The Washington times., 1910-10-09
L'HOMME SANS FIGURE
(zIHE MN WITHOUT Il FACE
Copyright. The FRANK A.

plenty OF signs at his command, had
murmured:
"Ah, the women It is terrible
A week after the deed Kingsley,
asked my brother-in-law, Marcadian, 10
call BY that time the high fever which
had kept me 10 my bed had dropped.
To Marcadian the millionaire told the
same tale, which made Lucie's disap-
pearance quite natural And so Kings
ley. with his usual great caution, and TO
make the story more plausible, threw
off at q stroke all suspicious which
would have sprung up IN the minds OF
those interested in the fate OF the poor
girl. The assassin was sheltered from
all suspicion, and I, by my silence. was
constrained TO serve him as an accom-
plice.
When Marcadian was told that Lucie
had taken her revenge in suCn a fright
tul manner. he broke out into the
strongest impTecatiOns against her He
urged me TO lodge a complaint against
her. and offered, as friend, TO put
his services at my command With my
heavy head SWathed IN bandageS,
made a sign IN the negative, while
Kingsley broke in:
That was my first thought. but I
could not make my friend consent. He
with his nobility Of soul. which I fully
appreciate, rates above his own personal
vengeance the joint interest OF my son
and your charming niece. If he were to
take legal measures, il might have the
effect of placing my son in an unfaVOr-
able light in Evelyne's eyes She knows
OF his former enga cement, and II would
cause annoyance TO them both. What
good would il do in the ED The French
1urleS are, as you well know. my dear
advocate. very lenient toward wOmen's
emotional crimes And after all is said
and done. IL could not alter my dear
friends Disagreement I personally am
for vengeance. vengeance in the ex-
IRENE. but. OF course. l must submit 70
Charles Will. We are we'll rid of that
creature, and we are sure Of never see
ing her again. She has escaped; let her
go
He then told the lawyer not to tell
the doctor about my sickness until ]
should have quite recovered. As Marca-
dian rose to 60. he Clasped my hands in
his warmly, and said a few sympathiz-
ing words to me.
When I was again on my feet il was
always Kingsley who saw that 7 had
everything for my comfort It was he
who led me first to the window 10 look
out on the garden hathed in the autumn
sun The park looked infinitely sad and
oreary TO me. The trees We're StrfDDed
OF their verdant foliage: the flowers
were dropping and withered. All the
beautiful life Of the garden had gone.
saw Bambou, who had helped in nv
torture. sweeping the pathways. which
were covered with dead leayes. He
looked up at my window and called out
a cheerful good morning to me.
During my cOnvalescence I had seen
! him several times, but I had never
seen Jim. who I was sure knew about
Lucie' s murder. Once I asked Ban,bou
where the man had gone. and he replied
with his everlasting:
Flute, flute, Shuffied off like ing
glers ball Gone like Mademoiselle.'
| did not again mention that terrible
night 10 Addison Nor did I try TO in
Vite condolences which might terTifv mo
/ And he. on his side, kept silent. Alas
l had determined to submit To all for
EVelyne's future happiness.
II was the doctor who took off my
last bandage and Kingsley who handed
me the mirror, which showed me the
terribly repulsive face that I Should
have hencefOrth. I have now become
accustomed to my repugnant ugliness
but at the moment that I took the oval
mirror IN my trembling hand I shook
from head to foot.
Was this my face: this head Of q
chimpanZee? My face, this face that
had nothing human in it: which was
eaten by kind of skin disease ht9
rible purple-red scar This skin-Fke
parchment paper, all crinkled which
Ored by some crimson ffuid-was IL my
skin? This mask. with dilated eyes
startling in their excessive mobility.
was my mask the mask with which
could go freely intO the world again
without being known
Weakly I handed back the mirror to
my executiOnerl Then, strange to saw,
by powerful contradiction, between
: the regret of having lost my real face