The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-12-31
CHAPTER XII.

Nn -
startling. IL vas certainly Jacques
Dantin. The painting was signed "P.
H.. Bordeaux, 1871 IT was oval I'm
shape: the frame was gone; the edge
was marked, scratched. marred, as IL
the rafne had been roughly torn from
h picture.
Have you had this portrait a long
timer he asked OF the shopwoman.
Il put 1t in the window today for the
FIRST time" the huge woman answered.
-rOh, IT Ia a choice bit! 1t was painted
by a wicked one"
who brought II here?"
some one who wished TO sell TIA
passerby. III II would interest you to
know his name
YES, certainly 1t would interest me
10 know IT, Bernardet replied.
The shop woman looked at Bernardet
defiantly and asked this question;
sDo you know the man whose por-
trait tat is?"
mo. i do not know him. But this
resembles one OF my relatives. IL
pIeases me. How much is it2"
"A hundred francs" said the big
woma
Bernardet suppressed at the same
time a sudden start and a smile.
"a hundred francsl Diable! How
last you goi 1t Is worth sous rather
than francs
That" cried the woman. very In
dignant. That But look at this ma
teriai. this background. IL Is famous, /
cell you, I took ii TO al expert. At the
public sale 1t might perhaps bring 1000
france. My idea Is that 1t is the picture
OF some. renowned person, an actor or
a former minister--in fact, some his
toric person"
.sBut one must take ones chance
Bernardet replied in q jeering tone.
~But 100 francs Is 100 francs. Too
much for me. Who sold you the paint
fng?"
The woman went around behind the
counter and opened a drawer, from
which she took a notebook. In which
she kept a daily record OF her sales.
Ehe turned over the leaves.
.sNoYember 12, q small oval painting
Sought She ~readiusted her specta-
cles as II to better decipher the name.
cT did not write the name myself.
The man wrote 1t himself" She spelled
out:
eCharles-Charles Breton. Rue de la
Eondamine, 16"-
Charles Breton" Bernardet repeat
ed. "who is this Charles Breton? /
would like to know IL he painted this
portrait. which seems like a family por-
trait. and has como to sell it,
you know, . interrupted the wom-
an, "that that often happens. IL is
business. One buys or n sells all in
good time
And this Breton. now old was he"
sOh, young. About so years old.
Very good looking. Dark, with q full
beard"
Did anything about him especially
strike YOU"
~Nothlng.s the woman shortly re-
piled. She had become tired of these
questions and looked at the little man
with q troubled glance.
Bernardet readily understood, and,
assuming q p%aternal. q beaming air, he
said with his sweet smile:
II will not fence any more. / viii
Cell you the truth. ] am q police in
spector. and find that this portrait
strangely resembles a man whom wo
have under lock and key. You under
stand that 1t Is very important that
Should know all that is to be ascertain
ed about this picture"
But I have told o all ! know.
monsieur said the shopkeeper.
~Charles Breton, Rue dc Ia Condamlna
16-that is the name n address. |
paid 20 francs for II. There is the re-
ceipt. Read 1t. / beg. II Is all right.
We keep a good shop. Never have we.
my late husband and /. been mixed
with anything unlawful. Sometimes the
bric-a-brac Is soiled, but our hands
and coRsclences have always been
clean. Ask any n along the street
shout the widow Colard. ! owe no one,
any every one esteems me-"
The Widow Coiard would have gone
on indefinitely IL BernaTdet had not
stopped her. She had. at first mention
or the police. suddenly turned pale, but
now she was very red, and her anger
displayed itself in q torrent OF words.
He stemmed the Hood OF verbs.
II do not accuse you. Nine. Colard,
md ! have said only what | wished TO
say passed by chance your shop. ]
saw In the window a portrait which re-
sembled some one / know. / ask you
the price, and | question you about its
advent into your shop. There is nothing
fhere which concerns you personally.
do. not suspect you OF receiving stolen
goods. / repeat my question. How
much do you want for this picture"
Twenty francs. IL you please. That
Is what IL cost me-. ! do not wish TO
have II draw me into anything trouble
some. Take 1t for nothing, IL that
pleases you"
Not at all. ] intend to pay you. OF
what are you thinking, Nine. Colard?'
The shopwoman had, like all people
OF q certain class, a horror OF the po-
lice. The presence OF a police inspector
IN her house seemed at once q dishonor
n a menace. She felt herself vaguely
under suspicion, and she felt an i'm
pulse u shout aloud her innocence.
Always smiling. the good man, with
n gesture like that of, a prelate blessing
mis- people. e~ndeavored to reassure her
TO AIN here. But he could do nothing
with her. She would not be appeased
In the long run this was perhaps as
well, for she unconsciously, without
any Intention OF aiding Justice, pui
some clews into Bernardet's hands
which finally aided him in tracing tn,
a
Nine. Colard stili rebelled. Did they
think SHE was a SPY. an informer? Sh,
had never--no. neycr-played such {
part. She did not know the younl
man. She aid bought the picture a!
she bought any number OF things.
@And what IL they should cut off hi
head because he had confidence In en-
teriug my shop? / should never for
give myself. never
1T Is not going to bring Charles Bre
ton to the scaffold. Not at all, not a
all. II Is only to find out who he Is
and OF whom tie obtained this portrait
Once more, did nothing In his fac
strike vcuea
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