The Washington herald., 1914-08-16

n II
" worse than other houses in the
neighborhoodP Probably not;
but there is a fate for houses
as well as for men and books
It was a very neat weIl-kept house
The first story was rented to two in
dependent gentlemen and their families
whose minds were as simple as their
lives.
tax collector had his home and Of
fees on the second floor; he dabbled in
politics and was reported to dabble in
usury at times. The third story was let
TO a Baron-very wealthy rumor said
who occupied it only at times. preferring
to live on his estates in the Province Of
Sairtonge-
The whole Of the fourth floor was oc-
cIpied by a man of an old appearance
who dealt in curios and secondhand
articles OF all sorts He was popularity
o. known as Papa Raviner
Ahove him was a story of mean and
s..uaHd rooms occupied by people who
ID @ot c2urt-scamstresses, shop girls
All such But they were all most re-
spcccable as lar as anybody knew-only
per rcor!c.
T..s house was managed by VI Che
1asaaC and his wife: the concierge, NJ
Ch-vassat was called in Paris. His po-
s!tion-Sorresponded TO that of the super
iutcndent'' Of some rather large apart
nent house in New York.
Sounds from Overhead.
Against II and Nine Chevassat the
tongues Of the neighbors wagged most
But all was s11rmise-nothing was def
initeIy known about them except that
once they had lived in the fashionabls
Faubourg St. Honore and were thought
10 have money.
Finally it was reported that they had
a son named Justin, who moved in the
best society and whom they fairly wor-
SHRED
When all Of this tfttle-tattle reached
the ears of the Chevassats they simply
shrugged their shoulders and remarked
that they cared nothing for public opin-
ion as their consciences were clear.
One Saturday evening of a bleak De-
cember day Papa Ravinet rushed in to
the Chevassats' room Just as they were
sitting down to dinner and cried out
that a tragedy was taking place in one
Of the cheap rooms above his own floor.
He had heard, as he had come out Of
his apartments, sounds which were Ike
those of a dying person.
Il could swear" said he, that the
sounds came from the room Of Mile.
Henriette. who lives just over me. Come,
come quick with a light"
Attempted Suicide.
The Chevassats did not stir. You
must be mistaken" said Nine. Chevassat;
Mile Henriette is out saw her go
out. She has not returned"
The door Of the Chevsssats' room
was open and several people had stop
ped as they passed, their attention at
tracted by the excited words of NJ Raw
net. In fact, the whole house was in
excitement in little more than min
ute
''Trasedy!" ran from floor to floor at
the news. Pubic opinion moved the
Chevassats, and everybody hurried to the
room from which Ravinet had heard
coming the sounds which had excited
him.
The door was locked. They broke II
open and a dense and suffocating smoke
came out into the passage
Ravinet rushed into the room and
smashed a window with his fist. As soon
as It was possible to breathe in the
room everybody crowded in.
Stretched at fun length upon a thin
mattress, destitute alike Of sheet OF
blanket, lay young girl Of barely twenty
years of age, clad in fiimsy dress OF
nerino. She had tried to kill herself
with charcoal.
They sent for a doctor; they brought
her back to life with some dificuIty.
Two Letters.
While they were doing this, Papa Raw
met saw, lying uDon a chest Of drawers.
a paper. He took it up and read the
following lines:
Let no one be accused. die volun-
tariIy. Let Nine. Chevassat deliver these
two letters to their addresses. She will
be paid what 1 owe her"
Lying beside the note, the old dealer
perceived two letters Eagerly, he read
their address One was addressed to
Count de viIe-Handry. No. lis Rue de