Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-04-01
A MALAY KRIS.
A Tragedy Of a Provincial Town.

But it is nearly 10 o'clock, Monsieur
MoLtier."
well. what of It? The market doesn't
close until r. You have plenty of time"
Yes, Monsieur Monitor; but / promised
to meet my wife at one of the shops"
"Oh, she will be too busy shopping to
worry about your absence. l did hope
that you would see my son before you
left"
Your son? Oh, to be sure; he has come
back from Paris Well, are you glad?
Did he graduate with horors?"
Yes. lie is a doctor of laws, and his
mother Is overjoyed. | cannot say that l
am. ] find him a little bit too Partisan,
this boy of mine. lie says a good many
things that | don't like at all. argues
about honesty property, justice. why,
yesterday | would have left the dinner
table II IT had been anybody but my own
son talking in that way, and, being my
own son, it was hard work to keep my
hands off his ears. And he spends too
much. l am continually giving him mon
ey, yet he is forever after his mother for
more. He goes to bed very late, and
every morning there Is a great fuss be-
FORE monsieur consents to get up. No,
mol | don't like such habits. If he
wishes to succeed at the bar, he must
take another road"
You intend to make a magistrate of
him, | believer"
He says no, at present We shall have
to wait until he changes his mind"
Have YOU heard that young Megun
has come home as a juge d'instruction?"
II know. He and my son are great
friends. \ very serious lad | hear"
Serious? lie would send his own faith
er to prison. There will be no smotherng
of scandals with him-like that college
affair last year Heavens. Monsieur Mon
tier, 1t is a quarter past ten. really
must go. my friend. Hello. What a pref
ty cabinet"
1T isn't bad but l have a more inter-
esting one downstairs. in the hall | will
go with you and show it to you. You
must see the Malay kris | picked up the
other day by pure accident. Along comes
sallor-let me see, 1t was day before
yesterday--a sailor of some outlandish
country, with all sorts of foreign curios-
tiles | bought something that ne called
Malay kris. Malay or not. it is a very
curious. I've seen such things in books
but l didn't know they really existed
After stabbing, you press spring. The
blade divides. and when you pull 1t out, 1t
leaves a horrible wound. shaped like
cross Come, l will show it to you Take
care of the last STEP the hall is so dark
The cabinet is by the window. Hellor
What is the matter?"
well, here's a pretty busness."
"What?"
THE kris is gone Who can have
taken it? | must see about this"
Look on the floor. Monsieur Monitor
Perhaps the hooks have given way"
mo, the hooks are all right and there
is nothing on the floor. Well! We'll!
must see about this at once"
"Well, l must be going, Monsieur Mon
tier"
"Gcod-day, Monsieur Gambard. JUSTINE
Justine, Oh. It's you Clemence. Where
on earth is Justine?"
In the garden. with madame l have
just come from market"
Put what is the matter with you, Gle
mence? You look all upset"
And well | may be, monsieur. Some
thing dreadful has happened. Monsieur
knows the lady of the chateau"
'Well?"
she was murdered last night About
. o'clock the gardener heard a scream and
ran; but she was dead before he reached
her. The murderer, whoever he Is. must
be a monster. Just imagine. monsieur!
On the poor lady's breast they found two
wounds that made a cross. But what is
the matter with monsieur"
"Nothing-the murder of the old lady
shocked me little, Does madame
know"
Not vet. monsieur
Don't tell Ter. 1t might excite her"
turbed. l don't know If l ought to tell
monsieur but Monsieur Lucien-''
Well What? Monsieur Lucien?"
He did not come home last night-Oh.
what is wrong with monsieur"
II don't know feel rather faint I've
felt so all day-yesterday, too"
Monsieur had better go to his room"
Yes, | am going"
I'm help you up stairs"
NO, no. Leave me alone"
Yes, yes! Monsieur can hardly stand
up. Come! Carefully! Here we are, Sit
down in your big armchair. There! Does
monsieur feel better"
Yes. yes"
81 am sure that monsieur was vexed be-
cause Monsieur Lucien did not come
home"
Nonsense! I've felt badly all day"
81 will go and tell madame"
NO, not"
"Ah, Here comes madame now. Mon
sieur is i'll, madame"
II am not; there is nothing the matter
with me. What is the girl talking about?
Co Go to your kitchen"
Madame, l told monsieur that Mon
sieur Lucien-'
"Who told you to say anything about it?
Go! Mind your own affairs. That girl is
unbearable. She told you about Lucien?"
Yes. That is what upset me-though
| nave lpl ltll wen All ud9.
1T is not so much his not coming home
that veXes me-boys will be boys-but
confess that l am troubled by his mystic
| rious actions. What do you think? He
| came in stealthiy, two minutes ago. |
was in the hall putting in order the closet
under the stairs. He didn't see me in the
darkness but | saw him go TO the cab
| met and hang something on a hook. Ed
ward! What is the matter? You're as
white as a sheet"
Nothing nothing, A slight falntness
| like l had a while ago. Go away; | would
rather be alone"
"The idea! Leave you when you are
i'll"
1T is nothing tell you. My nerves
are unstrung. 1t only initiates me and
makes me worse to have people fussing
about me. Please go, dear"
"Oh. how you worry me, Edward
What do you want now, Clemence?"
! "A gentleman to see monsieur"
But he is ill, l tell YOU"
ut is NJ. Meguin, the Judge"
Tell him that-Oh! I'll go and see
what he wants"
mo, no. Show him up here, do you
hear, Clemence? Go! And you go. tool"
Edward To speak to me like that"
Pardon me, my dear; but please go.
He may have something to say in conf
dence-something that he would not care
to say before you"
you, Edward. You frighten me. Come in,
Monsieur Meguin, l leave you with my
| husband. Good day"
Monsieur Meguin, l am right in not
wishing her to be present, am l not?"
| 'You have seen your son. Monsieur