The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-10-01
LHOMME SANS FIGURE B
(ZYZE NAN WITHOUT Il F4CEJ
~ with the blood Of the unfortunate
F4CEJ


/ stlcky with the blood or the unfortunate
That's it, cried PoIydore 'sstriksI
| Strike! You can never understand she
| refused me louis CHI II is an ugly
affair, and I swear did not mean to
! do it,
For moment my brain seemed 10
I reel NY forehead seemed as though il
| would burst. I fell weakly on the sofa
| POlydOre leaned against the wall and
/ sODbed
/ What did it mean? Ny boy, who IN
i III now had fulfilled all our hopes. had
/ killed his mother because she had re-
/ fused him louisi
He was studying law We allowed
| MIN the small sum OF 200 francs a
] month. and he had always passed
I among his associates for a model young
I man At home he was everything son
1 should be. and mis- uncle. MarCadian,
/ who had no exaggerated sympathy for
me, used TO say, jokingiy, that the son
| was as wise a. the father was foolish
/ Five louisI He knew that he had only
/ TO ask me and I would have given him
I the sum- What did II mesn7
remained daZed. looking at the body
stretched at my feet, peered into the
unseeing eyes Of my dear wife, exam
I ined again the horrible wound on the
temple, and then, as before, Il was her
| livid, contracted lips, her enigmatical
mouth which held my gaze Her mouth
seemed TO command absolute silence on
the crime. To counsel me- TO command
I
could not say. but I must do It l
seemed 10 understand her mute appeal
and grasp her Imperative wish. The
command wac insinuated in Tightening
fold Of the mouJh-in a fold stamped
with a supreme pity. and IL was sealed
on the lips that we're closed forever.
Her love for Pclydore was her life
and she showed me clearly with her
en1gmaticsl mouth that on the other
side the Valley OF Death her mothers
heart crsved his pardon IN this mute
appeal she bssought me not TO be the
aCCuser Of our son and to conspire BY
all means to save him from the punish
ment that justice would deal to him
But by what means7 All reasoning
had left me- by brain was reeling-
Does Evelyne know the truthg' I
asked, in a choking voice
she knows all" my son replied.
And the seTvant2
she knows nothing
Then why has she gone 70 Nogent2"
Because I told her TO 60 I sad TO
her Louise, my mother has been as
sassinated- found her dead in my
fathers studio"
You are ready 70 make your confes-
sion before justice and are prepared to
undergo the penalty that awaits your
asked.
No punishment can be bad enough"
I said. hercsly- I sat down by the bay
window which looked out over my pref
ty garden What did Gabrielle wish me
10 do? thought for a long while then
got up and went to my desk and wrote
the following letter TO Maitre Marca-
dian. the celebrated lawyer, who was
my W1fe'S brother man whose deep
character never could accord with mine
Ny Dear Marcadian-
4 must do justice TO myself by say
Ing that I have always loved Gabrielle
with a deep love, and when you hear
the terrible truth that have killed her
I trust you will have some extenuaffne
circumstances to accord TO such an act,
M - -
I have not murdered Gabrelie-I have
killed Gabrielle I must tell you all.
7 had asked nv wife 20 nose for the
last time for the statue Life that
have been working JJDon for the last
year She agreed with her usual com
Dlacency. and Il was certainly not her
fault that she was unable TO give the
expression 70 her face that desired
fOU. who are not an artist and rot sub
feCt 70 irrational fits OF violence. can
scarcely understand the fury which
Sweeps over Us when We struggle IN vain
with a dream that cannot TaterisIiZe.
Il is enough for you to know that in an
attack Of impulsive fury I threw the
hammer that I had in my hand across
the studio It struck Gabrielle on the
temple Need I swear SClemnly To YOU
that IL was quite an accident How can
7 describe nv teTror-Tnv feeling Of hor-
TuT-at that moment Gabrielle vas
killed She fell without q CIV at the
foot Of nv statue Of Life.
And this quick deed, IN which 70
human wish had coIlabOrated- which Oc-
CURED solely through the extravaganza /
Of an act, maddened ne. nd Il at that
moment had had a weapon il my
hand II Is certain that IN obedience : n
the same unconscious impulse I should
have paid the penalty with nay life. I
should have done justice Justice, Yes,
my friend that is a word on which we
have not the same IDEAS cannot say
more. but I must ask YOU, IN mercy. 70
he q father 10 nv son POlydOre and q
my beloved daughter Evelyne-
IL IS impossible for me TO see either
Of my children again count upon YOU, !
. --rlT- ~lear-Sivhted man who calls
me the king Of the Fools" TO give to
IEIy TWO children the lesson OF wisdom
which they viii need IN this life.
''BARRABAS''
] made a sign to POlydOre 10 approach
Read this I said. quietly
He held ont a Rha king hand LEhan he