The Washington times., 1910-12-16
CHAPTERI
Lie Ca e Of Victor Barto

a perfectly splendid evening
on the contrary. II is I who should
thank yCU. Better turn up your col
lar It's not SO warm You know the
way2 Boulevard Lannes straight ahead
until you reach Avenue Henri Martin
If you hurry you may even catch the
last car Ry the way. have you a re-
volver2 This isn't a very safe part
Of town"
I'm all right I always carry a re-
NOlveT- I'm used TO walking about at
night n Paris and 1 know every night
pro7E-5I by sight You needn't go any
43rtler- It's bright moonlight I can
see IS clearly as II II were day Bet
ter 20 iI..
victor Barton took the middle of the
street and struck out on his way at
smart gait As he reached the corner
Of the street he heard his host shout
ing:
You're coming soouZ7
he turned and answered. Il am
NJ Ledoux waved a farewell with his
nand- The lamp above him shOne out
II red glare From the sleepy little
garden, from the cottage with its drawn
blinds. from the coy and bourgeois in
terror revealed by that rectangie OF
light. fOated the calm OF a little town
"a distant familiar calm DESPITE the
ten years he had passed in Paris, Victor
Barton had not completely forgotten the
days that he had spent in the country,
nor the long winter nights, nor the
streets wrapped IN q silence SO deep
hear t5e creaklng OF doors IN OuthOuses
and of beams IN every roof. He stopped
q moment ana, WITHOUT knowing Wnys
thought Of the old folks, as ne caied
his father and mother. sleeping sound
y at that hour Of the old farmhouse;
and Of the simple and SlOLhTul life tnaL
would have been his had not some de-
mon drawn him 10 that enormous PARIS
where. instead OF COnquer1nE all VINO
opposed him, he was obliged 10 content
himself with a reporters s position on the
stan OF a daily newspaper
He lit cigarette and leisurely re-
Eumed his way
A good dinner and old wine had en-
Evened him. they had awakened hopes
and ambitions y hich had long lain dor
Tnant within him. At that moment,
when nothing disturbed his thoughts
when he was IGT from the pounding OF
printing presses, the rustic OF paper and
the smell OF INK tlat p6IFadeS every
editorial room-it seemed as II success
and fame were within his very grasp
Once OF twice as he sat in some restllu-
rant at night IN the glare OF many
lights, the mingled Elusty odor % 1000
and OF perfume IN his nosTriSs Ihe
music Of a Hungarian band in his ears
his senses irriIaCed by the claSnlng
colors and the din, ne had experienced
the same uuheTalded sensation OF DelIS
sonebody-Of bearing within him the
promise Of great things Al such rare
moments he would say.
II i only had pen, ink and paper
would write immortal WOFds-
IN the quiet OF that winter nlgll loszas
and memories crowded rapidly together
in his mind
a -lo-I- s-ruclz- The sound dispeHe1
ali his dreams The past had stsIzed
before him IN the silence, but nothltS
could have recalled hii- ~lore 1usolenlly
TO the present than IRE -tr1king OF the
ITS half-past twelve, he muttered- 70
himself " missed the last car 1ne
devil knows II IN hnd cab IN this part
He Cl1ickened his pace The boulevard
stretched out before him intermlnaoly,
fanked On the left by small houses on
the right by the frovnlng mass o. -
fortffcarfOuS- At wide Intervals Nne BsAS
lamps f7ickeTed htfully on the Pdte-
rnents- They seemed 70 ne tLle OAt1 ~
ing things amid the sleeping houses, --le
turf terrace Of the fort, and the itdllcSS
trees This absolute calul-tnlS coIL2ls,S5
sfIeuce-v-as enerva ting As ne pasSe4
q ger Harme-s basrion Barton slacheItu
hfs pace and looked IN the SeIlII9 Do
IT was empty he WalAt,I atol.- --,,-S- -
wall Behind the gTaJlTS Ine cDl1 - - -
cleaned white. From the SIaoieS cA4llS
the clank Of chains and me @"k" S--o
% -r4,lls :, - |aeue noises dIspeIIed entirely
che Thoughts which had been GppeEiilt'St
IN his mind Victor Barton Jtie tt e@-L---
ct. the poet had dlsappS1iyyc1i yci-+, II rs-- NJ
stead there remained simply victor D. -
ton the fHdefaLIEabl5 reporter leAoS ~
mack his grip at q moment = ACtl-C 80 80
= interview with the same care-ese
demeano1 and the same SHlll6. tllV
A~ctfc ex1I0rer Just returned rom an
other fruitIess attempt TO EeaCn - -
thought he saw the murderer pass ms
ais cigarette was exInguished- he
too5- ar,7ther from his pocket ana
S-----s5 80 1Ighf II He was about 20
walk on when he saw three Sla9y.-7
gliding along the fences IONdIt ILL
At any other time ne No1LL - 7sto
have turned his head But t1e - -
Tcr7- the deserted quarter an some
cueer Incident held his attention ne
sliBped into the SHADOW ana, - -.
D. II 10
remembered that in this secOnc- "iliLll
v-ae destined 70 marx turning p-l-ll
i0 his life, his senses ACQUIRED 80 -
errc 7rr1-auesS- HIS eyes EaL-loLlSA l--S
--ToP+ and noted a thousand dettiL~- E1lS
ear DISTINGUISHED the fatntesL SOlllu
Although he was courageous ana even
daring. ne cIutched his revolver ana
felt kind OF joyful security @S NJ
hand touched II thouSand com use0
thoughts LTETeTSed his breln- 1e u
6erstOod now the anguish OF 2 @ L.-eL y y
Y,erfI- Esrzore whose eyes the events OF
a lifetime fash between two heaIl-
hats he felt that this moment vas
fraught with danger and Tea llzed -. lI-etI
his whole body was Eeyed 70 II L-aN1-
mum tension ready for defense
THE shadows CTept on, Stopped an
TuUtlN Crept on again ana Elceu alull@
nv successive rapid leaps TheV slack
ened their pace a few stems IToIh I.l-.l @
md then stopped- Under the gas lamp
he could watch them AZ his ease ana
follow their every moVefIleLlt- --,--,,,
ems two men The shortest OF the three
carried q fE-re bundle under ms arm
The woman looked about her ana eI- rs
tened C7--tsousiy- As g. they feared
thew might be seen by some Inv-si2le
observer. the mar Tit'z the blue bundle
and -he woman withdrew from the circle
of light. Th= third did not move 81
first Finally he stepped forw ard
shielding his eyes from the gas dehI
His face was pale and his cheeks nor
low his large. ku0tte1 hands 7ve~e hetc
across his face. tiS black hair feil n
an unIre11rr mass on MS 1oretleaa-
blood had flowed between lis a-eerS
and had r--be-ed IN q ciot on rs MUS
tache and Ii1s and triczled down MS
chin ard throat
well" said the woman in p loTr
voice. what SIC you stor-p5nC forl'
IL answered Good Cod. IN Ti-Ei''
she stcpred out Of the shadow and TO
his side The little nan followed her
s,r4 down his bundle and whispered.
Ti.h much shruCCing or his shoulders
'sYou won't CrOaE because or that!'
Il wish vou hed this I'd Ike TO
hes YOU howl
Ha tfronpe6 his bloody hands. Be
l. 217 hal . f~fr1rtFr11