Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-12-25

sion, uneasy and slightly intense,
struck Bernardet at once. That white
face. with its black beard, with its
cleaning eyes, was not to be passed
by with a casual glance. The waiter
3 placed a glass Of brandy before him.
he placed his elbows on the table and
leaned his chin upon his hands. He
was evidently not a habitue of the
place nor "A resident Of the quarter.
There was something foreign about his
appearance. His glancc was steady. AS
that Of n who searches the horizon,
locks at running water. contemplate
the sea, asking for some good luck,
OF the unknown.
1T would be strange. thought Ber-
nardet, "if a simple hat and NJ other
clew should put us upon the trick ~
the man for whom We are searching.
At once, with the ingenuity Of q
master of dramatic art. the agent be-
gan to plot and To put into action what
lawyers, pleading and turning and
twisting a cause this way and that.
call an effect. He waited until tn"
manager informed them that they were
about to pass into the cave Of death
and gave them all an invitation into
the adjoining hall, then, prohting ny
the general movement he approached
the unknown, and, almost shoulder 10
shoulder. he walked along beside him,
through a narrow. dark passage TO Il
little room. whore, on a narrow stage.
stood upright an empty coffin.
Ii was a dolefpi spectacle which the
Cabaret du SQuelette ithe winesl|op or
the skeleton offered 70 rs clientele OF
idle ]loungers and morbid curiosity
seekers attracted 70 It's nails hy these
exhibitions. Berudrdet knew IL all
very well, and he knew hy just whal
play of lights, h COmmon chemical
l~lIuminations they gave 10 the lockers
on the sinister llIsicn Of the dec2Gi-
position "f q corpse I'm It's narrow nome.
This phantasmagoria, 20 which the
people from the boulevard came IN or
der 10 be amused he had seen many
times in the little t3catcrS in III" fairs
az Neullly. The proprietor OF the ca
barct had explained IL u ham. III" EHa
been curious and very keen about n.
and so he followed the crowd into this
little hall To look 0n@c more at tn"
image OF a mar IN t1@ rnt1n. lie knew
well 60 what purpose he could put IT,
The place was full. Men and women
We're standing about Th" black walls
made the narrow piaC" look stu
smaller. Occasional bizarre plcosan-
tries We're heard n nervous laughs
rang out. Why is il that. no matter
how sNcptical people may be, the idea,
the proximity. the appearance of death
give them an Impression of uneasi-
ness. a singular sensation which is
often displayed in nervous laughs or
sepulchral drolleFlesf
Bernardet had not lDft the side OF
the young man with the gray felt hat.
He could see his face distinctly in the
light OF the little hall. and could study
il at his ease. In I'll" hadOW which
lurked about them the young mans
face seemed like "a white spot. The Of
ficer's sharp eyes never left IL for a
moment,
The manager Uo~ asked IL some one
would try the experiment. This was to
step into the open Coffin-that box, as
he said-"from which your friends.
your ~neighhors, can see you dema-
terialize and return to- n~othingness.'
Come. my friends" he continued, in
his ironical tOnes this Ia a fine thing.
II will permit your best friends to see
you ~deliquCsCe. Are there any married
people here? It is only "A question Of
tasting in advance the pleasures of a
w~idowhood. Would you like to see
your husband disappear, my sister
My brother, do you wish to sec your
wife decomposc? Sacrifice yourselves,
| beg OF you. Come. come up here,
Death awaits you"
They laughed. but here and there a
laugh ounde strideut or historical.
The laugh did not ring true, but had
the sound OF cracked crystal. No one