The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-10-23

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 it and stepped
back. Bernardet, with the reporter
at his heels, notebook in hand, entered
the. room.
CHAPTER III.
Nothing in the a~nte-chamber indi-
Gated that a tragedy had taken place
there. Their We're pictures on tho
wallis, pieces of f%aience, some arms OF
rare kinds, Japanese swords and a
Malay creese. Bernardct glanced at
them as he passed by.
He is in the salon." said the con-
cierge in u 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 O 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 on the floor. like a
serpent. The corpse vas extended be-
tween the two windows which opened
on he Boulevard de Clichy. and Ber-
a miracle that the victim could have
met his death in sue a horrible man.
ner two steps from the passersby on
the street.
Whoever struck the blow did 1t
quickly thought the police officer.
lie advanced softly toward the body.
casting his y upon the inert mass and
taking in at a glance the smallest OBJ
)ects + it and the most minute de-
tails. He bent Yer and studied it thor
oughly.
NJ. Revere seemed living in his tragic
pose. h pale face, with its pointed
and we'll trimmed gray beard. expressed
acting anger. This man of about so
wears had evidently died cursing some
one IN his supreme agony. The fright
tul wound seemed like a large red era
vat, which h~armonized strangely with
the half whitened beard, the end of
which was wet With blood.
But what struck Bernardet above ey-
elything else, arrested his attention and
glued him TO the spot was the look, the
extraordinary expression in the eyes.
Inc mouth was open as if to cry out:
the eyes seemed to menace some one.
AND the lips about 10 speak.
They We're frightful. Those tragic
eyes We're wide open, as IL trans6xed nv
fear or fury.
They seemed fathomless, staring.
ready to start from their sockets. The
eyebrows above them were black and
brlstl1ng. They seemed living eyes in
that dead face. They told OF a final
struggle. of some atrocious duel of looks
end of words. They appeared. in their
feroc1ous i~mmobility, as when they
gaZed upon the murderer. eve to eve
face to face. "
Bernardet looked at the hands.
lhey We're contracted II seemed. in
sore obstinate resistance, to have clunc
to the neck or the clothing OF the as.
sassin. "S
There ought to be blood under the
nails. since he made a struggle" said
~Bernardet. thinking aloud.
ana Paul Rodier. the reporter, hur-
IiedlN wrote, There was blood under
the nails"
bernardet returned again and again
70 the eNes-1hose wide open eyns
1rlghtful. terrible eyes, which. in their
fierce depths. etained withou. doubt
.ie image or phantom of some night
He touched the dead mans hand. The
flesh had become cold. and rigor nortis
was beginning to set in.
me reporter saw the little mar take
from ms pocket a sort of rusty silver
rlbbon and unroll it and heard him ask
Mohlcfe to take hold of one end of II
rms ribbon or thread looked TO Paul
pared his kodak.
above everything else" murmured
Bernardet, ''let us preserve the exnres-
scion of those eyes"
Close the shutters. The darkness
VIII be more complete
n reporter assisted Moniche in or
DER 20 hasten the work. The shutters
Closed, the room was quite dark. Bern
afdet began his task. Counting off n
lew stems, he selected the best place
from which TO take the picture.
BE kind enough to light the end of
.ne magnesium Wire" he said TO the
concierge. Have you any matches,
No. n. Bernardo"
Ihe 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 sweeping
GLANCE of the eye taken in everything
moved from their places: the pictures
hanging on the walls. the mirrors tho
bookcases, the cabinets, etc.
Mon1che went to the mantlepiece and
TOOK a match from the box. 1t was NJ
ftovere himself Who furnished the light
py whleh a picture of his own body
We could obtain no picture In this
room without the magnesium wire
sald the agent, as calm while taking a
photograp OF the murdered man as he
a beer a short time ago in his gar
NSI lSut is lflSu111C1ent. When
i say. Co.! Moniche, you must light
the wire. n l will take three or four
negatives. Do you understand? stand
there TO my left. Now. Attention."
took his position. and the
porter stood ready. mattel and wire In
nand hke a gunner who awaits the or
der to fire. -
Co" said the agent.
A rapid. clear light shot up and sud.
ienly lighted the room. The pale face
ltNid, the various objects in the
room too on q fantastic appearance in
mis- sort of terlpestuous %apotheosis. and
Rodier hastily inscribed on his
pad. picturesque, bizarre. mar.
devilish. suggcstive."
Let US try it again." said NJ. Ber-
nardet.
For h third time in this weird
light the visage of the dead man an
peared whittier, more sinister, frightrul
me wound deeper, the cash redder. and
the eyes. those wide open. fixed. tragic.
inenacing, speaking eyes-eyes filled
with scorn. with hate, with terror.
with the ferocious resistance OF a last
struggle for life, immovable. eloquent
under the fantastic light to
gEitter, TO be alive, to menace some
That is ALL said Bernardet very
If with these three
Hn ctor-aa ~ 1900.