The Roupell Mystery
By Atistyn (1 r a n v I e
CHAPTER XI. (Continued.)
He sprang from the bath, the water
dripping from bis firm, white body mid
lUmening in big drop on the thick Imir
on his heaving cheat, a be rushed across
the floor of hii sitting room, holding his
towel around him with one hand. Ho
opened the door a little way and took in
the letter. Still holding hU towel about
him. b atood examining the envelope very
carefully. Aa he stood thus, with one
fx slightly thrown forward, all hi
weight on his left log, bis muscles stood
eut like whipcords. His eyes were bright
snd the light of a new interest suddenly
(prang into them. He presented thus a
splendid specimen of physical manhood.
He had little occasion for the brisk rub
bing to which be treated himself, when
he had put down the letter unopened,
merely remarking:
"I wonder what Cassagne Is doing at
Villeneuve."
The heat of his young and vigorous
body had almost evaporated the moisture.
He went back into his bedroom and put
on a soft, silken suit of pajamas, caught
at the waist with a brocaded belt. He
took a tasselled Turkish fei from its teg
and put It on his head. Then he went
In to bis chocolate and rolls, picked up
his morning paper and began to read. He
skimmed the sheet at first with a languid
interest, eating very deliberately an his
eye traveled over the paper. Suddenly he
came to this item :
"Nothing new has transpired since
yesterday in regard u lie luurjt-r of
Mme. Koupell at the Chateau Ville
neuve "
He got no further. Like a flash he
dropped the paper and reached out and
took hold of the letter which he had
almost forgotten, exclaiming:
"The Chateau Villeneuve! Villeneuve!
Why, that's the place Cassagne writes
from. Pshaw! what am I thinking of?
He can't have been called in on that mat
ter. It was in the hands of the prefect
of police, and I know he hates Cassagne
like poison."
Nevertheless it was with fingers which
trembled a little in their eagerness that
he opened the letter.
"Ah ."' he exclaimed, "here's fun at
last. Cassagne is engaged in that Ville
neuve matter after all. Called in by a
friend of the suspected party, too. Al
ways on that side of the case the most
difficult, of course. Wants me to watch
one Jules Chabot. I know him: old
fnp: club man. About as much chance
, of his being implicated as of my getting
married. Well. I declare !"
There were two long sheets of instruc
tions. His first excitement over, Charles
l'Auburon read them twice very care
fully, sipping bis chocolate so slowly that
tlie contents of the cup were almost cold
lfore he finished it. Several minutes
eiapsed before he finally put Cassagne's
letter on one side and lay back to think.
It was curious that his new field of
Tivity should at last have brought him
Into contact professionally with a man
whom he had hitherto known only social
'.v. M. Jules Chabot, while a mere ac
quaintance, belonged to a club of which
he was a member the "Alliance." He
as not very constant in his attendance
hut he was tolerably well acquainted
there. Jules Chabot he had known as
one is apt to know those one casually
nieets in the billiard room or at the card
table.
How fortunate it wns that, acting un
der the advice of his friend Cassagne, he
hid scrupulously hidden from all his
Inends and acquaintances his new occu
pation. It would be a comparatively easy
"k for him to keep watch of Chabot's
movements. The only question was how
to do so without exciting his suspicions.
ile sat revolving this matter in his
mind for nearly an hour, at the end of
which time he arose and completed his
toilet, dressing himself with unusual care.
The role he had now to play was one
hich had deceived many that of a rich,
innocent dandy, to whom appearance is
everything, and who has not a thought in
his head beyoud the set of his hat or his
tie.
He selected from bis wardrobe a fine
morning frock coat and a flowered waist
coat of an oriental design which was all
the rage among the boulevards. He put
on a very tall collar and a necktie of a
very ultra fashion ; a glossy hat, patent
leather boots and a silver-headed Malacca
enne completed his outfit. As he descend
ed the stairs he put an eye glass in one
eye.
Thus accoutred, Charles D'Auburon
was as different a being as you could well
linagine, from the free and easy Bohe
mian of an hour previously. A slight
lraw! was apparent in his speech. Ilnil
hig a cub, he directed the driver to pro
ved to the Alliance club. He was the
most innocent looking young man in the
whole of Paris. A vacant smile played
around his mouth. One gloved hand
"ought his blonde mustache in a caress
ing mnnner, while with the other ha re
turned the salutations of bis numerous
acquaintances. M. Jules Chabot, seated
In the bay window of the Alliance club,
"aw him alight, and surveyed him with a
look In which contempt struggled with
politeness and got rather the best of it.
"There is that Insufferable fop, D'Au
buron, coming up the steps," be remarked
to an Intimate. "I think that fellow
looks a bigger fool every day."
CHAPTER XII,
When Alfred Cassagne bid Dr. Mason
adieu, It was to return to Paris, first to
think and then to act. Never In the
course of bis experience had a ncotin
tefd case which presented obstacles of
. . "r"' " "" true
; ,n "y r two In the counlrv
,,. JXZ
'", "f """ lfy 1)lir, , , ,
"H-m.l organic.,!,,,, ,lt ,lv ' ' ' "
h arpnesH which , ,. .,, '"J
rustic mIh,,,,,, ,,.,, ,,,, , ' r"
been' , '" U"ii'tt '''"'" lmd
H1;' T of the
ln I T . l the follow
SSiSE"
"This brother 0f Madame ltoupell'.,
wh! T (;ral'1-" you tell. ,B
when and where he was la.t heard from?"
i he lust letter nmdame received from
him replied the physician. "I,r the
postmark of Blois. That must bo twenty
years ago, as near as I can recollect."
J-he first thing Cassagne did on his
arrival in Paris was to call on his friend
and pupil. Charles D'Auburon. He found
nun at home, his face glowing with sup
pressed enthusiasm.
"Now," mi id Cassagne, "tell us what
has happened? Have you found Jules
Uiabot, and what progress have you made
toward getting acquainted."
"I already knew him slightly," an
swered D'Auburon. "I approached him
cautiously, because if he is really impli
cated in this mutter he would naturally
be suspicious of any sudden show of
friendship. Fortune favored me, how
ever. I managed to lose ft game of bil
liards to him at the Alliance this morn
ing, the s!;ikfs a !iin-hvn at th Psfa
Anglais, whither we repaired shortly af
ter. What do you think that blundering
idiot Lablanche is doing? He has set
someone to shadowing Monsieur Chabot.
The fellow followed us in a cab. I
thought we had given him the slip, but,
looking out of the windows of the Cafe
Anglais there he was lounging against a
lamp post, and looking like a detective all
over. Did you ever hear of such clumsi
ness in all your life?"
"You must exercise your Ingenuity, my
dear boy. A little thing like that shouldn't
disturb you. Always recollect that In
this business it Is the man who keeps
cool that wins. It is a golden maxim."
D'Auburon was rapidly cooling. He
had been waiting all the evening for the
arrival of his friend to indulge in his
tirade against the prefect. He had deliv
ered himself. Then he became again, as
Cassagne put it, "a reasoning being."
Cassagne then gave D'Auburon a short
sketch of what had occurred at the Cha
teau Villeneuve. He finish his account
by producing the little gold locket.
"The man who wore this was last heard
from at Blois. The owner of this locket
was the man who actually murdered Mad'
ame ltoupell. Whether he had aecom
plices or not It is hard at present to say.
The prefect argues, doubtless, from Jules
Chabot's presence in the chateau on the
night of the murder, that he is in some
way connected. with it. My own opinion
is that it is a mere coincidence; nothing
more, still it will not do to leave any
point uncovered. That a why I want you
to keep him well in sight. Do you see?"
I sec. of course, responded D'Au'
btiron. "I can keep him in sight read'
ily. Meantime, what do you yourself pro
pose to do? Go to Blois, I suppose."
"Exactly, and I start to-morrow morn
ing. That means I shall go to bed early
to-night. You must try and discover
this man Chabot's most intimate friends,
meanwhile. I may be gone-for a day or
60. Try and go where he goes, to be in
vited where he is invited ; and above all
don't let Lablanche get ahead of us. He's
not such a fool as you think. If be makes
blunders, remember he makes remarkably
clever ones."
"There was some talk of "a ball to-morrow
night,' remarked D'Auburon at
length, when he had well weighed the
other's words "a ball at the Vicomte de
Valiar's "
"Ah! do you know him?"
"Yes. as I know them all. I know of
him. He ?an be got at if necessary. From
what Chabot dropped." continued D'Au
buron, "I believe he intends to be there.
He is 'quite in with the de Valiars. I
understand. You have heard of de Va
liars, I suppose? Great financial nabob,
and all that sort of thing."
Cassagne nodded, quietly. "You ought
certainly to be there. One never knows
what may happen."
'
"Now to find, in a population of near
ly thirty thousand people, this one indi
vidual, this Henry Graham, who was last
heard from in this very city seven years
ago," soliloquized M. Cassagne, as he
Rtepped from his compartment on to the
platform oE the little railway station and
saw frowning from above him the ancient
cnstle of Blois. All the way down in the
train be hud been busily occupied in plan
ning how he would find the humnn needle,
Henry Graham, in the bundle of hay,'
Blois.
With nothing to guide him but his own
marvelous powers of reasoning, he now
started forth upon a search which ninety
nine men out of a hundred would have
considered worse thnn useless. For it
was quite within the bounds of possibility
that the man he was looking for had lived
in Blois under another name than that of
Henry Graham.
M. Cassagne sauntered quietly down
the curving, narrow main street of the
old town. By nightfall he bad accom
plished this: He had had his hair dress
ed nearly twenty times, he had ordered
and paid for but barely tasted nearly
forty meals. He had discovered that
there were exactly two inns for every
barber In the town of Blois. But no
barber, and no innkeeper bad been able
IHIZlllltr .
l' Inform btin of surh a person as Henry
'imlistii. SI. Caiwngne retired to rest in
be mitiirre"! hostelry In the town, the
Gold.-n i we.
Much progress did the detective make
ilm next morning in the good graces of
M. CifiMeflu, the proprietor of the inn.
Unit by the time the ancient gilt clock
over the Htnliles had chimed out the half
hour, M. (.'ratti-au and be were on excel
leii terms, walking around the little gar-l-n
and chatting and talking confiden
tially. M. Cassagne waa confiding a wonder
ful fairy atory. He was at Blois in the
Interests of a Utile girl of whose person
and estate he had been appointed guar
dian. He had only to establish the death
of one individual to prove bis little ward
heir to a large property In America. M.
('ratteau, in bis ten years' residence in
Blois, had doubtless met many Ameri
cans. "Yes, many."
"Had monsieur known an American
called Henry Graham?"
"Graham! Graham?" No, the man
had not. "But I think I can direct you
to a person who can," he added. "Go and
see Madame Beausantin, the old washer
woman of the Hue du Concert. She has
done the washing of every American who
has been in Blois for the past twenty
years. She gets all the business because
she knows what they want. She may be
able to tell you something about him."
It was barely nine o'clock when M.
Cassagne, having finished bis coffee and
rolls, issued- forth from the courtyard
of the Golden Fleece, and proceeded in
the direction of the Rue du Concert. It
was a short street, containing neither
Inns nor barber shops, which, perhaps,
accounted fo his not having previously
set foot within its precincts. If it had
not been for the fortuitous meeting with
Cratteau, in all probability M. Cas
sagne would never have thought of
looking there for traces of Henry Gra
ham. It was a bright, smart shop, with
large plate glass windows. In which were
displayed, beautifully ironed, two long
lace curtains, lying specimens of the qual
ity of the work which was never, even
for the best customers, done within. The
Interior of the establishment was fitted
up with a large stove in the rear, on
which dozens of irons were heating. Hang
ed in long rows across the floor were the
ironing benches at which the women la
bored. Through an open door at the
back, a glimpse of huge piles of linen, in
various stages of renovation, was to be
had. The whole place was full of steam.
Though the weather was warm, there was
an entire absence of proiier ventilation.
The atmosphere of the place to one un
accustomed to breathe it was intolerable.
The appearance of the young women
in the establishment of Mme. Beausan
tin, however, entirely belied that of the
popular picture. Notwithstanding the ar
duous character of their employment, they
were as robust and strong as amazons.
The glow of health was on their cheeks.
and the muscles of their bare arms and
necks stood out like whip cords. They
were not at work, however, when M. Cas'
sagne arrived. It was a time-honored
custom of the establishment that from
nine o'clock to half-past was to be de
voted to rest and refreshment.
When M. Cassagne intimated his wish
for a strictly private interview with Mme,
Beausantin she bowed consent and led
the way to an inner apartment.
M. Cassagne took a seat. Mme. Beau
santln stood with one elbow on the man
telpiece, and eyed him curiously. She had
been mistaken in the gentleman being a
customer, she told herself. What then
was the object of the present visit? She
was soon to know. - The detective ap
proached point blank the one subject
which was always uppermost in his mind.
"Can you tell me anything of the
whereabouts of one Henry Graham? You
were his laundress some seven years ago"
In a moment he had hit upon a plan
of enlisting the co-operation of Mme.
Beausantin. An excellent judge of char
acter, he could tell that greed of gain
was one of her predominant traits. Then,
without giving the laundress time to deny
or affirm his statement, -he added in an
impressive toue:
"My name is Alfred Cassagne, and I
im a detective from Paris."
Mme. Beausantin's little beady eyes no
longer twinkled. Instead, they appeared
to be dilated to twice their former size.
Her hands trembled apprehensively and
ber fingers interlaced themselves together
in a spasm of sudden nervousness.
"A detective !" she gasped, when she
was at length able to command her voice.
"Do not be alarmed, madame," said
Cassagne. "Not the slightest harm Is in
tended to you. On the contrary, perhaps
I may be able to make your special
knowledge of this affair of considerable
pecuniary advantage to you. Take a seat.
There is a good deal to talk about."
The calm tone of the detective some
what reassured the proprietress of the
laundry. She sat down. The look of
alarm on her face gave way to her pre
dominant expression the expression of
greed.
"What do you want to know?" was her
eager question, in a voice which asked al
most as distinctly as words, What will
you pay for it?
"I wnnt to know as much of Monsieur
Graham's history as you are acquainted
with."
He drew from his pocket book two bills
of the Bank of France. They were of the
denomination of one hundred francs
apiece. Taking one between his finger
and thumb, he pushed It toward Mme.
Beausantin across the table.
"When you tell me all you know about
Monsieur Graham, you shall have the
other one," he remarked. Impressively.
"The sum is entirely too small, mon
sieur,'.' she said, "for information which
la really worth having."
(To be continued.)
la Milan there are SS.000 famliina
living In one room each.
STUDY FORESTRY.
Student! at Oregon Agricultural Col
lege Gatherirg Tree 8eeat,
By E. A. Lake, Oregon Agri cultural College.
The students in forestry at the Agri
cultural college are nuking their first
collection of seeds of native trees and
shrubs for use in the establishment of
a forest tree nmsery and arboretum.
The purpose in view is not only that
the work thall be instructive to the
student n the study of seeds and seed
ae, silviculture and dendrology, but
that the plant shall be a source of data
to the whole state upon the growth,
habit, resistance, and general character
qf the trees and shrubs of Oregon, so
iar aa is possible to gtow tbem upon
the same site and similar conditions.
Not only ate local seeds being col
lected hut seeds from the home dis
tricts are coming in from friends of
students and the institution. This
kindness on the part of those residing
in the more distant and mountainous
parts of the state is highly appreciated,
as it enables the class to obtain a much
greater variety than otherwise would
be possible with the time and meanB at
the command of either students or in
stitution. Owing to the fact that the course is
bat one year old, only the general and
preliminary phases of the subject have
been considered by the students in the
work. Ihe 0. A. C. Forest club, an
organization of those interested in the
forests of the state, is now discussing
forest fire laws, their enforcement, effi
ciency aid improvement. Each stu
dent is assigned a phase of the topio in
hand and in due time reports his find
ings to the club. Prominent timber,
mill and lumbermen upon invitation
discuss various topics before the club,
as transportation, timber picoer v&liun,
forest conservation, re-foreatation, im
proved methods of lumbering. U.S.
forest service work and similar topics.
Later the advanced students will take
up work looking to the solution of some
of the very practical problems new be
fore the wood users of the country.
The great problem of what to do
with the waste, including the standing
timber that is injured by insect and
fungus foes, will be orfe of the first to
be investigated as soon as the equip
ment of the department will permit.
The statement is made upon good
authority that fifteen per cent of the
mature timber on the western slope of
the central region of the Cascade is
wholly lost through fungous diseases,
and that another fifteen per cent is
graded as cull. Beetles, borers and
minor foes do considerable further
damage, and it is safe to say that the
sum total of these losses must amount
to millions of dollars. It is reasonable
to suppose, io the face of recent results
in agricultural practices in our own
country, to say nothing of the modern
forestry pi act ices of Europe, that the
major part of this loss could be turned
to gain through the intelligent investi
gation of the troubles and the applica
tion of modern measures for combatting
these foes of the forest.
Other great problems are those relat
ing to taxation, re-forestation, utiliz
ing mill waste, improved methods of
harvesting the crops, disposing of the
debris and weed trees, timber technol
ogy and the preservation of lumber.
These problems together with many
more it is the purpose of the college to
help solve through the department of
forestry, as well as train men to take
hold of the practical work and prob
lems of our forests and thus insure the
best possible use of the tree crop.
Publications for Parmer.
The following publications of interest
to farmeis and others have been issued
by the Agricultural department of the
Federal government and will be fur
nished free, so long as they are avail
able, except where otherwise noted,
upon application to the Superintendent
of Documents, Government Printing
Office, Washington, D. C:
Farmers' Bulletin No. 116. Irriga
tion in Fruit Growing By E. J.
Wickscn, M. A., professor ofagricul
tural practice. University of California.
and horticulturist of the California ex
periment Btation. Pp. 48, figs. 8. A
statement of the relations of irrigation
to fruit production, and of irrigation
methods as they have been demonstrat
ed by Pacific coast experience.
Farmers Bulletin No. 138. Irriga
tion In Field and Garden. Bv E. J.
Wickson, M. A. Pp. 40, figs. 18. This
uuuetin aiBcusses ine subject from the
standpoint of the individual farmer.
and contains instructions on the deter
mination of ditch levels, the measure-
ment of small streams, sources of water
supply and their use. the distribution
of Irrigation water, methods of apply
ing water, the choice of an irrigation
method, and the time for the aDnlica-
tion of water.
Bulletin No. 147. Report on Drain
age Investigations in 1H03. By C. G.
Elliott, drainage expert, irrigation in
vestigations, office of experiment sta
tions. Pp. 62, pis. 6, figs. 12. Price
10 cents. This is a report of the work
done by Mr. Elliott during the year
1903. It includes discussions of plans
for drainage near Fresno, Cal., in the
Yakima and Ahtanum vallnvs. Wuuh.
Ington, in the Grey, Bull valley. Wy-'
oroing, in me Missouri valley and in
Hancock countsv. Iowa, and of 1 rainaurA
as a preventive ol hillside erosion in
Georgia.
BEAUTIFYING A CITY.
American Tbwh a a Role Par I.UU
Attrntlna to Shade Treea.
In the beautifying of a city special
attention sliould be paid to shade trees
In the residence portions and In the
parks. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat
says : '
"In the most beautiful cities of the
world the shade trees are scarcely sec
ond to architecture In pleasing effects.
The architects and city foresters sup
plement each other, and the most de
lightful scenes are those in which the
efforts of both blend harmoniously.
American towns, as a rule, snriruz ud
without attention to shade trees, but
the time comes when the lack is pressed.
upon public attention by comparison
with other cities that have been less
negligent Superficially viewed, shade
trees are a minor item. But, In fact,
they are one of the most Important
branches of municipal work. They add
to the value of property to an extent
Dut little understood, though every pur
chaser Of a home knows how much be
is attracted by a well-shaded street A
few well-developed shade trees on a va
cant lot, with other good specimens
along the curbs, are sure to bring along
customers willing to nay a little hicrher
price than on a naked highway. The
general vistas of a well-planted neigh
borhood are worth still more. All laree
cities are multiplying parks and boule
vards in which trees, shrubbery and
luwns are n main consideration. Com
pare the price of proterty In such lo
calities with that in other sections, out
side of business, and a true Idea Is
formed of values and their basis.
Shade trees are property of a precious
kind.
"The city shade tree should be a spe
cial object of care on the part of the
municipal authorities. It sliould be
guarded, and protected. No person
should be allowed to hitch a horse to It
No candidate or other advertiser should
be permitted to tack a placard on It, or
allow It to be abused In any way. Not
only should the planting of trees In a
city be encouraged and the trees out
side of the city along roads sliould be)
conserved and protected for the pub
lic benefit. It Is shocking to see flue
forest trees along the Glendale trolley
line and along the turnpikes defaced
with all sorts of tin and paper signs
that are tacked upon them. The trees
should be respected for the publica
sake."
"SAUCE FOR THE GANDER."
Ilaa-0r-ln-he-Theater Rule Glvea
Woman Her Inning.
Score one for the women.
Under the present management of
the Astor Theater In New York every
woman who holds a seat coupon Is un
der contract to remove her hat If she Is
requested to do so. The agreement is
one of the terms on whloh the ticket Is
sold The man who conceived this Idea
Is doubtless congratulating himself up
on the fact that he hus solved the prob
lem presented when a womnn occasion
ally declines to lower her top hamper.
But In achieving his victory ho has
come Into collision with two other prol
lems. A woman inquires with bland suavity
whether the management, having forced
the removal of the hats, has provided
any place to put them. There are the
veil and the hatpins as well as the lints.
So long as tlielj removal was a volun
tary act of courtesy the women were
content to carry them on their Inps or
fasten them on the backs of the senta
before them. But under compulsion .
that Is a different matter.
The womnn also asks with sweetnesa
but deep feeling whether the ninnngtt
ment has imposed a contract on the
male holders of seat coujkhis preventing
them from forcing women to arise be
tween every two acts and crowding by
them that they may assuage their alco
holic thirst. She suggests that the bib
ulous ones he coniitelled to purchase end
seats at a slightly lncrensed price or re
frnln from Imposing discomfort upon
those about them.
Plnlnly, what Is sauce for the goose la
lauce for the gander. Cleveland Lead
er. Predicament of A arc.
To-dny our attitude toward old ag
(ins greatly changed. We no longer pre
tend to treat It as a hackneyed Joke,
but Instead have agreed politely to Ig
nore It. No one Is old, simply because
be cannot afford to be.
The kingdom has leen given over to
the young, and age must borrow youth's
:lothlng If It would still hold Its own In
the council cIihiiiIht or tlie market
place. Gentleman's Magazine.
To Meet the Demand.
"Do these navel oranges really grow
S'lthout seeds, mamma?" asked Tommy,
my.
"Yes," replied his mother, "some
imart man discovered a way to make
them grow that way."
"O, wouldn't it be fine if he could
snly find a way to make chickens grow
with four drumsticks." Philadelphia
Press,
i
"What Is home without a mother?"
Ask the newly-married couple and the
wll tell you it la simply delightful.