the dead man s hand The
flesh had become cold, and ricor morris
WAS beginning 10 set in
The reporter saw the little man take
from has pocket a sort Of rusty silver
ribbon and unroll il and heard him ask
Moniche 10 take hold of one end Of it.
Tins ribbon CT thread looked 10 Pall
Rodier like brass wire Bernardet pre-
parsd his kodak
Above everything else" murmureG;
BeInardet- LET rs preserve the expires
sium Of those eyes"
--Close the shutters The darkaess
wall be more complete"