The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-10-15

ttlS hltiV lAtNaICL o. mOLllIltnL 10 thAo
EVENING""
II do not know he replied.
You PROMISED. The poor childrenl
You promised to take them to see Clo-
serie des Genets."
Il annot tell. I do not know. I will
see" the little man said. MY dear
Moniche, today is my fortieth birthday.
/ promised to take them to the theater,
but I must go with you" Turning to
his wife. he added: But / will come
back as o as / can. Come, Moniche,
let us hasten to your M. Revere"
He kissed his wife on the forehead
snd each little girl on both cheeks. and.
strapping the camera in the bandolier.
he went out, followed by the tailor. AS
they walked quickly along Moniche
kept repeating, "Still warm---yes M.
Bernardet, still warm"
CHAPTER II.
Bernardet was quite an original
character Among the agents, some OF
whom were very odd, and among the
devoted subalterns this little man, with
his singular mind, with his Unsuitable
curiosity, reading anything he could
lay his hands on. passed for a literary
person. His chief sometimes laughing
ly said to him:
"Bernardet. take care. You have
literary ambitions. You will begin to
"a oL AAtAAAb " AAC PoRNA9sn II &.
"Oh, no, M. Morell But what would
you? I am simply amusing myself"
This was true. Bernardet was a born
hunter. With a superior education he
might have become a savant, a fire.
ouenter of libraries, passing his life In
ering manuscripts. The son of a
dairyman, brought UP I'm a Lam
castrial school. reading with avidity
all the daily papers, attracted
by everything mysterious which
happened in Paris, having accom-
plished his military duty, he APP
piled for admission to the police bu-
the new world, for Mexico or for Ton
quin, in order to travel In a new coun-
try. Then he married, so hat he
might have In his ~checkered existence
which was dangerous and wearying, q
haven Of rest, @ Preside Of peaceful JOY
81 he lived a double life, tracking
malefactors like a bloodhound and Gull
tivating his little garden. There hi
devoured old books, for which he had
paid a few sous at some book stall. He
read and pasted in old odd leaves, re
Bound them himself and cut clipping:
from papers. He filled his round, bale
head with q mass of facts which he in.
, v~estigated, classified. put into theil
proper, place, to be brought forth al
occasion demanded.
He was an inquisitive persona very
! inquisitiWe person indeed. Curiosity
: filled his life. Hesperformed with pleas
ure the most fatiguing and ~repulsiv'
tasks that fall to a police officers lot
They satisfied the original need OF hi
nature and permitted him To see every
: thing. to hear everything, to penetrat'
, into the most curious mysteries-today
in a dress suit with white tie, care
lessly glancing over the crowds at tn
. opera to discover the thieves who tool
: opera glasses, which they sent to &C
| completes in Germany to be sold; to
morrow going In a ragged clothes t
arrest a murderer in some cuttkroa
den In the Glaciere.
M. Barnardet had taken possession
= of the office OF the most powerful
= bankers. seized their books and mad
. them go away with him in a cab. II
had followed, by order, the intrigue
of more than one fine lady, who owe
q to him her salvation. What If M. Der
I nardet had thought fit to speak? Blu
he never spoke, n reporters came gu
e worsted from any attempt at an inter
view with him. IAN interview Is silver
u but silence is gold" he was wont I
a say, for he was not a fool.
H had assisted at spiritual seance
and attended secret meetings Of an
archists. He had occupied himself wit
occult matters, consulting the magi
Ie clans of chance, n he had at hi
'r tongues end the list of conspirators
lie He knew the true names of the famou
le Greeks who shuffied cards as one scou
about under an assumed name. TIL
IL gambling hells were all familiar I
q. him. He knew the churches in who's
D. dark corners associates assembled I
talk of affairs, who did not wish to, /
seen in beer shops or spied upon
lie cabarets.
ID or the millions in Paris he knew tt
rs secrets of this whirlpool of humanit
id oh, il he had ever become project
lg police, he would have studied h
Paris. not at a distance, looking U
: statistics in books, or from he wiz
In dows Of a police bureau, but in IL
a streets, in wretched lodgings, in howell
IN in the asylums OF misery and OF Grim
RS But Bernardet was not ambitious. Ii
ey suited him very well as he found
His good wife had brought to him
small dover, and Bernardet, contel
h. with this poor little fortune, found tn
ny he had all the power he wanted-tl
e. power, when occasion demanded,
putting his hand on the shoulder OF
r. former minister and of taking a mu
lie derer by the throat.
a. One day a financier, threatened wi
ng imprisonment in Mazas, pleased hi
very much. Bernardet entered his Off
to arrest him. He did not wish to ha
nd a row In the bank. The police ofhc
,r- and banker found themselves aloI
face to face, in a very small room,
"a private Office with heavy curtains a
he a thick carpet, which stified all moi
Fifty thousand francs IL you will
to me escape" said the banker.
'od m. lie Comte jests."
eat "A hundred thousand"
iet THE pleasantly Is very great, but
al Is a pleasantly"
Then the count. very pale. said, "A
err what II / crack yonr head?"
%" my brother officers are waiting
M. me-" Bernardet simply replied. 9Th
know that our interview does I
promise to be a long one, and this IL
Ind proposition, which l wish 10 forget II
My the others, would only ~aggravate. I !
pa lieve. III 1t became known M. le Cont
case"
ue- Two minutes afterward the bani
went out. preceding Bernardet. "
followed him with barred head. 4