Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-26


The frst day in Paris. while out shopping
Lazarre Joins The crowd to see. In the hustle.
Bellenger, the potter. shoves knife into la Ia
Nv IS arrested and thrown into the prison OF
Peagie. Beiienger had followed Lazarre
esiima'e Ss is fsft dy1gt Of fever. While the priest
4 administering the last rites the Dauphin 3
brain Is working quickly.
CHAPTER Iv-(Continued).
+ THOUGHT how easy II would be to
i strip the loose surplice over the sac
ristan's head. There was swift clip Of
the arm around your opponents neck
which had learned in wrestling that cut
the breath off and dropped him as limp as
a cloth. II was an Indian trick. I said
to myself 1t would be impossible to use
that trick on the sacristan II he left the
.sh behind the deaf old priest. l did
not want 10 hurt him. Still, he would
have a better chance TO live after 1 had
squeezed his neck than should have IL
did not squeeze 1t.
The priest took out of a silver case a
vessel of oil and a branch. He sprinkled
holy water with the branch upon the
bed. the walls. the sacristan and me. re-
peating:
"Asperges me. Domino, hyssopo, ct
mundabor: lavabs me, ct super nivem
dealbabor."
While l bent my head to the drops 1
knew II was impossible to choke down
the sacristan. strip OF his surplice, in
vest myself with 1t and get out of the
cell before priest or turnkey looked
back. The sacrilege of such an attack
would take all the strength out of me-
The priest said the Exaudi nos, ex-
horted the insensible figure, then recited
the credo and the Litany. the sacristan
responding
Silence followed.
] knew the end was approaching. My
hands were as cold as the nerveless one
which would soon receive the candle. L
told myself l should be a fool to at
Tempt II. There was not one chance in
hundred. / should not squeeze hard
enough. The man would yell. IL | were
swift as lightning and silent as force
they would take me In the act.
~ was impossible. But people who
cannot do Impossible things have to
perish.
The priest dipped his thumb in oil, and
with II crossed the eyes. ears, nose, mouth
and hands of him who was leaving the
use OF these i've senses and instruments
Of evil
Then he placed lighted candle in the
stnened fingers. and ended with:
Aecipe lampadem ardentem custodi
unctionem tuam."
said TO myself, II cannot do IL! No
body could II Is impossibler
The sacristan now began to strip the
altar and pack all the sacred implements
Into their cases, preparing his load I'm
the centre OF the room
The man was dead.
The sacristan's last once was to fix
the two lighted altar candles on the
head and foot railing OF the bed. They
showed the corpse In its appalling still
ness, and stood like two angels, with the
pit between them
The sacristan raped upon the door TO
lock
drew the thick air to my lung DEPTHS.
The man who would breathe no more was
not as rigid as ! stood. But there was
no use In attempting such a thing.
The turnkey opened a gap of doorway
through which he could see the candles
and the bed. He opened no wider than
the breadth OF the priest. who stepped out
a. the sacristan bent for the portables.
There was lightning In my arm as Il
took the sacristan around the neck and
iet him limp upon the stones. The tail
OF the priests cassock was scarcely
tprousn the door.
~ p'"H' HoeHsiah, called the turn
hf{. Make haste with your load. have
this death 10 report. He Is not SO pretty
that you must stand gazing at him ali
niEhtl"
had the surplice over the sacristan's J
head and over mine. and backed out with
my load, Aclng the room.
~ my jailer had thrust his candle al
me-, II the priest had turned 10 speak. n
ne man IN the cell had got his breath be-
fcfe the bolt was turped. II my white sur
p,'es haa not appeared the principal part
81 me In that black place
u Was tmpoasible!--but ! had done H.
CHATTER v.
TUE turnkey's candle made a star
Il point IN the corridor He walked ahead
of the priest ana ] walked behind. We