THE EI GENE WEEKLY Gl'A RI». THITLSDAY, JAM Ain' 2N. tl»n»
if
—-
By GASTON
LEROUX
Stand as
lulmts, Martin Hewitt, Dapin,
Vidocq, and all the crew
ffamous detective» of fiction
^history.' Enter Joseph Rou.
im J i /Z*. reporter-detective, su-
¡nor to you all in the faculties
fobserving everything, remem-
rinJ everything, deducing all
facts that thr w light on his
ties. Before Routeiabilla [pro
meed Rule-ta-bee solved the
list-ry of the Yellow Room he
dj/.town to the P^.-is police
tamcrvel of reasoning power,
Hhough he ao only a boy in
ten. With i'u solution of the
tmousStang- raon enigma he be-
ime a national figure i.i the lit-
fttare of P, i u.e. 4s such we
ttrcfxe /»./.i > j < ur readers.
CHAPTER 1
|n Which We Begin
Understand.
Not
permlt to communicate” for the prto-
on of Maxas or for Baint-Laxare lb
had. as they say, "a tood nut." lie
seemed to have takeu his bead, round
as a bullet, oat of a box of marbles,
aud it is from that, 1 think. that Ids
comrades of the press, all determined
billiard players, bad given him that
al, kname, which was to stick to him
and be made Illustrious by him. lie
was always as red us a tomato, now
gay as a lark, now grave as a Judge.
COPYRIGHT. 1908,
How while still so young be was only
BY BRENTANO’S
sixteen aud a half years ekl when 1
saw hint for the first time— bad be al
ready won his way on the press?
That was Wtgu everybody who came
1 Ion there—M. Stangerson and I. Xfe
Into eontact with him might have ask
I made no noise He was seated at bls
'i desk. As for me. I was sitting on a í the door, whicn is natritr sn.T on th» ed if they bad not known lila history.
threshold of which the concierge stood At the time of the affair of the woman
I chair, having finished my work and.
with tbe lamp while lier husband anJ cut In pieces in the Rue Oberakampf.
I looking at him, I said to myself:
I searched for him in every corner of another forgotten story, he bad takeu
: "What a man! What intelligence!
j What knowledge!" I attach impor- the little room, where It is Iriposslb’e for to one of the editors of the Epoque, a
any one to hide himself. Thedoor will b paper then rivaling the Matin for in
. tance to tbe fact thnt we made no hnl been forced open against tbe wall formation, the left foot, which was
noise: for, because of that, the assassin coelil not conceal anything behind I
h missing from the basket in which the
yertalnly thought tint we tad left the as v.e nssureil ourselves. By the w!
grewsome remains were discovered.
place. And. suddenly, while the cuck<>" daw. still In every wav sc. rrvd. :
For this left foot the police had been
was sounding the half after midnight, flight had been p>wllile. What then’
vainly searching for a week, and young
a desperate clamor broke out In the
“ ‘Ent we dis, ■ vered my rov< Ivor . 'y Eouletabllle bad found it in a drain
yellow room.
where nobody had thought of looking
It was the voice of the floor—yc my revolver! Ch. t‘"
tiindcmoiselle, crying “Murder—inur- l>rt>u :ht me back to the reality!
for it. To do that he had dressed him
ler—help!"
self as an extra sewer man, one of a
Iminedintely after’v u.l de II would rot hnve needed to
revolver shots rang out. and then »a
number engaged by the administration
t:iy revolver to kill r.iademoise!' ■
been there had I I- t of the city of Paris owing to an over
j giat notoe of tr' lo. and furn'tvre man who I
flow of the Seine.
l.c! ;g thrown to th .' ground, as if In irone up to u:y attic and takdi r.
Wlwn the editor in chief was in pos
the course of a struggle, and ag a in the volver from the drawer where I l ept
voice of mademoiselle <■ tiling, "Mur- It. We then ascertained, by countin': session of the precious foot and In
the cartridges, thnt the assassin had formed as to the train of Intelligent
der- help—papa j apa!" -
“’You may be sure that we qubkly fired two shots. Ah. it was fortunate deductions the boy had been led to
sprang up and that M. Stangerson for me thnt M. Stnngcrsoji was in the make he was divided between the ad
and I titrow ourselves upon the door !abi rntory when the affair took place miration he felt for such detective
But. alas, it was looked, fast locked and had seen with his own eyes that 1 cunning In a brain of a lad of sixteen
was there with him. for otherwise, years and delight at being able to ex
on the inside by tbe cure , f tnadetnoi
hibit In the “morgue window” of his
sclle. ns I hnve told yon. with key an,1, with this business of my revojver. I
paper the left foot of the Rue Obers-
don't
know
where
we
should
have
bolt. IVe tried to force It open, but it
remained firm. M. Stangerson was like lieen—I should now lie under lock and kampf.
The boy faced reporter speedily
a madman, nr.d. truly, it was enough liar.' "
The editor of the Matin added to this made many friends, for he was serv
to make him cue. for we beard niade-
iceable and gifted with a good humor
nhtlsel e still calling “Help, help!" M interview the following lines:
“We have, without Interrupting h!m that enchanted the most severe tem
Stangerson > howered terrible blow« ■—
n!!< wed Daddy Jncques to recount to pered and disarmed the most xealous
the door ami wept with rnge and sot. us roughly all he knows about the of his companions. He began to win
bed with despair anil helplessness.
crime of the yellow room We have a reputation as an unraveler of intri
“‘It wn-t t!r-n thet I ' <1 ::n l:sp'.ra renr< ducetl It In his own words, only cate and obscure affairs which found
tlon.
"T’: «a
:: ■ ■ bare n snaring the render the continual limcn- Its way to the office of the chief of
tered by ti e w
•. !" 1 er! i! "! w!!, tatl ns with which lie gartilshod his police. When a case was worth the
go to the wit <1 w!" . i. ! I ri:- h<<! fr in r.arrath e. We should have liked to trouble and Rouletabllle—he hail al
the pavilion iu:d r .n li ■ < ne oat of I fit r '::o further questions to Daddy ready been given bis nickname had
hl.. t;;i;nl.
J.v ques. 1 ”t the Inquiry of the exam been started on the scent by ills editor
“’Th" lir : ir•'hoi was thnt the win 1’l"ig magi rate, which Is being car in chief he often got the better of the
dow of the v 'llow fcom !■ oks ent in ried ou nt the chati in, make# ft Pn- most fa mouse detectives.
It was at the Bar cafe that I became
such a v "y th "t the p-rh will, wlijch I si! le for us to rain admission nt
abut« on t’’" o n Ilion, prevented my nt t’:o Glandler, and. ns to the oak wood. Intimately acquainted with him. Crim
on?e reaching th" wltwlo-..-. To get up It Is gvnrded by a wide circle of police- inal lawyers and journalists are not
to ft cue ! s ,,t t> g > out of I' • i : ■■"i who are Jealously watching al! enemies; the former need advertise
park. I f.vi toward tbe gate and on traces that can lead to tbe pav!’!-ti ment, the latter information. We chat
:ny way met Bernier and his wife, the at <1 that t '.ay perhaps lend to tlie i .I. h - ted together, and I soon warmed to
ward him—bls intelligence was so
gate keepers, who had lieen attracted eover.v of tbe assassin.
"We have also wished to c,’J”stlon keen and so original, and he had a
by the pistol reports and by our cries,
In a few words I told them what had the (omi t" •«. but t'i»y are Invlsllil* quality of thought such as I have
happened and directed the concierge Finally, we have waited in a roadside never found In any other person.
Nearly two years passed In this way,
to Join M. Stangerson with all speed, b n. not far from the gate of the cha
while Ills wife came with me to open teau. for the departure of Monsieur de and the better I kuew him the more I
the park gnte. Five mlnytes later she Marquet. tlie uingistrate of Corbell. At learned to love him, for hi spite of his
careless extravagance I had discovered
and I were before the window of the half past 5 we saw him mid Ills clef'i
in him what was, considering his age.
and.
before
he
was
able
to
enter
his
yellow room.
an extraordinary seriousness of mind.
“ The moon was shining brightly, earrln■ e. h»<1 an opportunity to ask Accustomed as 1 was to seeing him
and I saw dourly that no one laid him the following question:
“ ’Can you. Monsieur de Marquet. gay, and, indeed, often too gay. 1
touched the window
Not only were
would many times find him plunged in
tbe bars that protect It Intact, but the **ye
i12-T infon.union a., to thl.i ;if-
fair, without iiiconvenleuce to the the deepest meiaucholy. 1 tried then
blinds Inside of them wore drawn.
to question him as to the cau.se of this
I had iayself drawn them early in ths course of your inquiry?"
change of humor, but eticb time lie
‘
“
It
Is
ImjxMwllile
for
us
to
do
If.
’
avenin*;, as I did every day. though
laughed and made me no answer. One
mademoiselle, knowing that I wna replied Monsieur de Marquet. "I can day, having questioned him about his
only
say
that
it
is
the
strangest
affair
tired from the heavy work 1 had been
parents, of whom lie never spoke, lie
doing, had begged me not to trouble I hare ever known. The more we left me, pretending not to have heard
think
we
know
something,
the
further
myself, but leave her to do It. and they
what I said.
were Just as I had loft them, fastened we are from knowing anything!’
While things were in this state be
“
We
asked
Monsieur
de
Marquet
to
with nn Iron catch on the Inside. The
tween us the famous case of "the yel
lie
good
enough
to
explain
his
Inst
assassin, therefore, could not hnve
low room” took place. It was tills
passed either in or out that way, but wools, and this is what he said, tbe case which was to rank him as the
Importance of which no one will fall to leading newspaper reporter and to ob
neither could I get lu.
recognize:
tain for him the reputation of tiring
“ ‘It wn« unfortunate — enough to
“ 'If nothing is added to the material the greatest detective In the world.
turn one’s brain! The door of the
facts so far established. I {ear that the
Rouletabllle entered niy room on ill«
room loe'.usl on the Inside and the
mystery which surrounds the abomina morning of the 2llth of October, 1892-
bill’d« on the only u ndow also fast-
which Mlle. Stanger- He was looking redder than usual, and
d mademoiselle ble crime of
ered on the
son lias lieen the victim will never his eyes were bulging out of his head,
X<
‘
.
she
had
still calling
lie brought to light, but It to to be as the phrase is. and altogether be ap
coast d to it
ho|H'd. for the sake of our human rea pea re 1 to be in a state of extreme ex
L i;’-
Di’! 1
son, tlist the examination of tbe walls, cltement. He waved the Matin with
t'-.c | avfilcn.
anil of the ceiling of the yellow room— a trembling hand and cried:
doer
an examination which I shall tomor
"Well, my dear Sainclalr, have you
rge
1
hurried
back
"’With tl:" < or
row intrust to tbe builder who con rend it?"
i.< d<< r. la spite of structed tlie pavilion four years ago—
to the pavilio":
“The Glandler crime T
th.1 furious alkm s of M. Stangerson will afford us the proof that may not
“Yes: ‘the yellow room!’ What do
and Bernier to burst It open, was still discourage us.
For tbe problem Is you think of it?”
gave
bolding firm, but nt length It
this: We know by what way the as
"I think that It must have been the
way before our united efforts, and sassin gained admission—he entered by devil or ‘the Bote <lu Bon Dleu’ that
then n hat a sight met our eyes! I tlie door and hid himself under the committed the crime.”
should tell you that, behind us, the bed, awaiting Mlle. Stangerson. But
“Be serious!"
concierge held the laboratory lamp— how did be leave?
How did he
"Well. I don’t mnch !:.->'1nve In tnttr-
a powerful lamp that lit the whole escape? if no trap, no secret door,
borers who make their escape through
chamber.
no hiding place, no opening of any «ort walla of solid brick. I think Daddy
*“1 must also tell you, monsieur, Is found: If the examination of the Jacques did wrong to leave behind him
that the yellow room is a very small walls even to the demolition of Uie the weapon with which the crime was
room. Mademoiselle bad furnished It pavilion does not reveal any passage committed, and. ns he occupied the at
with a fairly large iron bedstead, a practicable—not only for a human be tic Immediately nlmve Mlle. Stanger
small table, a dressing table and two ing. i>ut for any being whatsoever—If son's room, the builder’s job ordered by
chairs. By tbe light of ' the big ' lamp
----- tbe celling shows no cracks. If the the examining magistrate will give us
we saw all nt a glance. Mademoiselle, floor hides no underground passage, the key of the enigma, and It will not
ia her nightdress, was lying on tbe one must really believe In the devil!'
be long before we learn by what natu
“Wo wanted to know what Daddy ral trap or by what secret door the old
floor in the midst of the greatest dis
Tables
and
chairs
bad
been
Jacques
meant
by
the
cry
of
’
the
Bete
order,
fellow was able to slip In and out and
overthrown, showing that there hr.d du Bon Dleu' Tbe landlord of tbe return Immediately to the laboratory
Mademoiselle
been a violent struggle.
D nj<>n inn explained to us that It Is to M. Stangerson without hla absence
had certainly l>een dragged from her tbe particularly sinister cry wulch Is
^d. She was covered || with blood -
at 1 uttered sometimes at night by the eat being noticed. That, of course, la only
of
finger
nails
on of an old woman -Mother Angenoux. an hypothesis.”
bad terrible marks
Rouletabllle sat down In an armchair,
her throat, tbe flesh of her ne k hav an «'.■• 1» called in the country Moth
lit
his pipe, which he wan never with,
______ torn ‘ by 7 the nails, er . genoux is a sort of saint, wbo
ing been almost
out. smoked for a few minutes In si
a
wound
on
the
right
temple
a
Ilves
In
a
hut
in
the
heart
of
the
forest
From i
t of
lr d ru'i down and not far from the grotto of Salnte-Gene- lence- no doubt to calm the excitement
stream
_ blood
.
which visibly dominated him am! then
mad.* a little pool on the fl sir W lien rteve."
replied:
In coorlrsion and at a late hour the
M. Stangerson saw his daughter In
•'No trap will tie found, and the mys
that state he threw M.uself on Ills same J urr.al announcsd that tbe chief terr of the yellow room will become
■ring
a
cry
of
of the Paris police had telegraphed to
knees beside , her. u
more and more mysterious
That's
despair. He ascertai d that «be still the famous detective Frederic I.srsan. why It Interests me. The examining
wh
■
had
t*en
sent
to
D-don
for
an
breathed.
magistrate to right. Nothing stranger
affair of stolen se> arlHe». to return
" "But how to explain
than this crime has ever !>een known "
not there, that be had already es<
* Immediately to Paris.
"Have yon any Idea of the way by
It pssaes all Imagination. Nob«»
which the murderer escafied?" I naked
«1er the bed. nobody behind the
"None." replied Rouletabllle. "none,
CHAPTER II
ture! All that wp discovered
for
the present. But I have an Idea as
traces, blood stal m * i | mnrks of n
to the revolver The murderer did not
in Which Jo«-;h Rouletabille Ao-
the
walls
and
<
large hand on
nee it "
with
pears For the First Time.
door. a bljr hiindk*»r<'bfef re!
“Good heavens!
By whom. then,
r
InitiaiM.
an
o
blood without an.v
wan It used’"
font
marks
of
t
and many fresh 1
Joseph Rotilota-
"Why. by Mlle, ftangerson "
on the floor—footn narkM of a mai
r» ed Itnleta-t.ee |
“1 don’t understand, or. rather. I have
large feet whose boot soles ha<l
ns a young re- never understood." I said
sort of sooty linpresst"n
Hov
tbnt time I was
Ronlctabtlle nhrngged his sbouMem
van
this man got away? flow bad b
Inner at the bar and often met
"Is there nothing In thta article In
I"»!! I forget
• >•»«,... nxnsieur
-— .
that
toticd? Don't
n the corridors of examining the Matin by wMeh yore were parvlr«
tn th* rvlînw
thw* Is » iid
nn cMnney
cl
to get a torly arwt”
coniff not here e*r*p*4 by maglstntree when I tad
mom He
I________
to
yellov room!" Who now
mreuietubers this affair which
caused so much ink to flow?
On the 25th of October. 1892,
L”“'
.
ed in i he lat
■edition of the Temps:
ri frightful crime has lieen cominit-
bf.the Chateau <lu Glandler, on tbe
Pi.t of the forest "f Sainte Gene-
bte, above Epiuay-sur-Orge. at the
he of Professor Stangerson. In the
*t while tbe master was working
di> l.boratory. an attempt was made
| a... -.siiiate Mlle. Stangerson, who
is sleeping in 'the yellow* room,’ a
Knbit adjoining this laboratory,
td.uoro do not answer for the life
IKle. Stangerson."
Tl Impre-siou made on Paris by
fe^ev.s may be easily imagined. Al
ky ut that time the learned world
L deeply Interested in the labors of
■lessor Stangerson aud his daugh-
! These labors— the first that were
fcped lu radiography—served to
)ei tbe way for M. and Mme. Curie
I the discovery of radium. It was
tpeted the professor would shortly
M to tbe Academy of Sciences a sen-
■ral paper ou his new theory, the
k tiation nf matter, a theory des-
hei tv overthrow from its bane tlie
b.e ut offl tial science, which baaed
Kt on the principle of the c<w»serv»-
■ of energy.
btt!’<' following day the newspapers
t fell of the tragedy. The Matin
R. . 1 the following article, entitled
i hpematnral Crime."
T
are the only details," wrote
i onymotis writer In th«* Matin,
to have Den able to obtain concern-
Itbe rime of tbe Chateau du Glati-
Tbe state cf despair In will !i
to« r gtangerson Is plunged nnd
Itopotslbfilly of getting any Infor
pon from the lips of the victim
•t tendered our investigations and
of justice so dlfd ult that at
P’t we cannot i. rm the least 1 ’.er.
r
passed in "the yellow room’
■W h Mlle. Stangerson. in her night
to was found lying on tlie floor iu
Monies#f death. We hive at least
B «hie to Interview Daddy Jacques,
to is calleil in the country, an old
in the Stangerson family,
tol Jscqnos entered 'the yellow
re it tbe same time as the profes-
• This chamlier adjoins the labo-
PT. Laboratory and yellow room
I? ‘ p,T,11°" at the Olid of the
■•"Ut a thousand feet from tlie
Mt was half past 12 at night,’ this
fest old man told us, 'ami I was In
hhboratory, where M Stangerson
(•’till working, when the thing liap-
pto. I hot to
inlng and put-
Rhatraments in ord« ill the even-
■•Hwuwaltl-z f< r "1 Stang TS'in
to bed. Mlle. Stangerson had
Ptiwithber f i:..i : :■ to midnight.
p the twelve strokes of midnight
Rbeen innndeil by (lie ■ uckoo clock
labnrati r' •.........
kissed M
totowon and Pmc
m good nig'it
L*
"Gootl night. Daddy
R**5-' •• «he passed Into the yel-
L1**. We beard her lock the
to md ___
«boot _ vor
•
-■> that
that I
no It. and
so
■*
M “
o<X b<;p
'
langtitng
said
...J to
■►w: There's rag ’ .__ •— -
P’Wnt herself mademoiselle
In She must dou-
l>e
"1 "Ibe Bete du Bon Dietl ”
nl r-«>nr <fld not even hear me. he
r *■ ieepiy absorbed In what
.*. w *•«•». he
----------------------
fl"
w* heard the
■'. r?*tní ,,f • ■ cat. "Is that
»•*» nr
I awake e ai! night?" I
for i i must tel! yon.
th»<
‘ ‘
•la«»«, ’b” ,‘n'1 ”f Ob’bcr
’» attic of t" pavilion over
mom
at ms demoiselle
lef.'
i" through the
L -1!» Ineel-
hark ît was the
prll? to spend the
• the toritfou. Xo doubt
It tnor„
■«Ses f
heerful than tbe
• toft « V* f "”r years It b«d
‘•••wiJL t'"‘1 nPTpr fa'’ed I»
J *
*n th* "prln'r
^NtstM s,
•Inter mademoi-
tofcwul"
Stesti, for there
X*!iow mom
•»xtag to the pavi'.
f
I
>le of
t
Hl
w
P'J **
cute me. gent'
L reserved.
?n
this ci
e
t
"That's t
V
ara
Ff et-
thing lu th«'
"Really And the 4t r
"The bolt?"
i.
“Yea. the twill, also inside the r<
still further protection ugal hist <
Mlle. Stnngerson took quite
te ex tn r
dlnnry precautions
It Is < ! !ea'«
pu > (<»
to i i<
that she feared some one 'l’att v. :s
why she took such precautions-even
Daddy Jacques' revolver without tell
ing him of It. No doubt she d.du't
wish to alarm anybody and. lensr of
all. her father.
What she drem.Vd
took place, and she defeuded lieraelX
There was a struggle, aud she use«»
tbe revolver skillfully enough to wound
tbe assassin In tbe hand, which ex
plains the impression on the wall and
on the door of the large, blood stained
band of the man who was searching
for a means of exit from the chamber
But she didn't tire soon enough to
avoid the terrible blow on the right
temple.”
"Then the wound on the temple was
not done with the revolver?"
"The paper doesn't say it was. and
I don't think It was. Iwcnnse logically
It appears to me that the revolver v is
used by Mlle. Stangerson against the
assassin. Now. wliat w.-apon did the
murderer use? The blow on the tem
ple seems to show that the murderer
wished to stun Mlle. Stangerson after
he had unsuccessfully tried to strangle
her. He must have known that the
attic was Inhabited by Daddy Jacques
and thnt was one of the reasons. I
think, why he must have used a quiet
weapon—a life preserver or a liam-
mer.”
“All that doesn't explain bow the
murderer got out of the yellow room,”
I observed.
"Evidently,” replied liouletnbllle, ris
ing, "and that is what has to be ex
plained. 1 am going to tbe Chateau
du Glandler and have come to neo
whether you will go with me.”
“I?"
"Yes, my boy, 1 want you.
The
Bpoque has definitely intrusted this
case to i me. and I must clear it up aa
quickly as possible.”
"But in wliat way ran 1 be of any
use to you?"
“M. Robert Darzac Is at tbo Chateau
du Glandler.”
“That's true. His despair must be
boundless.”
“I must have a talk with him.”
I knew M. Robert Darzac from bav
Ing been of great service to him in a
civil action while 1 was acting as sec
retary to Maitre Barbet Delatour. M.
Robert Darzac. wbo was at that time
about forty years of age. was a pro
fessor of physics at the Sorbonne. He
was Intimately acquainted with the
Stangerson« and after an assiduous
seven years' courtship of the daugh
ter had been on the point of marrying
her. In spite of the fact that she bad
become, as the phrase goes, “a person
of a certain age." she was still re-
markably good l<a>klng.
While I was dressing I called out to
Rouletabllle. who was Impatiently
moving about my sitting room:
“Hare you any Idea aa to the mur-
derer's station in life?”
“Yes." he replied. "I think If be
Isn't n man in mwlety. he Is nt least a
man belonging to the upper class. But
that, again. Is only nn impression.”
“What has led you to form It?"
"Well, the greasy cap. the common
handkerchief and the marks of the
rough lioots on the floor." he replied.
"1 understand.” I said. "Murderers
don't leave traces behind them which
tell tbe truth."
“We shall make something out of
yon yet. my dear Sainclalr.” concluded
Rouletabllle.
CHAPTER III
••A Man lias Passed Like a Shadow
Through the Blinds.**
i
ai. !
t ». •
‘and 1
,\f d • .V
word
very ma, it
y lu» has in
-Ah: Ills lu, qulry, pray
i ht absolutely a iuati,*r of
to me. 1 am no scavenger of odds
and euds." he went ou, with infinite
contempt iu bis lower lip; "1 am a tbv-
atrkal re|M>rter, and this evening 1
shall have to give a little aivount of
tbe play at I be Scala.”
“(id In. sir. please." said rhe regis
trar
Rouletabille was already In the com
partaient I went in attar him ami
seated tuyself by bis side. The re;.:!«
trar follow«! and closed the carriage
door.
M. de Marquet looked at him.
"Ah. sir." Rouletabllle t>egnn. "yiwi
must not lie angry uilh M. Malelne
It Is not with M. de Marquet tliat 1 tie
sire to have tbe liouor of speaking. 1 tit
with M. "Castlgat Rldeudo.’ l'eruilt me
to congratulate you personally, as well
as the writer for tbe Epoque." Am.
Rouletabille, having first lntro<luc«i
me. introduce«! himself.
M. de Marquet. with a nervous ges
ture. caressed his beard into a point.
"The work of the dramatic author
may interfere," he said, after a slight
hesitation, "with that of the magis
trate. especially in a province where
one's labors are little more than rou
tine."
"Oh. you may rely on my discretion!”
cried Rouletabllle
The train was iu motion.
“We have Bturted!" said the examin
ing magistrate, surprised at seeing us
still in tlie carriage.
“Yes, monsieur, truth has started,"
said Rouletabllle. r nlllug amiably, "on
its way to tbe Chateau du Glandler. A
fine ease, M. de Marquet, a tine case!"
"An obscure. Incredible, uufuthoiii
able, inexplicable affair, aud there Is
only one thing I fear. M. Rouletal'ille.
that the Journalists will be trying to
explain It."
My friend felt this a rap on Ills
knuckles.
"Yes." he said simply, "that is to bo
feared. They meddle in everything, As
for my interest, monsieur. I only re
ferred to It by mere chance—the mero
chance of finding myself in the sa tue
train with you and in tlie same cum-
partment of tlie same carriage.”
"Where are you going, then?” asked
M. de Marquet.
"To tlie Chateau du Glandler." re
plied Rouletabllle, without turning.
“You'll not get in. M. Rouletabiile!”
"Will you prevent me?” said my
friend, already prepared to fight.
"Not I! I ilk«' the press and jour
nalists too well to be In any way dis
agreeable to them, but M. Stanger
son has given orders for his door to
be close«! against everybody, and It Is
well guard«*d. Not a Journalist was
able to pass through the gats of the
Gia udler yesterday.”
M. de Marquet cotagreneed bis lips
and seemed ready to relapoe Into
obstinate silence. Ha only relaxed a
lltth" when llouletabllle ho loagcr left
him In Ignorance of the fact that wo
were got :•! to tlie Glandler fol" the
purpose of shaking hands with nn ”<■’<1
nnd Intimate friend." M. Robert 1 >a I'
zac—a man whom Rouletabllle lind
perhaps seen ctlre In his life.
"Poor Robert!" continued the yott'ig
reporter, "this dn-adful affair may li •
his < 'nth he I h ho deeply in love ivIHi
Mlle Stangerson
It Is to Is* h< ;■ <1
that Mlle Stangerson's life will lie
save«! "
“I.ct us hope so. I!cr father t< I.i in ♦
yesterday that if she dies not r> over
It will not I m » long Refer.» hi* John *r
in the gTnvi*
Wlnit : ■!
rtlrn!
loss to Mrience Ills death v.ould Iw!”
"The wound on her temple Is Merlon*
Is I: not?w
“Evidently, but by it wonderful
chilli««' it li is not proved mortal Th"
blow was given with great for""”
“Then It was not witli tlie revolver
she wiis wounded." said llouletablll«',
glancing at me in triumph.
M de Marquet appeared greatly em
barraRsed.
“I didn’t say anything. I don't want
to nay anything. I will not say any
thing," lie said. And he turned toward
hla registrar an If he no longer knew
us.
But Rouletabllle was not to be ao
easily shaken off. He moved nearer to
tbe examining magistrate and. draw
ing a copy of the Matin from hla pock
et, he ahowed It to him and said:
‘There Is one thing, monsieur, which
I may Inquire of you without commit
ting an India« retiori
You have, of
course, seen the account given In
Matin? It is absurd. Is It not?"
“Not In the slightest, monsieur."
"What! Tbe yellow room has but
one liar red window, the lairs of which
have not been moved, and only one
door, which had to I m * broken open,
and tbe assassin was not found!"
"That's so. monsieur; that's so.
That's how the matter stands.*’
Rouletabllle said no more but plung
ed into thought. A quarter of an hour
thus passed
turning back to himself again, he
said, aihlreealng tbe magistrate:
"How did Mlle Stangerson wear her
hair on that evening?"
"I don't know." replied M de Mar
quet
“That's a very Important point." said
Rouletabllle "Her hair was done up
in bands, wasn't It? 1 feel sure that
on that evening, tbe evening of tbe
«rime she had her hair arranged li.
bands "
ALF an hour later Rouletabille
and I were ou the platform of
the Orleans station, awaiting
the departure of the train
which was to take us to Eplnay-sur
Orge.
On the platform we found M. de
Marquet and his registrar, who repre
sented the Judicial court of Corbell.
M. de Marquet hail spent the night in
Paris, assisting in the final rehearsal
at the Scala of a little play of which
he was the unknown author, signing
himself simply “Castlgat llidendo."
M Marquet was beginning to be a
"noble old gentleman." "Generally be
was extremely polite and full of gay
humor and In all his life had had but
one passion that of dramatic art
Because of the mystery
which
shrouded It the case of tbe yellow
room was certain to fascinate so the-
atrlcal a mind.
At tbe moment of meeting hlm I
beard M. de Marquet say to tbe regis
trar with a slgb:
“I hope, my dear M Malelne. this
builder with bls pickax will not de
stroy so fine a mystery ”
"Have no fear." replied M. Malelne.
"Ills pickax may demolish tbe pavilion
perhaps, but it will leave our case In
tact. 1 have sounded tbe walls aud
examined tbe celling ami floor, and I
know all about M 1 am not to be de
celved."
Having thus reassured his chief, M
Malelne. with a discreet movement of
the bead, drew M de Marquet’» atten
tion t» ns. Tbe face of that gentle
man "lon.lreL and as be saw Route
tabltle approaching, hat tn hand be
sprang Into one of tbe empty carriages,
sarfng half aloud to his registrar as
he did so. "Above aH. no journalists’”
(Continued Next Week >
.M Malelne replied tn the same tone,
“I understand." and then tried to pre
vent Rouletabllle from entering the
For health and happiness—De
seme compart meet with tbe examining Witt'« Ldttle Eearjy Riser»—pleae-
■»actor sate
aat little U«er pffta. the beet made
Bold by al! druggists
Daughter's Head Encrusted with
Dandruff’ -Feared sheWould Lose
her Hair -Many Treatments were
Futile—Baby had Milk-Crust.
BOTH CHILDREN CURED
BY FAMOUS REMEDIES
*For
y«*an* my husband wm
• Mimi«,nary in the Southwwl. and we
wer* uving on the
of t!*’ desert at
an eievati >r» < t nearly five thouNand
feet. Every «>ne in Utat high and dry
atmooBhere hM more or leux trouble
with rtaudruff and my daughter’! ncalp
became so rncruMted with >t that I wan
alarnh*d foi fear uh» would io*e ad her
han. which wh » Tery heavy. After
8|M*nding IjetwiH’n five anti six dollars
for varioiui remedi«*, in desperation I
bought a cane i f ( uti< ura
ap and a
box < f ( uticura Ointment. After rub
bing the ('uticura Ointment thoroughly
into tiie note <.f the hair, 1 gently
*• mix*! the cniat of dandruff fret» from
Che bi alp. and then gave her head a
thorough »hampoo with the (uticura
R.»ap,
I bis hdt the m alp lieautifully
< lean and
from dandruff, and after
(ho hair «as dry, 1 again rublied the
(‘uticura Ointment, thi* time sparingly,
into the ro< ts. and 1 am happy to aay
that the (uticura Remedies wvere a
complete aucceM. Mv trouble« wi»h
dandruff were < ver, although for a long
time afterward L ««ed tlie Cuti< ura
Ointment a« at first, after shampooing,
winch kept the analp and root* of the
hair moirt. 1 have uaed aucceaafully
the ('uticura Remedie« for so-called
*milk-cruat* on baby’s head, and have
never found anything to equal them.
You are at liberty to pubhah thh» ¡ixtae»
for I do sincerely believe that the Cuti-
cura Remedies are a bleHmng to man
kind. Mrs. J A. Darling. 310 Fifth
fit . Carthage. Ohio. Jan. 20. IVOS.**
Cuticura Ointment i« one of the mo«t
tmceesFiful curatives for torturing, din
figuring hum« rs < f the «kin and rraip,
including h «« < f h«ir, ever comj > n<!< d,
in proof of which a »ingle : i inting
with it, pro< < ded bv a h t 1 i th with
Cuticura S njv and f«llov<d, when
nec<*<«carv. bv o mild de se rf Cuticura
lb
lv» nt (Murid or | il!si ih often
«ul’ • ont to aff« id immediate relief of
it« h n * burning nnd srnly humor«,
ec’z» ’as. it •’ »¡« dm rnd in'rmirptirna,
pern t •••-
> ' •
. nnd J iht to a
«pis
. !••»• chi n el! • ’-o fail«.
Hold t
..........
the v • !.
Ureter l»ru< <V
Chrni ( « ■
• !*■
Li ion, M hs
•<* SI.lik’d bits* l lit!« nr.i Book on Skin DkHiaMB.
Tb. Boyd Toa wsgoa calls at your
doer with C.-eahly roMte«! <<<>tlM.
Thoroughly Hffwl while freon.
No young graaay cefltoea. A rhih,
rn.llow flavor—yoa'U notloa the di/
toraaoo whan you taato it—ripe erul
•every—aa ambroaial fulltine, ct
flavor that belongs esoinalvely to eu
aged eodltoe, freshly ruajifRtod.
oownrr an city aoirraa
“ Watoh ft the Wagon"
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Weila Wall*, w»,*
P. R—If ywa have net e.»n o<«r
wages oaloaoMMS, aand your eddr»*.
»ad wo wfll hero him oall
art but outward signs of the evil
done in secret by myriads of dan-
Jruff germs sapping the life blood
of the bair. Micro kills the para*
site, vxithes the itching scalp,
gives lustre to tbe hair and stops
it falling oat A single application
gives relief aod proves its worth.
Save your hair before too late.
Micro prevents baldness. It is a
deligtitfal dressing for the uair,
free from grease and sticky oils.
Ask your druggist for free book let
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f_____ toOVTUUflO. •toCQOM
Sold in Eugene Dy IV. L. DeLeno