The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-10-01
CHAPTER |.
A Crime.

Since o'clock in the morning had
STOOD on the banks OF the Marine
and mad caught only half a dozen perch
As walked along the little zig-Zag
pam before the pretty villa covered
with ivy that belonged TO old Tape
! Oells retired army officer, the
ga soldier, who was IN the garden.
leaned over the fence and called out
BaTTabaSl Monsieur Barrabasl'
crossed over to see what he wanted,
0io ne said without preamble;
run quickly nome. woman has
9Gst been murdered iH your hOuse."
ne turned his back on me abruptly
and was soon lost in the alley Of rose
uees which led 10 his villa. The words
were uttered 50 quickly and so sud
denly that 1 thought il was one Of
the Old soldiers bad jokes
l shrugged my shoulders. laughed, and
Sontlnued 70 walk with the same
4elsurety step, putting at my pipe a.
went Then in turning the lane,
from behind the hedge OF prickly
iaWthSTn, Mother Care, who was
hanging out the laundry on the line,
called out in voice trembling with
emotion:
Monsieur Barrabas- Hurry home.
rIble has happenedT'
And in the same abrupt manner
she turned her back and walked
quickly into the house 1t seemed
as II /, with my long artists hair and
moving beard had for the first time
IN my life inspired my nelghbOrs with
a mason who passed turned his
nead and muttered. but not so low
but that L could hear:
1t is about timeI Here is Barrab has,
KING Of Fools
had never taken oTense at this
SODrIQuet- Why should I more than
the old officer niCknsmed Tape
IOell-' All our neighbOTs had some
sort OF appellation- They were usual
y without any significance. but many
were decidedly drOlL- Without doubt
mine was bestowed on me because
my wisdom was too patent. also be
cause led quiet simple ne L
had no ambition 1 was happy with
my wife Gabrielle. my son POlydOre
and my daughter Evelyne-
NJ friends, who passed their lives
In making vain efforts, thought I was
good for nothing but to smoke
hours soaking a thread IN water and
TO sing from morning until night. Ny
acquaintance pointed at me with a
niger OF scoTn ana dlSoa1nIully call
that the Statuary which 1 was able
to create after long years In the
atelieT of Barrias was the psstime
OF an idleT- In addition there was
my long flowing beard and hair and
q certain love Of the paradox in my
COnTeTsaJl ton, SO that II was really
not astonishing that passed In the
little village OF BTy for an eccentric
individual and that I was nicked-
named the King of Fools
What Mother Care had said did not
disturb me any more than what Tape a
] Oell n1Q =dll / LtlgAE4lL II - dS oDlAAo
joke that had been started IN the vii
Iage- It seemed TO NE an impOssibillty
that any one could be asSaSsinated IN
broad daylight I left my wife with
our son and daughter and the maid in
our home The cottage was on the route
OF Noisy, and perhaps Il was a little
Isolated but Il was not sufficiently re-
moved from the other habita lions 70 be
exposed to danger Of this kind Curl
OSitv alone made me quicken my steps
It was exactly lilo o'clock when push
= rfa an T1rz .
sEeet-smelllng hOneysuckle- The peace
Tu.ness OF my little cottage with the
Gloire de Dion roses, Dathed IN a gOl9eh
sunlight seemed TO belle, by its us
Greet welcome, the tragedy heralded by
nv gOSSipinE neighbOrS- The Watcn dOBr
Brutus- slept n his kennel, under the
shadow Of a plane tree he scarcely
delgned 10 unCiOse his eyelids as ne
UsgEed his tail For one bTle1 moment
he turned his big amber-colored eyes N
nv direction. then closed them again N
drowsy Incidence.
7 crossed the threshold Of my home In
truth. while Kidding myself n the hail
Of my fishing tackle, I was a little sur
PriSed that neither my Vile nor my
daughter came TO meet me
Silence everywhere
7 opencd tho dining room door and q
horrible sight trauStiZed me to the spot
on the floor beside the large dlToD-
C1abrieIIe-rny wife GabTieile-lay with
arms cutstretChed and hands c1ncneo-
From a CHASTITY wound in her temple
the blood Of life had flowed On the
foOr there was biz red blot It seemed
al this awful moment that my heart
had ceased 10 beat II seemed Ilal my
soul had been torn asundeT- leaving .
7 E1eIt down beside the body and took
the cold. rigid hands in mine eXaIN-
med the CLASSY eyes and the tightly
closed mouth. which was shut. SPHINX
IKE as though its last awful secret
Should not escape This closed NOUN
terrified me even more than the gaping
wound and the TitTeOuS eyes Already 1
saw that It was mysterious evidence
Of something I could not surmise-mignt
NV gaze fefI to the floor and 7 saw
the Instrument Of the crime II was my
maTIet, a tool 7 used in my work which
helped ne TO bring out Of slab OF
marble what had preposterOusly
named II .ife''
From the maIIet my look Travelled to-
ward the white unfinished statue which
stood ~ the corner OF the studio Ny
wife Gabrielle had posed FOR II. As I
stood face 20 face with the dead model I
and the marble efhEy Il seemed IN my
was more Iifelike than ever
7 rushed from the studio, calling
''F.velynet Polydorel''
Nsither my son nor my daughter re
I ran quickly. Up the staircase, fearing
another ca iaTS1Ity
I went into my daughters room She
was lying on her white-curtained bed
and seemed TO be asleep There was
DOT a movement OF the muscles her
face vas like wax
took her hand in mine a tiny en-
eraId cleaned in a gold ring on her
finger
--Everyne, Evelynei' / called to her.
She did not move and I saw that she
was in a dead faint
POlvdore vas not IN his room
7 searched every room IN the house
He was not 10 be found Then I went
up IN the loft. and ! heard coming from
the farther corner a prolonged moan Z
7 went forward. cropping along with out I
sire, ched hands in the obscure light
\ hot, trembling hand seized mine. /
While a voice cried
Mercy, Merry
y cold perspiration broke out over my
body 7 thought I saw in the darkness
TWO shining SpeCkS which were the eyes
Of my son With firm grip held The
hand which opposed only a weak re
sistanCe- and drew from the dark cor (
ner where he was cTOuching- haggard /
and trembling my only son. PolydoTe-
Al this tragic moment 7 had the eN-
1TaoTdICarE and nEulaT impression {
that II was II. p IRA has. whom the
good 0eiEhborS called King Of Fools
who was the assassin of my own wife. !
and that IL was I who made my son !
H.. Il IL. I