The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-01-07
The Crime Of ''s''': ::
s & ! s !: the Boulevard

spear " ing VI y, AeoNSIcb DcAuce
1t seemed, then, that he knew the
dead man.
All the people gathered in this little
hall, IL asked In regard TO this murder.
would have said: '.Rovere!" THE Ro-
we're AFFAIR" THE Revere murder"
Not one who had not known the victim
would have said:
M. Roverei"
The man knew him then. This sim
pie word. in the officers opinion, Meant
much.
The manager now that,
having become a skeleton, the dear
brother who had lent himself to this
experiment would return to his natural
state, "freshier and roster than before"
He added pleasantly. "A thing which
does not generally happen to ordinary
skeletons"
This vulgar drolIery caused a great
laugh, which the audience heartily in
obliged in. 1t made an outlet for their
pent up feelings, and they all felt as IL
they had awakened from a nightmare.
The man In the combrero, whose pale
face was paler than before, was the
only man who did not smile. He even
frowned fercely (noted by Bernardet)
when the manager added:
You are not ii the habit of seeing
a dead man resuscitated the mex day.
Between us, it would keep the world
pretty full"
Evidently" thought Bernardet, my
young gentleman is i'll at ease"
His only thought was to find out his
name, his personality, to establish his
identity n to learn where he had
spent his life and especially his last
days. But how?
He did not hesitate long. He left the
place, even before the man in the coffin
had r~eappeared. smiling at the audi
ence. He glided through the crowd,
repeating, "Pardon--I beg pardon!"
~traversed rapidly the hall where new
Corners were conversing over their bev-
erages, and, stepping put into the
street, looked up and down. A light fog
enveloped everything, and the Easlights
and lights In the shop windows showed
ghostiy throw 1t. The passersby, the
cabs, the tramways. bore a spectral
look.
What Bernardet was searching for
was q policeman. He saw two chatting
together and walking slowly along un-
der the leafiess trees. In three steps,
at each step turning his head to watch
the people coming out of the cabaret, he
reached h men. While speaking to
them he did not take his eyes from the
door of that place where he had left the
young man In the n felt hat.
"Dagonin," he said, 'tyou must fol-
low me. IL you please, and pull me I'M
1 am going to pick a drunken quarrel
with a particular person. Interfere and
arrest us both. Understand? 2"
Perfectly" Dagonin replied.
He looked at his comrade, who car
ried his hand to his shake and saluted
Bernardet.
The little man, who had given his d.
rections In a quick tone, was already
far away He stood near the door Of
the cabaret gazing searchingly at each
4 naTonn Wyhn On m a amt ~ TIKI INAnr-. -
cast were neither direct, menacing nor
even familiar. He had pulled his hat
down to his eyebrows, and he cast side
glances at the crowd pouring from the
door of the w~ineshop.
He was astonished that the mar in
the sombrero a not yet appeared.
Possibly the man had stopped, on his
way out, In the front hall. CHANGING
through h open door, Bernardet saw
that he was right. The young man was
seated at one of those coffin shaped
oaken tables, with a glass of greenish
liquid before him. He needs alcohol
to brace him up" growled the officer.
4 can wait till he has finished his
absinth," said Bernardet to himself.
The door was shut again.
He had not long to wait. After a
small number OF persons had left the
place, the door opened and the man in
the gray felt hat appeared. stopped on
the threshold and, as Bernardet had
done, scanned the horizon and the
street. Bernardet turned his back and
seemed to be walking away from the
Wlnesnop, leaving the man free. With
a keen glance or two over his shoulder
toward him, Bernardet crossed the
street and hurried along at a rapid pace
In order to gain on the young man and
by this maneuver to find himself d.
rectly in front of the unknown. The
man seemed TO hesitate, walked quickly
down the boulevard a few steps toward
the Place Pigalle, in the direction where
Roverejs apartments were, but suddenly
stopped, turned on his heel, repassed
the Cabaret du Squelette, and went to-
ward the Moulin Rouge, which al first.
Bernardet thought. he was about to
enter. As he stood there, the yanes of
the Moulin Rouge, turning about, light
ed up the windows OF the opposite
buildings and made them look as il
they were on fire. At last, obeying an
other impulse, he suddenly crossed the
boulevard, as IL to return into Paris,
leaving Montmartre, the cabarets and
Rovere's house behind him. He walked
briskly along and ran against a man
"a little man-whom he had not mo-
ticed, who seemed suddenly to detAch
himself from the wall and who. fell
against his breast hiccoughing and
cursing in vicious tones
"Imbecile!" |
The young man wished to push away
the intoxicated man., who, with hat
over his eyes, chung to him and kept
repeating:
THE street.-the streets Ii not
free-the street?" f
Yes, II was certainly a drunken man
mot a man in a smock, but a little
fellow, a bourgeois, with hat askew and
a thick voice.
IL am not stopping you. The
street Is free, I tell you!"
well, IL ii is free / want it,"
The voice was vigorous, but showed
sudden anger, a strident tone, a slight
foreign accent, Spanish perhaps.
The drunken man probably thought
him insolent, for, still hiccoughing, he
answered:
"oh, you want II, do you? You want
1t? / want it'll The king says we
WISH don't you know?'
With another movement he lost his
equilibrium and half fell, his head
hanging over, and he clutched the man
he held in a sudden embrace.
1T Is mine also--the street-you