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

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He quickly held the picture BEFORE
Dantin's eyes, wishing to scrutinize his
face TO see what sudden emotion ii
would display. Seeing the portrait.
Dantin shivered and said in a short
tone. IL Is q picture which I gave to
-Ah" said M. emory. .you recog-
ut is my portrait" Jacques Dantin
declared. ut was made a long time
ago. Revere kept IL In his salon. How
did IL come here?'
"Ahi" again said the magistrate.
Explain that to met"
M. Ginory seemed TO wish to be a
little ironical. But Dantin roughly
m. le Juge, / have nothing to ex-
plain to you. I understand nothing, T
know nothing. Or, rather, I know that
IN your error--an error which you viii
bitterly regret some day or other, / am
sure-you have arrested me-, shut me
up IN Mazas, but that which / can as
sure you OF Is that / have had nothing
do you hear, nothing-whatever to
90 with the murder OF my friend, and
! protest with all my powers against
your processes"
comprehend that" NJ. Ginory
coldly replied. "Oh, I understand ali
the disagreeableness OF being shut UP
WITHIN four walls. But then II liz very
slmpe. In order to go out one has My
70 give to- the u who has a right to
know the explanations which are ask
ed, Do o still persist In your sys-
tenn DO you still insist on keeping I
Know not what secret, which you will
not reveal to us?"
shalt keep II, monsieur. I have
renected, said Dantin. Yes / have
reflected, and in the solitude to which
you have forced me I have examined
my conscience" He spoke with firm
ness, less violently than at the Palais,
de Justice, and Bernardet's penetrating
little eyes never left his face; neither
did the magistrates nor the chiefs.
4 am persuaded, Dantin continued,
that thismiserable mistake cannot last,
long, and you will recognize the TRUTH
4 shall go ont, at least from here, with,
out having abused a confidence which,
one has placed In me and which I I'M
tend to preserve"
Yes" said M. emory. "~perfectiy.l
know your system. You will hold to|
II II Is well Now, whose portrait Isl
1T is mine,"
By whom do you think Il was pos
sible that 1t could have been sold in the,
bric-a-brac shop where It was found? Pc
4 know nothing about IL. Probably
by n n who found IL or stole'it from
M Royere's apartment and who is
probably, without the least doubt, his
assassin"
"That seems very simple to 2" /!
1T seems very logical"
suppose that this should be the ex-l
act truth, that does not detract from
the presumption which duplicates YOU
and from Nine. Moniche's deposition
which charges you
Yes, Yes, I know-the open safe
the papers spread out, the t~ete-a-tete'
with Revere. when the concierge en-
tered the room--that signifies nothing 81
For you, perhaps. For Justice II has
a tragic Specification. But let as return,
to the portrait. 1t was you, I SUPPOSE
who gave 1t to Rovere?"
Yes, II was T." Dantin responded
Revere was an amateur In art; more
over, my intimate friend. I had no fam;
lily. i had an old friend, q companion
or my youth whom I thought would
highly prize that painting. 1t is a finei
one--it 10 by Paul Baudry,n
"Ah!" said NJ. Ginory. az. b.
those are Baudry's i~nitials?"
Certainly. After the war. when N
had done my duty like others-I saw
this without any intention OF defending,
myseif-Paul Baudry was at Bordeaux
He was painting some portraits on
panels, after Holbein-Edmond About,eI
among others. He made mine. IT Is this
one which l gave Royere-the one you
hold in your hands"
The magistrate looked at the small
oval painting. and M. Leriche put on
his eyeglasses to examine the q~ualityl
OF the painting. A Baudryl I,
What are these scratches around the,
edge as II nails had been drawn across
the places?" M. Ginory asked. He held
out the portrait to Dantin.
II do not know. Probably where theI
frame vas taken off,"
mo. MOI They are rough marks. u
can see that. The picture has been it,
orally torn from the frame. You ought
TO know how this panel was framed,
Very simply when / gave 1t to Ro-'
we're. A narrow gilt frame. nothing
more" 1919,
Had Revere changed the frame?" I;
II do not know. / do not remember.l
When / was at hts apartment the last
few times, / dot remember to have
seen h Baudry. I have thought OF 81.
but | nave no recollection OF IT,"
Then you cannot furnish any In
formation about the man who sold this
portrait?' %
None whatever
we might bring you face Co face
with that woman"
$50 be 1t! She certainly would not
recognize me-
I'm my case, she win tell us about
the man who brought the portrait to
her"
"she might describe him to me accul
rately, and ever paint him for me. y
said Dantin quickly. 'tShe can neither
insinuate that I know him nor prove to
you that / am his accomplish. / do not
know who he is or from where he
comes. ! was ever ignorant OF his ex-
istence myself a quarter OF an hour
ago"