Image provided by: Eugene Water & Electric Board; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly guard. (Eugene, Or.) 190?-1910 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 1909)
THU Kl'G KNI WRKKI T UVARB. THl'RNDAY. FKHRl'ARY 11, l»d® stery of COPYR1GHT. 1908. BY BRENTANO’S j . -r ■ ttr erb ' ' ■' ' 1 ■■* pad>*i>.' 1 ’ ' ■ ■ • ............ 1 . Hib r- ' ■ ' ' T1 > next diy t!"* ex-imlnln.: o-d -a w .*i!' t’u* i-i.* r!: < ........ '' ■' .......... .. I1' Lr I:,..1 ! ■ ' 1 l’;k ' n v : I: .* »;i*r Well. r In t!:<> !nl> nib ry 1.. r ■ • "■ . m ■ ■■ • 1- >1 !l 1.. :..::: ■ - ; v. .*r<* tl:.T<* >i::y I toea of a man'« footmarks. Since I near tbla win C outside, he must have made I is through the celling of the .•. eli.-v.- Com Into the title, then ktr**'i"ti the r... f and dropped to t'i* t-." ■ ■ ■ . tad..... L there's no hole, neither iu the cell- ■jtf the yellow room nor In thereof k? my att! ; that's absolutely ..■ertnln k yen aee. we know nothing noth hx And nothing wi!l ever be known! ■fa a mystery of the devil's own mok- Rouletabille next examined the fur nlture nnd < pened the doors of the cnblnets. Tlmn he came to the win dows. throu~h whl h. he declared, no < ne i it'd pec Ibly have j assed. At the record w It-d- vv be found Daddy Jaco.ttes In contemplation. "Well. Daddy Jncques,” be said, “what are you looking nt?” "That policeman who Is always go ing round Hnd round the lake. Another of those fellows who think they can see better than anybody else!" "T’eu don’t know Frederic Larsan, Daddy Jacques, or you wouldn’t speak of bint In that way." snld Rouletabille In a melancholy tone. “If there Is any one who will find the murderer ft will be he.” And Rouletabllle heaved a deep sigh. CHAPTER VII ln Which Rovletabille Sets Out on an Expedition Under the Bed. r" OITLETABILI.E, having pushed Rouletabllle went down upon his open the door of the yellow L» m again almost In front of a sitiall room, paused ou the threshold. hratory at the back of the vestibule. The chamber was dark. Dad- In that position he remained for about uy Jacques was about to open tbe a minute [“Well?" I asked him when lie got blinds when Rouletabllle stopped him. “Did not the tragedy take place In F«Oh nothing very Important. A drop complete darkness?" he asked. "No, young man; I don't think so. I a ■■ he replied, turning tow ird Lwv Jacques as he spoke. "While Mademoiselle always had a night light k were w ishing the laborat ry ai d on her table, and I lit It every even hq vestibule was the vestibule win- ing before she went to bed. 1 was a sort of chambermaid, you must un fcw fen?" he asked. j‘No. monsieur, it was closed. But derstand, when the evening came. The Ltrr I 111'1 (lone w ishing the floor I real chambermaid did uot come here Made iivnie charcoal for monsieur In the much before tbe morning. Hxinitory furnace, nnd as I lit it moiselle worked late-far into the kith eld newspapers It smoked, so I night.” "Where did the table with the night bned loth the windows In the labo- tory and this one to make a current light stand—far from the bed?" "Some way from the bed." ¡¡«!r Then I shut those in tbe lnbo- “Can you light the burner now?" ktorr nnd left this one open when I “The lamp Is broken aud tbe oil that brat out. When 1 returned to the ■dllon this window had been closed was In It was spilled when the table M monsieur and mademoiselle were was upset. All the rest of the things In the room remain Just as they were, jhady at work In the laboratory.” pM. or Mlle. Stangerson had no I, have only to open the blinds for you to see.” jirabt shut Itr “Wait.” ¡’No doubt." Rouletabllle went bark into the lab- “You did not ask them?" oratory, closed the shutters of the üttle two windows and the door of the ve» tibule. When we wen* In complete darkness be lit a wax vesta and asked ■No." Daddy Jacques to move to tbe middle After a dose scrutiny of the of the chamber with it to the place yttory and of the staircase leading I | where the night light was burning of great ex ( to the attic Rouletabllle—to whom that night. lost — none of »-«med no longer to exist entered Daddy Jacques, who was In his As him. for me. I stocking» —he usually left Ills sals'ts laboratory. I followed I confess. In a state once to the In the vestibule-entered the yellow ment. Robert Darxac room with hl.s bit of a vesta, «e friend's movements. ' vn'mely distinguished objects over R . w.c,« drawn nt thrown on the floor. » bn! In one cor I ~ ; .-v r m it was closed nor and tn front of u« to tbe left the if. as I Immediately saw, partla'ly ' gleam of a looking gla»» hanging on I ittered and out of commission. the wall near to tbo l»*d. al>out hi ■ w ir!< ‘That will do. You may now oi»*n » < d t be room the blinds." said Rouletabllle. | “Don’t come any fart he: " Daddy fc lighted. Two big w indow s - al- ' Jacques bogged. “Too may make ■R bays—were protected by strong marks with your br»*s. nnd nothing itra bars and looked out upon a wide must be deranged. It*« an idea of tn»* *r> 'it of cuntry. magistrate's, though he has m*hlng pb» v ■ g|de ,,f t'ii- l:il,ora- more to do here.” rËwas taken up with a large chlm- And he pushed open the shutter. crucibles. evens aud such lrnple- The pale d»y"itbt entered from wlth- as are needed for chemical ex ’ out throwing a sinister light on the its; tubles loaded with vials, saffron colored wall». The floor-tr reports, an electrical machine thou«* the laboratory a«d the vesti iparatus, as M. Dame Informed bule wore ttted the yeflow room bad a 5Y'employed by Professor Stangerson idemoustrato the dissociation of mat- flooring of wood was covered with a »ingle yellow mat which wa. targe R ursler the action of solar light enough to cover nearly the wh fie pother scientific Implements. , Aioog the wails were cabinets, plain room, under the l>ed «od under the brlara fronted, through which were dressing table, the only piece of fund- ture that remained upright. Tbe c microscopes, special photo- pfblc qppara-t;- and a lnrma qaantl ter round table, tbe night table wd two chair» had beeu overturt»*d Th.*e “f crystals b|o<rf pmletabllle, who was ferreting in did not prevent a targe »tain being visible on the mat. made »« p chimney, put bls fingers Into one F’he mdbles Suddenly he draw Daddy Jacqui Inf.wmed ua by tbe P*‘f up and held up a pl« e of b-tlf blood Which had flowed front th P*» t >«I paper In Ids hand. He step- wound on Mlle. Stangerson a Besides these stain» dropa of bl »M • ”P where we were talking by bent tbe i lac« of »cor* toed had fallen In all dir.*etlona In I®* the over windows. pra which M Danae took from the with the vlsftfie traces of the foot thit f r us, M. Darrjtc," he pl ?! and read <’!» | ,tep«. large nnd black, of the murder t'' " a that ' er Everything led to the that these drm* of .blood had faltan pktoyterv - lost nothing - charm. from the wound of the man who had n. ,«■«> '*'•“'“I”, IT» -*«1- . -.,0,4 those «ame the wall There were other tra-es 1 ^■toflteBB words had attack me 1 the same band on the wall, but much f "e SO""* ' ■ t - IW that they , less distinct. ..Up, this blood on tbe wall. 1 Ilofeaaor P . ■ ff.- M 1 sr couM not he.p tal.nlng “TJo man r wh„ prPM«d hta han.! SO he» T «?*'•> It It In the darkness mnst certai. ly P^T Jacqn <>•-< upied «« he thought that he M( h,r,[. !*•« *• »not That’s why he pressed « fjknx • loigly opening PPwkMiw.i .. pUt the piece of I'» ble evidence I don t thl r many hands In tbe world of I It ta Mg »nd atrna tuning of the fire- •re »early all on* 1”. an(1 have r The a ur thumb Is wanting. _____ _ . ..» — I of a furnace—and was at- only the mark of the palm, but If we 't tilmney. follow tbe trace of the hand.” I con rrb “• ward the tinued. “we see that after leaving Its r®Wet fr- ■ • ».otng cloned with Imprint on the waff the touch s<>ught I v the do«»r. found It and then felt for the Jbroegt, which passed three lock." “No doubt." Interrupted R- uletabflle ^wmtbl» t get out that way.” he chuckling, “only there Is no blood . rjtory | either on tbe lock or on tbe bolt.” "What does that prove?" I rejoined, < <d ’rie<| to d'1 hav. r. nght all that iron- with a good sense of which I was proud. "He might bare opened the .,,, j to jio. no; h It fi** -'- • ■ have sear " la lock with his left band, which wouU P ( have been quite natural, his right ham* being wounded.” I "lie didn’t open It at all»” Daddy Jacques again exclaimed "We are not fools, and there were four of us when we burst open the door " “What a queer hand! Look what a queer hand It Is'" I said. , “It Is a very natural hand." said Ronlet'il l'le. "< f will 'll t' c shape has teen defertued by Its h:il:ig «.lem-d on the wall. The tmr.i dried 1:1s hind on the wall. He mu it In* a man alxiui five feet eight In height." "How do you come at that?*’ "By tlie height of the marks on the wall." My friend next occupied himself with tbe mark of the bullet In the wall. It was u round hole, "This ball was tired straight, not from above, and consequently not from below.” Rouletabllle went back to the door and carefully examined the lock nnd the bolt, satisfying himself that tbe door had certaiuly been burst open from tbe outside, and. further, that the key bad beeu found lu the lock on tbe inside of tbe chamber. He finally satisfied himself that with tbe key in the lock tbe door could uot possibly be opened from without with another key. Having made sure of all these details, he let fall these words, “That's better!" Then, sitting down ou tbe ground, he hastily took off his boots and in his so* ks went into tbe room. The first thing be did was to exam ine minutely the overturned furniture. We watched blm In silence. "Young fellow, you are giving your self a great deal of trouble,” said Dad dy Jacques ironically. Rouletabllle raised his bead and said: "You have spoken the simple truth. Daddy Jacques, Your mistress did not have her hair In bands that even Ing. 1 was a donkey to have believed she did." Then, with tbe suppleness of a »er pent, be slipped under the bed. Pres- ently we beard him ask: "At what time. M. Jacques, did M. and Mlle. Stangerson arrive at tbe laboratory?*' “At <1 o'clock." The voice of Rouletabllle continued: "Y<*s. be’» been under here, that’» certain. In fact, there wa» nowhere else where he could have hidden him self. Here. too. are the mark* of his hobnails. When you entered, all four of you. did you Io k under the lied?” “At once. We drew It right out of Its place." “And tietween the mattresse_s?” "There was only one on tbe bed. and on that mademoiselle was placed. and M. Stangerson and the concierge Im- mediately carried It Into the labora tory. Under the mattress there was nothing but the metal netting, wblcb could not conceal anything or any body. Remember, monsieur, that there were four of »«. and we couldn't fail to see everything, the cbamlier Is so small and »< antlly furnished, and all was ba ked lieldiid In the pavilion." f ventursd on a hypothesis: 'Terhaps lie got nwav with the mat tress in tho mattress! Anything Is possible In the face of such n mystery. In their dlstrees of mind M. Stgnger- son and the concierge may not have notlc«*d they were bearing a double weight, especially If the concierge vere an •ecompHce. I throw out this hypothesis for what ft 1« worth, but It explains many thing» and particularly the fact that neither the laboratory nor the ve«tibale tiears any traces of the footmarks fonnd In tbe room. If In carrying mademoiselle on the mat- ir.-«a from tlie laboratory they reated for a moment there might have been an opportunity for tbe man In It to aaeape." “And then?" asked Rouletabllle. de llberatelv laughing under tbe 1>ed. I felt rather vexed and replied: “I don't know, but anything appears possible.” •The examining magistrate hnd the same Ide«, monsieur.” »id Daddy Jacques, "and he carefully exnmlm-d the mattreM He waa oblige»! to laugh at the Idea, monsieur, as your friend h doing now. for whoever beard of a mattrea» having a double bottom?” My friend alone seemed able to talk Intelligently. He called out from un der the bed: "The mat here haa l>een moved out of place. Who did It? 'We did. monsieur." explained I »ad dy Jacques "When we could not find the assassin we »«kei ourselves whether there was not »ome bole in tbt* There Is not." replied Rouletabllle "Is there a cellar?” “No. there's no cellar But that has not «topped our searcblag «»1 has not pravente-l the examining magistrate ami bls registrar from studying tbe floor plank by plank. »« if there bad been a cellar under It.” The reporter then reappeared. His sparkling and bis nostrils eyes were He remained on his hands quivered _______ Thus he made bls way to and knees ■.I» f. i; corner» of the room, bo to the four speak, sniffing and going around ev- erytblng everything that we could •ee. which waa not much, and every thing that we could not see, which mint have been lnfinit«. It The toilet table was a simple table rtiding on four legs. There was ig about It by which It could >ly be changed Into a temporary ; place There ““ was not a closet pboard. Mlle. Stangerson kept r.U'U know,' her wardrobe nt the chateau, Ron IctablPe literally passed ills nose "l et s go lo lilt* drew i with lilii •hu and hands along the wal coustru ted pin. ed ft '■ kwark. When he had lean a U.d u< ;oi” •il-slon lied with tbe walls mid passmi his blllc li- < are of the I Loo ■r. We • tiugera over every portion of the ilowuMtairx. yellow paper covering them he reached to wait the chamber This Is what passed 1»H to the ceiling, which he was able to of the victim while we were waiting touch by mounting oil a chair pluced on the toilet table, and by moving below. The family doctor, tlndlug that Mlle. this Ingeniously constructed stage Staugersou vias much belter, but fear from place to place be examined tw- ing a relapse will. h would no longer ery foot of It. When he had finished ¡icruilt of her being questioned, had bis scrutiny of the ceiling, where he thought it Ids duty to Inform tbe ex carefully examined the hole made by amining magistrate of tlds. who de the second bullet, h. approached tbe cided to proceed immediately with a window and ouce more examined tbe brief examination. At this exnmina iron bars and blinds, all of which tlon the registrar. M. Stangerson nnd were solid uuil Intact. At last he gave the doctor were nresc .resent, Later 1 ol>- a grunt of satisfaction and declured. tallied the text of the ....* report of the ex "Now 1 am at ease!" amination, nnd 1 give it here In all its "Weil, do you lielieve that the poor legal dryness: dear young lady was abut up when "Question. Are you able, tnadetnoi- she was being murdered -when she sello, without too mucli fatiguing cried out for help wailed Daddy yourself, to give some necessary de Jacques. tails of the frightful attack of which "les," said the young rejairter, dry you have beeu the victim? Answer. 1 ing his forehead; "the yellow room feel much better, monsieur, and I will was as tightly shut us uu irou safe.” tell you all I know. When 1 eutered "The Bete du Bon Dleu," muttered my chamber 1 did not notice anything Daddy Jacques—"the Bete du Bon Dleu unusual there. herself. If she bad committed tbe “Q. What did you do on that day? 'clime, could uot have escaped. Lis- I want you to be as uiluute and pre leu! Do you bear It? Hush!" cise as |s>ssible. I wish to know all Daddy Jacques mude us a slgu to you did t bat day If it Is uot asklug keep quiet und, stretching his arm to too much of you. A. 1 rose late, at 10 ward tbe wall nearest the forest, lLs- o'clock, for my father aud I had re tened to something which we could turned home late on the night previ uot hour. ously, having beeu to dinner at the re "It's answering," lie said at length. ception given by tbe president of the "1 must kill it. It Is too wicked, but republic lu honor of the Academy of it's the Bete du Bon Dleu, and every Science of Philadelphia. When I left night it goes to pray on tbe tomb of my chamber ut half past 10 my father St. Genevieve, und nobody dares to was already at work 111 the laboratory*. touch her for fear that Mother An- We worked together till midday. We getioux should cast un evil spell ou then took half an hour's walk In the them." park, as we were accustomed to do, “How big Is the Bete du Bon Dleu?" before breakfasting at the chateau. "Nearly as big as a small retriever— After breakfast we took another walk a monster, 1 tell you. Ah, 1 have asked 'for half an hour and then returned to myself more tbau ouce whether It was the laboratory. There we found my not she that took our poor made I chambermaid, who had come to set my moiselle by the throat with her ciaws. room in order. I went Into the yel But the Bete du Bon Dleu does not low room to give her some slight or- wear hobnailed boots, nor fire revolv <<crs, and she directly afterward left ers, nor bus she a hand like that!" ex the pavilion, ami 1 resumed my work claimed Daddy Jacques, again point with my fattier. At 5 o'clock we again ing out to us the red mark on the wall. wort for u walk in the park and after “Besides, vve should have seen her as ward had tea. well as we would have seen a man.” *“Q. Before leaving tbe pavilion at 5 "Evidently," 1 said. "Before we bad o’clock did you go Into your chamber? seen this yellow room I had also asked A. No, monsieur. My father went Into myself whether the cat of Mother Ati- it. at my request, to bring me my hat. genoux”— “Q. And he found nothing suspicious “You also!” cried Rouletabllle. there. A. Evidently no. monsieur. “Didn't you?” 1 asked. “Q. It Is. then, almost certnln that "Not for n moment. After reading tlie murderer was not yet concealed tbe article in the Matin 1 knew that under tlie lied. When you went out a cat had nothing to do with tbe mat was the door of the room locked? A, ter. But I swear now that a frightful No; there was no reason for locking it. tragedy has been enacted here. You “Q. You were «Invent from the pavil say nothing about the Basque cap or ion some length of time. M. Stangerson the handkerchief found here. Daddy and you? A. Aisiut an hour. Jacques.” “Q. It was during that hour, no “Of course tbe magistrate has taken doubt, that the murderer got Into the them." the old man answered hesi pavilion. But bow? Nobody knows. tatingly. Fisitmarks have tieen found in the “I haven't seen either the handker park leading away from the window chief or the cap. yet I can tell you of the vestibule, but none has been how they are made,” the reporter said found going toward It. Did you notice to him gravely. whether the vestibule window was “Oh, you are very clever,” said Dad open when you went out? A. 1 don't dy Jacques, coughing and embar remember. "M. Stangerson—It was eiossri rassed. "The handkerchief Is a large one, "Q. And when you returned? blue with red strip»*, and the cap Is "Mlle. Stangerson I did not notice. "M Stangerson It waa still closed, an old Basque cap. like the one you I remember remarking aloud. ‘Daddy are wearing now." “You are a wlzan!!" said Daddy Jacques must surely have opened It Jacques, trjlng to laugh and not quite while we were away.* •*y. Strange! Do you recollect. M. succeeding, "How do you know that the handkerchief is blue with reel Stangerson. If during your absence nnd before going out be had opened It? a tri pea?” not l>een blue You returned to the talsuatory nt 0 “Because if It had I with red stripes I it would not have o’clock nnd resumed work? "Mlle. Stangerson —Yes. monsieur. been found at all." “Q. And you did not leave tbe labo Without giving any further atten tion to Daddy Jacques my friend took ratory front that hour up to tbe mo a piece of paper from his pocket and. ment when you entered your chatulier? "M StaugwrHon Neither my Plough taklug eut a pair of xissors. bent over the footprint«. Placing the [ta tsr nor 1. monsieur. We were engag per over one of them, be began to ed on w.ck that was pressing, and we cut. In a short time be had made a lost not a moment. naglectlng every perfect pattern, which he banded to thing else on that account. “Q. DM you dine in the laboratory? me, I-egg Ing me not to lose It. He then returned to the window A. For that reason. "Q. Are yout accustomed to dine tn and. pointing to tbe figure of Fred eric Ijirean. who bad not quitted the the laboratory? A. We rarely dine vide of the lake, asked Iteddy Jacques there. "Q. Could the murderer have known whether the detective bad. like hlm- •elf, been working In tbe yellow room. that you would dine there that even "Na” replied Robert Darzac, who ing? "M. Stangerson Good heaven«' I tlnce Rouletabllle had banded him the piece of scorched |»tper bad not ut tbiuk not. It was only when we re tered a word "He pretend« that he turned to the pavilion at fl o'clock that doe« not need to examine tbe yellow w<* decided, my daughter and I. to dine room. He says that the murderer there. At that moment I waa apoken made his escape from It 1n quite a nat to by my gamekeeper, who detained ural way and that he will Ibis evening in** a moment to ink me to Bcconpany him on an urgent tour of Inspection In explain bow he did It.* a part of the wood« which I bad de As he listened to wbat M. Darxac ckled to thin. I (Kt thia <><T until th« had to say Ronletabllle turned pale. "Has Frederic I-araan found out tbe next day and begged him an he was truth, which I can only guess at?" he going by tbe chateau to tell tbe slew- murmured. “He is very clever—very ard that we should dine in the lab clever and I admire him. Yet I have oratory, ile left me to execute the errand, and 1 rejoined my daughter, discovered many things.' who waa already at work. "Moral or material?" I asked, “<J. At what hour, mademoiselle, did "Several moral, one material. Tbl«. you go to your cbamtier while your for example." And rapidly be drew from his waist father continued to work there? A At coat p«*-ket a piece of p«[>er in wblcb midnight. he had placed a light colored hair from •q. Did Daddy Jacques enter the a woman'» bead yellow room in tbe course of tbe even ing? A. To shut the bllada and light the night light. CHAPTER VIII "<J. He iaw nothing auavlcioua? A He would have told ua If he bad a*eu ¡»addy Jacques Is an honest man and The Eiamiaing Magistrate Ques greatly attached to me tiona Mlle. Stangerson. •*Q. You affirm. M Stangerson. that I»addy Jacques remained with you all [WO minutes later, ■■ Rouleta tbe time you were In tbe laboratory? bl He wan bending over the foot "M. Stangerson I am sure of It. I prints discovered In the park. hare no doubt of that. I under the window of the veatl "Q. When you entered your cham bale, a man. evidently a servant at the ber. mademoiselle, you Immediately chateau, came toward ua rapidly and shut the door and locked and bolted called out to M Iraraac, then coming It? Was not that taking unusual pre- out of tbe purlMua; cautlopg. knowing that your father •'M. Robert, tbe ma<istrate, you m 1 I and your servant were there? Were you in fear of something? A. My fa ther would l>e returning to the cha teau. and Daddy Jacques would l>e go- Ing to his I hh I. fear something. "Q. You were so much In fear of something that you ls>rrowcd Daddy Jacques' revolver without telling him you had done so? A. That Is true. I did uot wish to alarm aiiylsdy, the more because my fears might have proved to have I h - cii foolish. "Q. What was It you feared? A. I hardly know how to tell you. For several nights 1 seemed to hear, both in the park and out of the park, around the pavilion, unusual sounds, sometimes footsteps, nt other times the cracking of brunches. The night before the attack on me. when I did not get to bed l>efore 3 o’clock In the mornlug. on our return from the Ely- see I stood for a moment before my window, and I felt sure I saw sliiid- ows. “Q. How many? A. Two. They moved round the lake. Then the moon be nine clouded, and I lost sight of them. At this time of the season every year 1 have generally returned to my apartment In the chateau for the win ter. but this year I said to thyself that I weu'd not quit tbe pnviUon before my father had finished the resume of Ids works on the 'Dissociation of Mat ter' for the academy. I did not wish that that lui|s>rtant work, which was to have been tinishisi in the course of a few days, sltould Is1 delayed by a change In our dally habit. You can well understand that 1 did not wish to speuk of my childish fears to my fa ther. nor did I say anything to Daddy Jacques, who. 1 knew, would not have been able to hold his tongue. Know ing that he hail a revolver In his room, I took advantage of his absence and borrowed it. placing It In the drawer of my night table. “Q. You know of no enemies you have? A. None. "Q. You understand, mademoiselle, that these precautions are calculated to cause surprise? “M. Stangerson Evidently, my child, such precautions are very surprising. “A. No, because 1 have told you that I had been uneasy for two nights. “M. Stangerson You ought to have told me of that. This misfortune would have been avoided. "<J. The iloor of the yellow room locked, did you go to Iasi? A. Yes. and, being very tired, 1 nt otice went to sleep. “Q- Tbe night light was still burn- lug? A. Yes. but it gave a very feeble light. "Q- Then, mademoiselle, tell us what hap|>ened. A. I do not know whetlier I hud l>een long asleep, but suddenly I awoke nnd uttered a loud cry. "M. Stangerson—Yea, a horrible cry, 'Murder.' It still rings In my ears. "Q. You uttered a loud cry? A. A man was in my chamber. He sprang at me and tried to strangle me. I was nearly stifled when suddenly I was able to reach tbe drawer of my night table and grasp the revolver which I had placed iu it. At that mo- ment the mail bad forced me to the foot of my bed and braudislied over my head a sort of mace, But 1 bad fired, Ho immediately struck a terrl- hie blow at my head. All that, mou- sieur, [Hissed more rapidly tban I can tell it, and I know nothing more. "Q. Nothing? Have you no Idea us to how tlie nsHUHHln could escape from your chamber? A. None whatever. I know ted h Ing more, One does not know what Is isissing arouud one w hen one Is unconscious. “Q. Mas the man you an vr tall or short, little or big? A. I saw only a shadow wbk'h appeared to > me formld able. ”Q. You cannot give us any indica tlon? A. I know nothing li» >re, mon- sieur, than tlait u mail threw himself upon me and that I tired at him. I know iMitliiug more." Here the interrogation of Mlle. Btan- geraoti conclod«*d. RouietaMlle waited patl.raitly for M. Robert Dsrzac, who soon apfteared. From a room near the chamber of Mile. Rtangeraon he had heard tbe tn- terrogatory and now came to recount. It to my friend with great exactitude, aided by an excellent memory. His docility still surprised me. Thanks to hasty pencil notes, he was able to re,>roduce almost textually the quea tlon« and tbe annwera given. It looked as if M Darzac were be Ing employed as the secretary of my young friend and acted as If be could refuse him nothing nay. more, as if under a compulsion to do so. Tbe fact of the closed window struck the reporter as it had atrurk the mag istrate. The circumstance of‘the din ner In the laboratory also vemsi to Interest him In the highest degree, and be had ft repeated to him three times He also wanted to be sura that I the forest keeper knew that the pro fessor and his daughter were going tn I dine In the laboratory and how be had come to know It. When M. Darzac had finished I said. "The examination has not advanced the problem much." "It has put It buck.” said M Darzac. I “It has thrown light upon it," said Rouletabllle thoughtfully. CHAPTER IX Reporter and Detective. [ —rYorT.ETARIIT.E, Dar»c snd I I I went l*a<k toward the pavilion l\j At «ome dlstan» e from the building the ref»>rter made us stop and. pointing to a small clump of trees to the right of ua. said: ’That’» where tlie murderer came from t<> get Into tbe pavfllon " As there were other patches of tree« of the Mme sort between the grea» «•aks. I .isked w by the murderer ."tiff < h<*en tlmt on > ritbor than any of tbe others. RouleUibllle answered me by pointing t<> tee p-itb wbl It r-in quite • lose t" tbe tlib .. t to the doer of th« pavilion. "That i-.th bi. ns yi u sc-'. top;>ed with » r ve! ’’ he snhl " ’ man must li- ve p.i d nl ni It • I" r t > the pa- ' illou, id c co tr.v -i • • ! » c[>s have been B u’d en the s. ft ground. The man didn't have wings: lie walked, but be wnlki'd < n the gravel, which left no Impression <f hli tread. Tho gravel his. In fa t. been trodden by many other feet, since the path Is tbe most direct way tietween the pavilion and the chateau. As to tbe thl ket, made of the sort of shrubs that don’t flisirtsh in the rough season laurel« ami fuchsias It offend the murderer a sufficient biding place until It waa time for him to make his way to the liavHion. It was while hiding In that dump of trees that he saw M. and Mlle. Stangerson and then Paddy Jacques leave Hie pavilion, < ; rn vel has been spread nearly, very m-arly. up to the windows of the pavlllm The footprints of a num parallel with tho wall, murks which vve will examine presently nnd which 1 have already seen. prove that ho only need. <1 to make one stride to find himself In front of the vestibule window, left open by Daddy Jacques. The man drew himself up bv his hands and en tered the vi-stlbule." "After all. It is very possible." I said. "If 1 did not reason as I do In re gard to this gravel," Rouletabllle went on. "1 should have to assume a bal loon. So don’t say a thing Is possible when It could not lie otherwise. We know now how tbe man entered by the window, and we also know the moment nt which he entered during the f> o'clock waU of the professor nnd Ilfs daughter The fait of the presence of the chanibermnld. wlm hnd Ctnne to clean up the yellow room. In the laboratory when M. Stangerson nnd Ids laughter returned from their walk nt naif past 1 permits us to af firm that at half past 1 tho murderer was not In ihc chamber under the bed unless lie was in collusion with the chambermaid. Whnt do you say, M. I »a rzue ?’’ M. Darxac shook his head and said lie was sure of the chambermaid's fidelity and that she was n thorough ly honest and devoted servant. "llesldea," he added, “at 5 o'clock M. Stangerson went Into the room to fetch bls daughter's hat.” ' There Is that also,” said Rouleta- | bill«. "That tbe man entered by the win- dovv at the time you say, I admit." I said, "but why did he shut the win dow? It was nil act wbli li would nec essarily draw the attention of tlio-e who had left It open.” “It may be the window was not abut at once," replied the young reporter. "Rut If lie did shut the window It waa tiecause of the bend in the gravel path a doMn yards from the pavilion and oti account of the throe onks that ar« growing at that apot." "Wbat do you rnenn by that?" asked M. Isirzac, who had followed ua nnd llstemsl with almost breathless atten tion to all that Rouletabllle had aaid. "I’ll explain all to you Inter on, mon sieur, when I think the moment to bo ripe for doing no. But I don’t think I have nnrthlng of more lmj»>rtatic« to say on tills affair If my liy|sitliesla Is Justified." “And what Is your hypotlieabtY* “You will never know If It dues not turn out to lie tlie truth. It Is of muct» too grave a nature to apeak of It no long as It continue« to be only it by- pot hen hi. “ "Have you nt least some Idea ns to who the t'lurrleror Is?” "No. inonsb ur, 1 don't know who the r orderer is But don't Is- afraid. M. Pol. rt Dnnsnc. I ahull know.” I could not but ob«crve that M. Dnr- zn>- was deeply moved, and I auspect- rd that Rouletabllle'» confident asser tion was not ph-nstng to him. Why, I naked my«<‘lf. If he was really nfrald that ih* nmrderer ahmild l>c discover ed. waa li« hcl;>lng the riqxirter to find film? My young friend acemed to ha ve received the same Impression, for he said bluntly: “M. Darxac, don't you want me to find out who the murderer wan?" “Oil. I should like to kill blm with my own hand!" cried Mlle. Rtanger- •on'» fiance, with a vehemence that amazed me. "I believe yon.” •ald Rouletabille gravely, "But you have not answered my question." We were panning by the.thicket of which the young reporter bed spoken to ua n minute before. I entered It nnd pointed out evident traces of a man wlm hnd been hidden there. Rouletabllle once more wan right. "Tea. ye«," he mid "We have to do with a thing of fieeh and blood, who use» the same meant that we do. Tt n all come out on those lines.” Having Mid thl», he asked me for ’.he paper pattern of tbe footprint which be bad given me to take care of and applied It to a very clear foot mark behind the thicket. "Aha!” he said, rising. I thought he waa now going to trace back the track of the murderer*» foot marks to tbe vestibule window, but be led un Instead far to the left, saying that It wan uncle«« ferreting In the mud and that he was sure now of the road taken l>y the murderer. "He went nl-mg tbe wall to the hedge nnd dry dlfi It, over which be Jumped. Hee Ju»t In front of the little |«ntfi leading tn tbe bike, that was his near ent way to get out.” "How do you know he went to th« lake?” "Becaane Frederic latranti ha a not quitted the borders of It since thia morning There must be some Impor ta re.mr.rkn there."