Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-03-04

up TO Cne door, but there stopped
short, as they read the terrifying
words on the sign-Cholera-
House.
They hesitated for a moment, then
Jacques, with wild determination,
cried:
Come on in! They'll be afraid to
chase us in here"
Confident in his friend, Paul fol-
lowed him. They banged on the
door 1t was opened Immediately.
They passed in without replying to
the questions which the doorkeeper
put to them. Jacques shut the door
quickly and locked it.
He looked out of little window
on the side of the door. The crowd
had hung back, but Smith, Girodct,
and the constable were still running.
They were still two hundred yards
from the pest house. Jacques turned
to the porter and asked quickly:
What usually happens in this
place."
"Why, one dies usually" answered
the man.
Are there many here stricken
with the cholera ?"
about dozen"
Seriously ill.,"
"Yes-two will die tonight"
Good. Take me to the superin-
tendent-the man in charge of this
place."
He slipped some gold into the
mans hand. The caretaker looked
in astonishment at these two strange
visitors. But the gold made him
deferential. .l ...
This way, gentlemen" he said.
The superintendent was asleep.
Jacques shook him roughly.
Another dead?" he asked, wax
ing suddenly.
mo; wake up and listen to me-"
replied Jacques.
The porter had gone back to his
duties.
"Who are you, and what are you
doing here ?" asked the superintend-
ent in amazement.
Jacques thought that he would
borrow an idea from Alexandra
Dumas.
GLOW much do you gain year
leading this dogs life?" he asked
"You are right" answered the
man, at certainly is dogs life,
and sooner or later | shall catch the
disease"
Jacques put his hand in his pocket
and pulled out a thousandfranc note
which he laid on the rickety table.
The man frowned.
"What's the matter?" asked
Jacques.
"a paltry note for a thousand
francs! Many have offered me more
than that to get out of here, but if
you want to come in"
eff | give you ten times that? ?"
Jacques held out the ten thousand
francs. The mans eyes glittered
"How do | know that they are not
counterfeit ?" he asked warily.
Examine them. hut be quick"
The superintendent took them up
and looked at them carefully.
"They are genuine" he admitted.
"But what is there that can do for
you? | don't understand"
owe want you to keep us here"
"To catch the cholera?"
Exactly"
Exactly"
"You want to commit suicide,
them"
1--WE want to be corpses. Only
notice the shading, my friend. We
don want TO die.
Their talk was interrupted by
some heavy blows struck on the
front door of the house.
at is the police after the two
men who came in here" cried out
the porter.
"You scoundrelsw cried the su-
perintendent.. "You ran in here to
escape from the police"
He had scarcely uttered these
words than the muzzle of revolver
was pressed on his temple, and Jac-
ques said resolutely:
"If you don't give the order to
keep that door closed, I'll fire."
Without hesitation the superin-
tendent cried:
Don't open the door! Don't open
it,"
"Now, let's go on with the bar
gain" said Jacques coolly.
81 understand. You want me to
hide you here and give YOU your
liberty later"
1--WE want you to obey us, and
here are ten thousand francs if you
do so. I'll make it twelve thousand
What do you say?"
at is difficult to refuse to help
YOU"
"If you refuse you are a dead
man; if you agree to do this little
favor you gain twelve thousand
francs"
"Well, what do you want me to
do?"
"When a fellow dies here What
becomes of his body?"
The corpses are thrown irto
qnIcklime. The names of the vic
tins are inscribed on the front d Dor
OF this place and .he hour when they
died; all their clothes and every
thing that belJngs to them are
burned" ~
"F'ine! But we want two corpses."
"Tfcre are tive unknown sailors
here; they have not long to live
"That is all night; they will do.
Now you go to the door and tell the
police who are knocking that tic
two men who rushed in here ten
minutes ago have been stricken
with cholera and that they will die"
q