Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-12-31
CHAPTER Nil.

~ do not know" thought Bernardet
as he returned home. What one knows
very we'll indeed, what one cannot deny
Oh, that would be impossible. lis that
on the retina OF the dead mans eye. re-
Elected there at the supreme moment of
the agony? Is there found the image of
this Dantin. his face, his features-this
man, in word, denounced by this wit
ness which is worth all other witnesses
i'm the world? This assassinated man
east a last look upon his murderer as he
called for aida last cry for help in
the death rattle And this man says. 4
do not know But the dead man knew,
and the kodak knows also. 1t has no
passion. no anger without hate, because
1t registers what passes: fixes that
which is fieeting.'
Bernardet was obstinate in his con-
viction. He was PERFECTLY rooted in It,
What If he had not persisted i'm be-
lieving that photography would reveal
the truth? What weiylity reason, what
even acceptable one, WAS there which
obliged Dantin to remain silent I'm the
presence of the examining magistrate
and his registrar-in the secret inter
view OF an Standardization in order
to escape a prison, an accusation, he
had only to speak two words? But if
Dantin said nothing was II because he
had nothing TO say? IL he had given
no explanation, was IL because he had
none to give? An innocent man does
not remain silent. IL at the instant
when NJ. Ginory pressed the ivory but
ton the other day the man had been
able to defend himself. would he not
have done 1t? One knew the secret rea-
son ut criminals for keeping silent
Their best reason is their guilt.
Only 1T seemed now certain that Dam
tin, although guilty, had an accomplice
yes. without doubt. the man with the
sombrero, the seller of the portrait
Where could he now be in hiding?
Not easy" Bernardet repeated the
words. Not easy: no. not easy at all
to run him out OF his rabbit hutch
The woman in black, the visitor
would be another important clew On
this side the situation seemed a simple
one. Or was this woman also an ac-
complete, and would she remain silent.
hidden in the province Or would the
death Of Revere draw her to Paris
where she might be recognized and be-
come II witness for justice?
But the days passed. What was called
the mystery of the Boulevard de Clichy
continued to interest and excite the
public Violent and perplexing parlia-
menta;y discussions could not distract
attention from a crime committed in
broad daylight. almost. as one might
say. in the street, and which made one
doubt The security OF the CITY. the etH
cheney OF the police The fail of a min
islry, predicted each morning and an
ticipatcd in advance, could not thrust
aside morbid interest i'm this murder
The death of the cx-counse was a
grand actuality.
jacques Dantin thus became a 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 II the suppositions were
sufficiently we'll based TO accuse a man
in advance of trial, and these latter
ardently took up his defense. Pant Ro-
tlier had even. with much dexterity and
eloquence. diplomatically written two
articles, one on either side OF the uues-
ton.
1T is. he said 10 himself. 1.-The sure
way OF having told the truth ON one
side of the other"
Bernardet did not renounce for an
instant the hope of finding the man who
had sold the picture. ii was not the
first time that he had picked the needle
from a cartful of hay. Paris is large
but this human sea has its particuls r
currents. us the ocean has special tides
and the police officer knew 1t we'll
Here or there some day he would meet
the man. cast up by the forrest like a
waif.
First Of all. the man was probably a
stranger from some foreign land Wear
ing hat like a Spaniard, he had NOT
had time To change the style OF dress Of
the country from which he had come
in search OF adventures. f,ernardet
haunted the hotels. searched the repis
tiers. made conversation with the lodg
ers. He found poor persons who had
come from foreign countries, but whose
motives for coming to Paris were all
right. Bernardet never stopped search
ing. moment, He went everywhere.
curious and prying, and II pleased him
when he found leisure evening to 60
10 some OF the strange wineshops or
alehouses tcalled carbets) to find sub