Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-09
CHATTER VII


on the retina Of the dead mans eye, re
Hcctod there ut the supreme moment OF
the agony; is there found the image Of
,his Dantin, his face, his fcatures-thiS
man, IL word denounced by this wit
ness which is worth all other witnesses
IN the world: This aSsassiuatcd man
east Il last look upon his murderer as he
called for aida last cry for help in
lho death rattle And this man says, i
10 not know Bat tho dead man knew,
md the kodak knows also. 1t has 10
passion, no angcr, without hate, because
It registers what passca; GAes that
which is nootilc."
Bcrnardc5 was obstinate in his con-
Vicuon. lie was perfectly rooted in it.
What if he had not persisted in beliov-
ing that photography would reveal the
truth? W hat Wci-Aty reason, what even
acceptable one, was there which obliged
Danjin TO ruWain silent in the presence
OF tho examining magistrate and his
gcgisTar--in the secret interview Of an
standardization in order o. escape a
prison an accusation be had Only to
sneak two words: But if Dautiu said
nothing was it because he had nothing
TO say: If he had given no explanation,
was it lccausc he had none to give; An
innocent man does not romain silent.
II at the instant Whon NJ. Ginory press
Cd the ivory button the other day
the man had been able to defend him
self would he not have done il: one
knew the secret reason Of criminals for
keeping silent. Their best reason Is
their guilt
Only it seemed how certain that Dan
tin, although guilty, bad an accomplicc
yes, without doubt, the man with Il .
gomhrcro, the seller OF the portrait
Where could he now be in hid ny:
Not easy" Bcrnardct repeated the
words, Not easy; no, not easy at all
20 run him out of his rabbit hutch. "
Tho woman III black the visitor,
would be another important Glow On
his side the situation seemed a simple
)nc, Or was this woman also an accom-
1lice. and would she remain silent, hid
len il the province: Or would the
death Of Roycra draw her to Paris,
where she might he recognized and be
come a witness for Justice.
But the days passed. What was call
ed the mystery of the Boulevard de
Clichy continued to interest and excite
HE public. Violent and perpleXing par
,iamentary discussions could not dis
tract attention from crime committed
in broad daylight, almost as one might
Say, III the sCrect, ana which made one
doubt the security of the city, the eff
cheney of the police. The fall of min
istry, predicted each morning and an
ticipatcd in advance, could not thrust
aside morbid interest in this murder.
The death Of the eX-consul was Il grand
RCtuality,
Jacques Dantin thus became dra-
matte parsonage The reporters created
legends about him. Some declared him
guilty and brought up in support Of
their conviction some anecdotes, some
tales from the clubs, given as proofs
others asked il the suppositions were
sufficiently well based to accuse man
il advance Of trial, and these latter
ardently took up his defense Paul Ro-
der had even, with muCh dcXtcrity and
eloquencc, AUTOMATICALLY written two
articles, one on either side OF the Ques.
ton.
1t is, - he said TO himself, 1.-THE sure
way Of having told the truth on ono
side or the other
Bcrnrdct dId not ronounce Tor an IL
stant inc nope or hhdlng the man Wno
had sold the picture 1t was not tho
first time that he had picked the needle
From cartiul Of hay. Paris Is large
but this human sea has its part.cula
currents, AZ the ocean has special tides
and the police officer kncw 1t well
Here or there some day he would meet
the man, cast up ny the torrent like &
walt
flist OF all, the man was probably q
stranger rom some foreign land. Wear
ing nat Ike Spanlard, he had no,
had tllne To ch"nSo the style OF dress OF
the country from when he had conc
III search OF adventures. bernardet
haunted the hotels searched the regis
tors, made conversation with the lodg
ers' Tic FOUND poor persons who had
come from foreign countries, but whose
motives TOT coming TO rams were all
fiEAt Eerhaldet never stopped search
ing moment lie went everywhere
curious ana WylnS' ana 1t pleased him.
when ne found leisure evening to 20
to some Of the strange Wincshops on
alehouses tca!led cabalets) to lind sub
Jects Tor Observation These cabarets