Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-08-04

SoSSo.
Again the picture changed.
"Who is this?'
"Queen Victoria"
Here suddenly, at the view of Eng
lands peaceful sovereign, Groener
seemed thrown into frightful agita-
ton. Up and down in mad excite
ment leaped the red column as if the
frightened heart were trying to burst
the tube with its squirting red Jet.
The doctor put his mouth close to Co.
quenips ear and whispered, Its the
shock showing now, the shock that he
held back after the body"
There! Do you know these faces?'
AS he spoke there appeared the fake
photograph that Coquenil had found
in Brussels-Alice at the age Of twelve
with the smooth young widow.
Look at the girl in this false pic
ture which you had cunningly made
in Brussels" cried the Judge. who
is she? There is the reason for your
killing Martinez"
Now the prisoners pulse was run
ming wild. faster and faster.
Martinez knew the TRUTH" he went
on; Martinez held your secret. How
had Martinez come upon it? The
whole aim of this Investigation has
been to get the secret, and we have got
it.! Groener. you have written this
secret for us in words of terror. We
know what Martinez knew when you
took his life; we know the story Of
the medal that he WORE"
II know nothing about this man or
his medal" flung back the prisoner.
mo? Then you will be glad to hear
the story. 1t was a medal of solid
gold awarded Martinez by the city of
Paris for conspicuous bravery in saw
ing lives at the terrible charity ba-
Zaar fire. Have you forgotten the de-
tails of the charity bazaar fre?"
II am not interested in the subject"
answered the accused.
"Ah, but you are. or you ought to be-.
Hundreds burned to death-think Of
that! Cowardly men trampling wo-
men and children! Duchesses burned
to death! Rich women burned to
death! Think of it. Groener, and"-
he signaled the operator, land look at
it,"
AS be spoke the awful tragedy be-
gan in one Of those extraordinary NOV
ing pictures that the French make
after a catastrophe. Here before them
leaped redder flames than ever crac-
killed. through the real charity bazaar;
here were women and children perish
ing in more savage torture than the
actual victims endured; here were hor-
rors piled on horrors. Coquenil had
seen this picture in n Of the boule-
ward theaters, and straightway after
the precious nine second. clew Of the
word test he had sent Papa Tignol off
for 1t posthaste. If the mere words
charity bazaar" had struck this man
dumb with fear. what would the thing
itself do-the revolving, CHASTITY thing?
Then suddenly the tension snapped;
the prisoner sprang to his feet. and.
tearing his arm from the leather
sleeve, be faced his tormentors des-
perately.
"No. no. moi" he shrieked. "You
dogs! You cowards!"
put the handouts on him." ordered
H%auteville.
"What does all this prove?" the pris-
oner screamed in rage. Nothing!
Nothing! You make me look at dis
gushing. abominable pictures, and why
shouldn't my heart beat? Anybody's
heart would beat if he had a heart"
The Judge went on in a tone as keen
and cold as a knife: Before you go
to your cell. Groener, you shall hear
what we charge against you. Your
wife persisted in the charity bazaar
fire. She was a very rich woman,
probably an American, who had been
married before and who had a daugh-
ter by her previous marriage. That
daughter is the girl you call Alice.
Her true name is Mary. She was in
the fire with her mother and was res
cued by Martinez. but the shock of
seeing her mother burned to death
and perhaps the shock of seeing you re-
fuse to SAGE her mother
Its a lie!" yelled the prisoner.
"Al this terror and anguish caused
o4SI0l OdASS Ill Luc
girl and resulted in a failure Of her
memory. When she came out of the
fire she did not know her W name.
She was helpless. And she 4pa a great
heiress! II she lived she inherited her
mothers fortune; If she died this for
tune reverted to you. So you destroy
ed her identity; you gave it out that
she. too, had persisted in the flames,
and you proceeded to enjoy her stolen
fortune. while she sold candles In
Notre Dame church,"
"You have no proof Of It'll"
mo? What is this?" and he sig
nailed the operator, whereupon the
lights went down and the picture Of
Alice and the widow appeared again.
Nov watch the woman, your Brus-
sells accomplish; watch her carefully
The smooth young widow faded grad
ually. while the face and form Of an
other woman took her place. .Now we