Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1908-09-18


ent instance he did not know who the
young woman was whom he had just
seen under the knife, nor had he any
idea how her skull had been crushed
with such frightful wounds. All he
knew was that she had remarkable
beauty and was doomed to die.
He was hurrying of to a neighbor-
ing cafe when stranger waiting at
the door touched his arm. The mans
eyes were eager, he spoke with ILL
concealed excitement and seemed like
one who had gone many hours without
sleep.
Tell me-" he said, did she speak?'
Caseau shook his head, looking at
the man suspiciously.
"Can she live?"
God knows, the doctor took 16
pieces of bone out Of her head"
"Holy Mother, 16 pieces of bone!"
Caseau was walking meantime to-
ward the cafe, and the man followed
him. His eagerness for information
betrayed an interest in the case that
argued some special knowledge, and
Caseau was curious. Twill you drink"
he said, when they had taken sea6 at
a table.
The stranger called for absinShe and
drained his glass quickly.
Pardon me; forgot that you do
not know. I have been through so
much for the last u hours that am
dazed. Do you believe in occult things,
Authorizations and so on?"
Caseau was only in his second year,
and the lectures on hallucinations did
not begin until the third. SO he an
swered guardedly.
THAT depends" he said, with an air
of holding knowledge in reserve. He
questioned with his eyes, and for the
first time appeared sympathetic. The
man ordered another absinthe.
II will tell you about it" he said.
1 shall go mad unless tell some one.
In the first place, let me assure you
that usually I am the most matter-of-
fact man in Paris; never get angry,
I never get excited, but last night
He paused and little shiver ran over
him.
But last night" repeated Caseav
encouragingly.
1T was about nine o'clock when I
reached the corner of the Rue 3reda,
where live. hurried upstairs. Our
apartment is on the fifth floor look
ing out on the Rue Fontaine, and a
balcony runs along the windows where
my wife keeps flowers growing. 1t is
q nice place to sit summer evenings,
and l expected to find her there.
Imagine my surprise, then, on open
ing the door, to find the apartment
quite dark, except for the glow of the
little night-lamp from the bedroom at
the end of the corridor. And instead
of seeing my wife come running to
meet me, all smiles, found her sitting
on the bed in fit of hysterical weep
ing. Hurrying to the bedside I be-
sought my wife to be calm, assuring
her that was there to protect her.
AT last my wife recovered sufi'
GENTLY to explain her fright as well as
she was able to do so. She had dined
alone about six o'clock and about
seven had given Amandine, our serv-
ant, permission to go out for the even
ing. Then she had spent little time
tidying up the apartment, and about
half-past seven had settled down to read
IN the room where we have our library.
This room faces on the Rue Breda.
In front of this room there Is short
stretch of balcony, which ends In an
iron partition that separates 1t from
the balcony of the house adjoining,
which is No. 4. 1t would be possible
for a man to climb on this partition
and step from one balcony to the
other
LAS my wife read she must have
dozed, for presently, although her back
was turned to the window, she seemed
tn see a man of large stature standing
on the balcony outside and peering In
to the room. This man had bushy red
hair and eyes of the palest blue-eyes
that frightened her. Presently he with
drew stealthily, climbed over the par
titton, and peered into = window OF
No. Once again he drew back,
seemed to hesitate, smiled with q grim
humor and noiselessly drawing a coin
from his pocket spun 1t in the air and
caughtSit deity in his open palm.
Then MT ing closer to the window Tor
hattar Iie..t he nodded. put the coin