Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-10-23

While she was going toward the
door Bernardet slowly mounted the
two flights of stairs, followed by Mon
iche and the tall young man who had
arrived in his coupe at a gallop In
order to get the first news of the
murder and make a scoop for his
paper.
The news had raveled fast and his
paper had sent him in haste to get all
the details of the affair which could
be obtained.
The three men reached NJ. Rovere's
door. Moniche unlocked ii and stepped
back. Bernardet. with the reporter
at his heels, notebook in hand, entered
the room.
CHAPTER III.
Nothing in the ante-chamber indi-
Gated that a tragedy had taken place
there. There's were pictures on the
walls, pieces Of ~faience, some arms OF
rare kinds, Japanese swords and a
Malay creese. Bernardet glanced al
them as he passed by.
II is in the salon." said the con-
cierge in a low tone.
One of the folding doors stood open,
and, stopping on the threshold in or
der to take in the entire aspect of the
place, Bernardet saw in the center OF
the room. lying on the floor in a pool
of blood. the body of NJ. Revere,
clothed in a long. blue dressing gown,
bound at the waist with a heavy cord,
which lay in coils or the floor, like a
serpent. The corps was extended be-
tween the two windows which opened
on the Boulevard de Clichy, and Ber-
nardet's first thought was that II was
a miracle that the victim could have
met his death in such a horrible man
ner two steps from the paSsersby on
the street.
Whoever struck the blow did IL
quickly thought the police officer.
He Gvance softly toward the body.
casting his eye upon the inert mass and
taking In at a glance the smallest OBJ
Jects nearit and the most minute de-
tails. He ben owe and studied it thor
oughly.
M. Revere seemed living in his tragic
pose. The pale face, with it's pointed
and well trimmed gray beard, expressed
in It's fierce immobility a sort of men,
acing anger. This man of about SO
years had evidently died cursing some
one in his supreme agony The fright
full wound seemed like a large red era
vat, which harmonized strangely with
the half whitened beard, the end of
which was wet with blood.
But what struck Bernardet above ev
arything else, arrested his attention and
glued him to the spot was the look, the
extraordinary expression in the eyes.
The mouth was open as If to cry out;
the eyes seemed to menace some one,
n the lips abou to speak.
They were frightful. Those tragic
eyes were wide open, as if transfyed by
fear or fury.
They seemed f~athomless, staring.
ready to start from their sockets. The
eyebrows above them were black and
bristling. They seemed living eyes in
that dead face. They odd of a final
struggle, of some atrociouS duel of looks
and Of words. They appeared, In their
ferocious immobility, as when they
gazed upon h murderer, eye to eye,
face to face.
Bernardet looked at the hands.
They were contracted and seemed. in
some obstinate resistance, to have clung
TO the neck or the clothing OF the as
sassin.
There ought to be blood under the
nalIs, since he made a struggle" said
Rernardet, thinking aloud.
And Paul Rodier, the reporter, hur-
riedly wrote, There was blood under
the nails"
Bernardet returned again ard again
to the eyes-those wide open eyes
frightful. terrible eyes, which. in their
fierce depths, retained without doubt
the image or phantom of some night
mare of death.
He touched the dead mans hand. The
flesh had become cold, and rigor mortis
was beginning to set in.
The reporter saw the little man take
from his pocket a sort of rusty silver
ribbon n unroll it and heard him ask
Moniche to take hold OF one end of ii,
This ribbon or thread looked to Paul
Rodier like brass wire. Bernardet pre-
pared his kodak.
Above everything else,' murmured
B~ernardet. let US preserve the express
scion of those eyes"
CLOSE the shutters. The darkness
will be more complete
The repOrter assisted Moniche in or.
der to hasten the work. The shutters
closed, the room was quite dark, Bern
ardet began his task. Counting off a
few stems, he selected the best place
from which to take the picture.
BE kind enough to light the end OF
the magnesium wire" he said to the
concierge. Have you n matches? ?"
mo, M. Bernardo
The police officer indicated by a sign
Of the head a match safe which he had
noticed on entering the room.
There are some there"
Bernardet had with one sweepinp
glance of the eye taken in everything
~ hiC iOOAll-llC ldulGullS, scarcely
moved from their places; the pictures
hanging on the walls, the mirrors, the
bookcases, the cabinets. etc.
Moniche went to the mantlepiece and
o a match from the box. 1t was NJ.
Revere himself who furnished the light
by which a picture of his own BODY
was taken.
We could obtain no picture In this
room without the magnesium wire
said the agent, as calm while taking a
photograph of the murdered man as he
had been a short time ago In his gar
den. THE light is insufficient. When
| say, Co.! Moniche, you must light
the wire, and l will take three or -four
negatives. Do you understand? Stand
there to my left. Now. Attention."
Rernardet took his position. and the
porter stood ready. match and wire in
hand like a gunner who awaits the or.
der to fire.
CO. said the agent.
a rapid, clear light shot up and sud
denly lighted the room. The pale face
seemed livid. the various objects In the
room took on q fantastic appearance in
this sort of tempestuous ap~otheosis. and
Paul Rodier hastily inscribed on his
writing pad, picturesque, bizarre. mar
velous, deviltsh, suggestive"
Let us try 1t again." said NJ. Der.
nardet.
For the third time in this weird
light the visage of the dead man an
peared whittier. more sinister. frIghtfnl
the wound deeper. the cash redder. and