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

The man know him then This sim
pie word in the officers opinion, meant
much.
Tho manager now announced that,
having become skeleton, the dear
brother who had lent himself to this ex-
pertinent would return to his natural
state, "frcshcr and roster than before
Ho added pleasantly, "a thing which
does not generally happen to ordinary
skeletons. -
This vulgar drollcry caused great
laugh, which the audience heartily in
dulgcd in. 1t made an outlet for their
pcnt up feelings. and they all felt as if
they had awakened from a nightmare.
The man III the sombrcro, whose pale
face was paler than before, was the only
one who did not smile. He even frowned
liercely tnotcd by BernardeD when the
manager added:
"You are not in the habit Of seeing a
dead man rcsuscitatcd the next day.
Between us, it would keep the world
pretty full. "
"Evidcntly," thought Bcrnardet,
"nly young gentleman is i'll at case. -
His only thought was to find out his
name, his personality, to establish his
identity and to learn where he had
spout his life and especially his last
days But how?
lie did not hesitate long. He left the
place, even before the man in the coffin
had reappearcd smiling at the audi.
once. He glidcd through the crowd.
l,,, H.,
travcrScd rapidly the hall where new
comcrs were conversing over their bcv-
oragcs, and stepping out into the street,
looked up and down y light fog envel-
opcd everything, and the gaslghts and
lights in the shop windows showed
ghostly through it. The passersby, the
cabs, the tramways, bore II spectral
look.
What Rcrnardct was searching for
WIS policeman. He saw two chatting
together and walking slowly along I'M
der the lcafless trees. In three steps, at
each step turning his head to watch the
people coming out of the cabaret, he
reached the men. While speaking to
them he did not take his eyes from the
door Of that place where he had left the
young man in the gray felt hat.
"Dagonin, he said, you must fol
low me, if you please, and pull me i'll "
] am going to pick drunken quarrel
with a particular person. Interfere and
arrest us both. Understands"
Perfectly. Dagonin replied
He looked at his comrade. who car
ried his hand to his shake and salutcd
Bernard"t.
The littlo man. who had given his di-
rectionS i'll Il quick tone, was already
far away. He stood near the door Of
the cabaret gazing searchingly at each
person who came out. The looks he cast
WEI neither direct, menacing nor even
familiar. lie had pulled his hat down
20 his eyebrows, and he cast side chances
at the crowd pouring from the door Of
the wineshup.
He was astonished that the man in
the sombrcro had not yet appeared.
Possibly the man had stopped, on his
way OUT, III the front hall. CHANGING
through the omen door, Barnardct saw
that he was right. The young man was
seated at one Of those coffin shaped oak
en- tables, with Il glass Of greonish liq-
uor before him. "He needs alcohol to
brace him up, - growled the officer.
The door was shut again.
II can wait till he has finished his
absinth " said Bcrnardet to himself.
He had not long to wait After II
small number of persons had left the
place, the door opened and the man in
the gray felt hat appeared, stopped on
tho threshold and, as Bcrnardct had
done, scanned the horizon and the street.
Bcrnurdpt turned his back and seemed
ia be- Walsing away from the wiucshop,
leaving tine man free. With keen
rlanco or two over his shoulder toward
linn, Hornardot crossed the street and
hurried along q Il rapid pace i'll order to
gain ON the young man and ly thiS
vancouver to find himself directly i'll
front g. the unknown. The man seemed
to hesitate, walled quickly down the
boulevard q few steps toward the Place
Picalle, i'll the direction where Revere S
apartments were, but suddenly stopped,
turned on his heel, repassCd the Cabaret
du >quelotte, and went toward tie MOu-
lin Rouge. which at first, Bcrnardet
thought, he was about e. enter. As ne
stood there the vanes of the Moulin
Rouge, turning about lighted up the
windows OF the opposite buildings and
made them look as if they We're on fire.
1T last, oboying another impulse, he
suddenly crossed the boulevard, rs if to
return into Paris, leaving Montmartrc,
the c0barcts and Roycrc's house behind
him. He walked briskly along and ran
against mana little man-whom he
hHd not Toticed, who seemed to sudden
~ de1ach himself from the wall and
who fell against his breast, hiccoughiIg
and Cursing III vicious tones,
lmbecile!'
The young man wished to push away
the intoxicated man, who, with hat over
his eyes, chung to him and kept repeat
ing:
THE street.-the Streets it not
freo-tho street,
Yes, it was certainly drunken man
hot man n IL smock, but little fell
low, IA bourgeois with hat aslicw ana
thick voice.
IL am not stopping you. The
street is free, | tell YOU
"Well, if it is free | want it,"
The voice was vigorous, but showed
sudden anger, & strident tone u slight
foreign accent Spanish perhaps,
The drunlion man probably thought
him insolent for, still hiccoughing, he