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About Eugene daily guard. (Eugene, Or.) 1904-1924 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1909)
o THE ECGEVE PATH GUARD, SATVRDAr, FBORf ARY 13, 1000. ' o e o iiiMiMMin The Mystery of , The Yellow Room n .rnu I rnnnv t COPYRIGHT. 1908, By GASTON LEROUX BY brentanos. CHAPTER IX. COX'll.V'KD. A few minutes later wo reached tile lake. It wns n Ilnic sheet of murHliy wa ter, surrounded by reeds, do ivhl'h flouted Home (lend wiiter lily leaves. The groat I'red may have Been us ap proaching, but ' Iir.lm ll- Interested Mm very little, for lie toolt lmrilly nny notice of us mid eout limed to lie xtlr rlng with his eimc something which wo nt:!t! pot sue. "Look!" snld rtoiiletnliine. "Here KU I n lire the foottiinrks of the escnp Jnir mini. They skirt the lake here mid flniilly disappear Just before this path, which leiidB to the high rond to Epl nuy. The ninn continued bis flight to I'arls." "Whnt iniiheB you think Hint?" I asked, "since these footmarks ure not continued on the path?" "Whnt makes ine think that? Why, these' footprints, which I expected to Bud!" he cried, pointing to the sharply outlined Imprint of a neat boot "Bee!" And he called to 1'roderlc I-nrsun. "M. Fred, these neat footprints seem to have teen uiude since the discovery of the crime." "Yes, young man. yes. They have been carefully made." replied Fred without raising his head. "You see, there are steps Hint come and steps tint go back." "And the mini had a bicycle!" cried the reporter. Here, after looking at tho marks of the bicycle, which followed, golng nnd coming, tho neat footprints, I thought I might Intervene. 'The bicycle cxphiltiB the disappear- uco of the murderer's big footprints," I wild. "The murderer, with his rough boots, uioiintid a bicycle. Ills accom plice, the wearer of the neat boots, lind come to wait for him on the odgo of tho lake with the bicycle. H might lie supitosed thut tho murderer was working for tho other." "No, uo!" replica Itouletubllle, with It Htningo smile. "I have expected to find these fuotinarlts from tho very beginning. These uro uot the foot marks of the murderer." T'heu there were two?" "No; there wus but ouo, mid ho hud no accomplice." "Very good! Very good!" cried Kred- rlc Lursuu. "I,o)k!" continued the young reports r, showing us the ground where It bad beeu disturbed by big and heavy bools. "The muu seated himself there aud took off his hobualled boots which he bad worn only for the pur potto of misleading detection, uud then no doubt, taking them a way with hhn. be stood up lu his owu boots and quietly a ud slowly regained the high ' mud, holding his bicycle lu his baud, for bo could not venture to ride It on tills rough path. Thut accounts for tho lightness of tho Impression uuido by the wheels along It In spite of the Hoftness of the ground. If there hud been a man on the bicycle the wheels v.ould have su::k deeply Into tho soil. No, no; there wus but ouo man there the murderer ou foot." "I'.ravo! Iirnvo:" cried Kred again. And. coming suddeuly toward us aud phiiittng himself In front of M. Hob' ert I r rrjic, be said to him: "If wo had n bicycle hero wo might demonstrate the correctness of tho young man's reasoning, M. Hubert Jiamac. Do you know whether thero la one at the chateau?" "No," replied M. Dnrrar, "thero Is not. I took mine four days ago to 1'urli, the Inst time I came to tho chateau heforo the crime." "That's o pity," replied Kred very coldly. Then, turning to Houletabllle. bo said: "If wo go on at this rate we'll both come to the sn me conclusion. Have j on any Idea as to how the murderer Knt away from the yellow room?" "Yes." fold my young friend, "I bore nil Idea." "So have 1." said Kred, "nnd It limit be the mime ns yours. There lire no two ways of rcaKonlnir In this uffalr. 1 mil wnltlir; for the arrival of my rhie? 1 cferc offering nny explanation to tlte examining magistrate." ".Mt! Is t!io chief of the pollco con: In;?" "Yes. t!Si afternoon, lie Is going to iirurri!! !e.Vre tho magistrate In the lalxinitory all those who have played m pnrt lu this tragedy. It will be very Interesting. It U n pity you won't lie able to be present." "1 shall Ih present," sold Roulcta- bllle rualldently. "Itcnlly you are nn extraordinary I fellow for your site!" replied the do-' tectlvo In a tone not wholly free from Irony. "Yijji'd mnko a wonderful de- ; toctlve-lf you had a little more meth- ; cd If you didn't follow your Instincts I and that bump on your forehead. As i i e HTH11.T wvoi-m nines . psorvw. . io-uk-iiiim ,r. .i i i iiiurii. Yon do rot allow T to N guid ed by what you have seen. V.'lml 6i you say to the handkerchief full of Mood and the red unrk of the hned on the wall? You lisvo seen the stair o:i tH tri'!, ha-i1: rc'ilL- ; '-i ' ; r i i'nn.' r r k v :.::. :. "IV.'.s II. sen :i:I'.tl! l i.'t I have only seen th r.on! Kill. til !.'.!. !'!!. "The hand ::!'. -I '..i:i'ii::a:i. , f.i e eb of IV handkerchief, the numlierless little round scarlet stains, the Impression of drops which I found In the tracks of the footprints at the moment when tiiey were made on the floor, prove to me that the murderer was not wound ed at all. l. Itouletnbllle. the mur derer bled ut the nose!" The great I'red spoke quite seriously However. I could not refrain from ut tering nu exclamation. 'I he reporter looked gravely ut I'red. who looked gravely nt hlin. And Fred Iminiillately concluded: "The man allowed the blond to flow Into Ids hand and handkerchief and dried his bund on the wall. The fact H highly Important." he ndded. "because there Is uo need of his being wounded lu tho hand for hlin to be the mur derer." Itouletuhlllo Beemed to be thinking deeply. After n moment he said: "There Is - something a something. M. Frederic Larsan. much graver thnn the misuse of logic, the disposition of mind In some detectives which makes them In perfect good faith twist logic to tho necessities of their preconceived Ideas. Itoware of Judicial error, M. Fred; It will trip you up." And. laughing a little In a slightly bantering tone, his hands In his pock ets, Kouletnbllle fixed his cunning eyes on the great Fred. Frederic Ijirsan silently contemplat ed the young reporter who pretended to be ns wise us himself. Shrugging his shoulders, he bowed to us and moved quickly away, hitting the stones on his path with his stout enne. Itouletnbllle watched bis retrcnt and then turned townrd us, his fnco Joyous nnd triumphant. I shnll bent htm!" ho cried. "I shall beat tho great Fred, clever ns he Is! I shall beat them nil!" And he danced a double shuttle. Btiddeuly ho stopped. My eyes follow ed his gnzo. They wore fixed on M Robert Durzac, who was looking anx iously ut tho Impression left by his feet side by side with tho olcgunt footmnrks. There was not n particle of difference between them! Wo thought he wns about to faint. Ills oyos, bulging with terror, avoided us, while his right band, with a spas modic movement, twitched at the beard that covered his honest, gentle and now despairing face. At length regaining his self possession, he bowed to us and, remarking In a changed voice that he was obliged to return to the chateau, left us. "The douce!" exclaimed Itouletnbllle. He also appeared to be deeply con corned. Prom his pocketbook he took a piece of white paper, ns I hnd seen him do before, and with his scissors cut out the shape of the neat boot marks that were on the ground. Then ho flttcd the new pnper pattern with the one he hnd previously made. Tho two were exactly alike. Rising, Roulo tublllo exclaimed suddenly, "The deuco!" Presently ho added, "Yet I believe M. Robert Dnraae to be an hon- est man." no then led me on the road to tho lionlon Inn, which we Which we COllld see on the bliihwuy by the side of a small clump of trees. CHAPTER X. SI TIE Donjon Inn was at least wo centuries old, perhaps old- Under Its signboard over the threshold a man with a crabbed looking face was standing, seemingly phinged In unpleasant thought. If the wrinkles on his fore head and the knitting of his brows were any Indication. When Itouletnbllle and I wore close to him he deigned to see us and asked us In a tone anything hut engaging wheth er wo wanted anything. He wns no doubt the not very amiable landlord of mis manning dwelling pmcc. As wo iiAlirvantsi n uope mill ue wouui uo good enough to furnish us with a breakfast, he assured us that he had no provisions. "You may take us In." Rouletiibllle said to him. "Wo nre not nllecmcn." "I'm not nfrald of the police. I'm not afraid of any one." replied the man. I had made my friend understand by a sign that we should do better not to Insist: hut. being determined to enter tho Inn, he sllpgied by the man on the disirstcp and was in the common room. Voino on." he mild. "It Is very couv fortnhlo here." A good tire was hls&hig In the chim ney, and we held our hands to the warmth It sent out. It wns a morning In which the approach of winter was unmistakable. The room was a toler- ( M,y laTxf mf fnrnlshed with two heavy tables, some stools, n counter decorated with rows of bottles of simp nnd alcohol. "That's a One fire for roang a chicken," said Houletabllle. "We have uo chicken, not even ; wretched rsbblt." snld the landlord. I jsovVjJlssld my We shall har movtisnii my friend slowly- I knoe ve to ent red ment now." i (o) I confess I did not In the least nn-1 iierstand what Kou'.etalillle meant by ' what he had said, but the landlord a "W. Shall Rtvs lo Est R.d Mt Now." soon ns he beam xnc words tittered nn oath. whlh he nt once stifled, and placed h!melf nt our orders as ohe- dlontlv as M. Roliort Piirzne lind done when h,e heard P.oulotnbllle's mysteri ous sentence, "The presbytery has lost nothing of Its charm nor the garden Its brightness." Tlie man pushed open n little side door nnd called to somebody to brln-x him half a dozen ogirs and a piece of .Neefstealt. The commission was quick ly executed by a strongly built youu;; woman with beautiful blond hair nnd Urge, handsome eyes, who regarded os titli curiosity. ibc Innkeeper said to her roughly: "(;et out, mid If the Green Man comes don't let mo see him!" She disappeared. Itouletnbllle took tho eggs, which lind "been brought to him In a bowl, and the meat, which wns on a dish, placed all carefully be side him In the chimney, unbooked n frying pan nnd a gridiron and began to beat up our omelet before proceed ing to grill our beefsteak. He then or dered two bottles of cider nnd seemed to take as little notice of our host as our host did of him. The landlord let us do our own cooking and set our table near one of the windows. . Suddenly I heard him mutter: "Ab, there ho Is!" His face bad changed, expressing fierce hatred. He went and glued him self to one of the windows, watching the road. There wns no need for me to draw Rouletahllle's attention. He hnd already left our omelet and had Joined the landlord at the window. I went with him. A ninn dressed entirely In green vel vet, his hend covered with a hunts man's enp of the same color, wns ad vnnclng leisurely, lighting n pipe ns he walked. Ho carried n fowling piece slung nt his bnek. His movements displayed nn nlmost aristocratic esse. He wore eyeglasses nnd nppenrcd to be about five nnd forty yours of nge. Ills hnlr as well ns bis mustache were 'salt gray. lie was remarkably bund I some. As he pnssed near the Inn he hcsltnted, ns If asking himself whether or no he should enter It, gave a glance toward us. took n few whiffs nt his pipe nnd thori resumed his walk at the Baiue uouchnlnnt pace. Itouletnbllle nnd I looked at our host. niB Hashing eyes. Ills clinched hands, his trembling lips, told us of his tu multuous feelings. "Ho has done well not to come In here today!" he hissed. "Who Is that man?" naked Rouleta bllle, returning to his omelette. "Tho Green Man." growled the Inn keeper. "Don't you know him? Then all the better for you. He Is not an acquaintance to make. Well, he Is M. Stangerson's forest keeper." "You don't appear to like hlin very much?" asked the reporter, pouring bis omelet Into the frying pan. "Nobody likes him. monsieur. He's an upstart, who must once have hnd, a fortune of his own, nnd ho forgives , , ln.,n,,uA l, net.., In Ufa lin ""'""J , . , oeeu coiupoiicu. 10 iiwuiuu u nei- atlt. A Keeper is ns mucu a servant as any other. Isn't he? Upon my word, ono would say that be Is the muster of the dandier a yd thut nil tbo land and woods belong to him. He'll not let a poor creature eat a morsel of bread on the grass his grass!" "Hoes he often eomo here?" "Too often. Itut I've made hlin uu derstnnd that his face doesn't plcuso me, aud tor a mouth past he hasn't been here. The Donjon Inn has never existed for him! He hasn't 'had ttme beeu too much engugod lu pnylnt. court to tho landlady of the Threi Lilies at Snlnt Michel. A bad fellow There Isu't all honest man who can bear hlin. ' Why. the concierges of tho chateau would turn their eyes away from a picture of him!" "The concierges of the chateau are honest people then?" "Yes, they nro, as true as my name's j Mmhli u. monsieur. I believe them to i l. honest. "Yet they've been nrrested?" "What does that prove? Hut 1 dou't want to mix myself up In other peo ple's affairs." "And what do you think of the af falrV" "Of the attack on poor Mile. Stangcr son? A good girl. Much loved every where In the country. That's what I think of It and many things besides. Hut that's nolMiily's business." "Not even mine?" Insisted Kouleta bllle. The Innkeeper looked at him side ways and said gruffly: "Not even yours." The omelet ready, we sat down at table and were silently eating when the door was pushed open and ifti old woman, dressed In rags, leaning on a stick, her head doddering, her w'te hnlr kinging loosely over her wrin kled ?! relieud, apieared on the ires hold. "Ah, there you arc. Mother Ange noux! It's long since we saw you last," said onr host. " "1 have lieeu very III, very mrly dylne." sui.i ihe eld wof.i.m. "If ever you slon: 1 :i.,ve r.::r scrap for the Iletc A l 1:11 Holi I (.-:!" 1 ' '" t.T.d. f. !'..v,, ,l I v . ,.t larg - ' ' b.-d v. r !.;ievcd eoUITI exist. The beast looked nt us and gave s.O hopeless a miau that I shuddered. I had never heard so lugubrious u cry. As If drawn by the cut's cry u man followed th old woman In. It was the Green -Man. He saluted by rais ing his hand to hlS cap and seated himself nt a table near to ours. "A glass of elder. Duddy Muthleu," he said. As the Grecu Man entered Daddy Muthleu hnd started violently, but vis ibly mastering himself he said: "I've not more elder. I served the last bottles to these gentlemen." "Then give me a glass of white wine." said the Green -Man without allowing the least surprise. "I've no more wl'.;e wine no more anything." said Daddy Mallileu surlily. "How Is Mme. Muthleu?" "Quite well, thank you." So the young woman with the large, tender eyes whom we had Just seen wns the wife of this repugnant nnd brutal rustic, whose Jealousy seemed to erphnslzc his physical ugliness. Klnmmlng the door behind him. the Innkeeper left the room. Mother An gcuoux was still standing, leaning on her stick, the cat nt her feet. "You've been III. Mother Angenoux Is that why we have not seen you for the lust week?" nsked the Green Mnn. "Yes, M. Keeper. I have beeu able to get up but Ibree times to go to pray to St. Genevieve, our good putroness, nnd the rest of the time I huve been lying on my bed. Thero was no one to care for me but the Bete du Bon Dleu!" "Did she not leave you?" "Neither by day nor by night."- "Are you sure of that';" "Ab I am of paradise." "Then how was It, Mme. Angenoux. that all through the night of the mur der nothing but the cry of the Bete du Bon Dleu wns heard?" . Mother Angenoux planted herself In front of the forest keeper and struck the floor with her stick. "I don't know anything about It" she snld.. "But shall I tell you some thing? There are no two cats In the world that cry like thut. Well, on the night of the murder I also heard the cry of the Bsto du Bon Dleu outside, nnd yet she wns on my knees nnd did not mew once. I swenr. I crossed my self when I heard that, ns if I hnd heard the devil." I looked nt the keeper when he put the Inst question, and I hm much mistaken If I did not detect nn evil smile on his Hps. At that moment' Oie noise of loud quarreling reached us. We even thought we heard a dull sound of blows, as If some one wns being benten. The Green Man quickly rose nnd hurried to tlie door by the side of the fireplace, but It was opened by tho Inndlord. who appeared and said to the keeper: "Don't alarm yourself, monsieur. It Is my wife. She has the toothache." And he laughed. "Here. Mother Ange noux; here nre some scraps for your cnt." Ho held out a packet to the old wo man, who took It eagerly and went out of the door, closely followed by her cnt. "Then you won't serve me?" asked the Green Man. Daddy Mathleu's face was placid and no longer retained Its expression of hatred. "I've nothing for you nothing for you. Take yourself off." Tho Green Mnn quietly refilled his pipe, lit It, bowed to us nnd wcut out. No sooner was he over the threshold than Daddy Mnthieu slammed the door after him, and. turning townrd us, with eyes bloodshot nnd frothing nt the mouth, bo hissed to us, shaking his clinched fist at the door he bad Just shut on the man he evidently hated: "I don't know who you are who tell me 'We shall have to eat red meat now,' but If It will Interest you to know It tint mnn Is the murderer!" With which words Daddy Muthleu Immediately left us. Houletabllle re turned toward the flrepUjce aud said: "Now we'll -III our steak. How do you like the elder? It's a little itart. but 1 like It." Wo saw no more of Daddy Mathleu that day, and absolute silence reigned lu the Inn when we left It after plac ing C francs oo the table In payment for our feast. Rouletnlillle at once set off on a three mile wnlk around Professor Stangerson's estate. He halted for some ten minutes at the corner of a narrow road black with soot near to some charcoal burners' huts In tlie forest of St. Genevieve, which touches ou the roud from Kpinuy to Cor bcll. to tell me that the murderer had certainly pnssed that way before entering the grounds aud concealing himself lu ;he Utile clump of trees. "You don't think, theu. that the keeper knows auythlng of It?" I nsked. "We shall see that later," he replied. "l or Ihe present I'm uot Interested In wh it the landlord said about the man. ilie landlord hates h m. 1 didn't mu you to breakfast at the Doujou inn for the sake of the Green Man." I hen Uouletabllle. Willi great pre euu:lou. glided, followed by uie, to ward the little rnillillntr which et.,,,.1. Ing near the park gate, served for the uome ot the concierges who had been arrosted that morning. With the skill or an acrobat he got Into the lodge by an upper window which had beeu left oien if.id returned ten minutes later, lie snld only "Ah!" a word which In Ills mouth slKnitied many things. We were about to take the road lead ing to the chateau when a considerable stir nt the park gate attracted our at tentlon. A carriage had arrived, aud I " rn " against (he wall rt'wt mademoiselle wus shortly to have 8treiim' - the UK some people had come from the cl.a- ' hm' elff ' it is at the present" on married' cash. (N"1 " T .9 r of the ,'aris ?j ' I-'-- h"rt :l. "Sow we shall w """; ";"",. rc,-!r0i.... . J" -v.l:. TrXn uT - Ca" ",r "M ' If v.,. b..fw- ;":1 ls T; Idly recovering from " j,"cui off " " lCth- sleeve nnd whether he Is so muVE'clev. crcr than anybody else." The carrlace of tlie chief wns follow cd bv three other vehicles containing reporters, who were also desirous of entering the park. Hut two stationed at the gate had received orders to refuse admission to nnvbody. The chief of police calmed .h,'.ir imnatlenee by undertaking to Sr"r.V "irZ ould give "that ""'-- . ....iifini would not interfere with the Judicial inquiry. CHAPTER. XI. In Which Frederic Unn Explains How the Murderer Was Able to Gel Out ol Ihe Yellow Room. , natelv thnt Inst nypoinren. i .....-....-MOXG tlie mass of papers, to- j nn ex1mi,mtion of the door, pal documents, memoirs and gf cn,. B()(, nnd mass-Ve. Yon extracts from newspapers I (,iat ()Hte plfjnly i spite of which I have collected relat- . . he attcmpt to ing to the mystery of the yellow room j there Is one very Interesting piece, it Is a detail of the famous exam.ni.uuu which too!; place that nfternoon In tho laboratory of Trofessor stangersou uo fore the chief of police. T'ai3 narra tive U from the pea of M. Maleine, tho registrar, who, like the examining magistrate, had spent some of his leisure time lu the pursuit of litera ture. TOE REGISTRAR'S NARRATIVE. The examining magistrate and I, says M. Maioine, rouuu ou.aei.co the yellow room In the company of the builder who had constructed tne pavil ion after Professor Stangerson's de signs. He had a workman with him. M. de Mnrquet hud had the walls laid entirely bare that Is to say. he had bad them stripped of the paper which had decorated them. Blows with a pick here and there satisBed us of the nonexistence of any sort of opening. The floor and the celling were thor oughly Bounded. We found nothing. There was nothing to be found. M. de Murquet appeared to be delighted and never ceased repeating: "What n case! What a case! We shall never know, you'll see. how the murderer was able to get out of this room!" Then suddenly, with a radiant face. he called to the officer in charge of the i gendarmes. "Go to the chateau," he said, "and request M. Stangerson and M. Robert Durxuc to come to me In the labora tory, also Daddy Jacques, and let your men bring here the two concierges." Five minutes later all were assem bled In the laboratory. The chief of police, who had arrived nt the Glnn dler. Joined us nt that moment. I was seated at M. Stangerson's desk ready for work when M. de Mnrquet mnde ns the following little speech, ns original ns It was unexpected: "With your permission, gentlemen, as examinations lend to nothing, we will for once abandon the old system of Interrogation. I will not have you brought before me one by one, but we win all remain here ns we are M. Stangerson, M. Robert Dnrzac, Daddy Jacques und the two concierges, the chief of police, the registrar and my self. We shall all be on the same foot ing. The concierges may for the mo. ment forget that they have been nr rested. We are going to confer togeth er. We nre on the spot where the crime was committed. We have nothing else to discuss but the crime. So let us dis cuss It freely. Intelligently or other wise, so long as we speak Just what is In our minds. There necf! be no formal ity or method, since this won't help us In any wny." Then, passing before me, he said In a low voice: "What do. you think of that, eh? What n scene! Could you have thought of that? I'll make n little piece out of It for the vaudeville." And he rub bed his hands with glee. I turned my eyes on M. Stangerson. The hope he hnd received from the doctor's latest reports, who had stated that Mile. Stangerson might recover from her wounds, hnd not been nblo to efface from his noble features the marks of the great sorrow that was upon hlra. He hnd believed his daugh ter to be dead, and he was still bro ken by that belief. His clear, soft blue eyes expressed Infinite sorrow. "Now, M. Stangerson." said M. de Mnrquet, with somewhat of an Impor tant air, "place yourself exactly where you were when Mile. Stangerson left you to go to her chamber." M. Stnagerson rose and. standing at a certain distnnce from the door of the yellow room, said in an even voice nnd without tho least trace of emphasis, a voice which I can only describe as a dead voice: V "I was her. About 11 o'clock, after t had made o brief chemical experi ment nt the furnnces of the labora tory, neetimg all the snncc hehimi ' "'"' 111 SK moved here by Daddv Jac,l,,,s. who spent the evening In some oi mr nonaratus ! daughter had been working nt the ! siuuo desk with me. When It was her 1 time to leave she rose, kissed me and I bnde Daddy Jacques good night. She had to pass behind my desk and the I r to rn"'r m'r chamber, and she I ' "I1IT with some difflcul- -mat is to say. I was very near the place wffere the crime occurr.i thus" ml" mJs ,a,SkWl- be'T,nK' ln ot, the . n, , '"J CnTe-1 " U soon a, vo , h "r:i1'?h ' my cl,lpf' d r- ZZZ Thv , ' "T "f 'M"r- '''"HHl. ,in..i.t not- a man In the room, the desk being so i.f.ir to the door by stooping and sllppiS ader the desk have left It unobserved?" ' "You nre forgetting." interrupted M. Stnngerson wearily, "thnt my dnughter had locked nnd bolted the door, thnt the door had remained fastened, thnt we vainly tried to force It open when ! ...t anA thnt wp were we nenro me u.-n-i- - -- at the doer while the struggle between ittae murderer and my. poor child I w eoing on imuieuiuieiy .u go.ng I I rose from my sent nnd once moro examined the door with the greatest enre. Then I returned to my place, with n despnirlng gesture. "If the lower pnnet of the door, I said, "could be removed without the whole door being neccrsnrlly open th problem would be solved. But unfortn- o ppn . , ., cr)c(1 Dn,Wj. Jncq jes. "it Is wag brouht from the chateau. They don t make such doors now. We had to use this bar of Iron to get it open, nil four of us, for the concierge, brave woman she is, helped us. It pains me to Bud them both in prison now." Daddy Jacques bud no sooner ut tered these words of pity nnd protesta tion thnn tears and lumentutions broke out from the concierges. I never saw two accused people crying niore bit terly. I was extremely disgusted. Even If they were Innocent, I could not un derstand how they could behave like that lu the face of misfortune. A dig nified bearing at such times Is better than tears and groans, which most of ten are feigned. "Now, then, enough of that snivel ing," cried M. de Mnrquet, "and In your Interest tell us what you were doing under the windows of the pavil ion at the time your mistress was be ing uttneked, for you were close to the paylllon when Daddy Jacques met you." "We were coming to help!" they whined. "If we could ouly lay hands on the murderer he'd never taste bread again!" the woman gurgled between hvt gol)S As before, we were unable to get two connecting thoughts out of them. They persisted lu their denials nnd swore by heaven nnd all the saints thut they were In bed when they heard the sound of the revolver shot. "It was uot one, but two shots, that were fired. You see you nre lyiug. If you hud heard one you would have heard the other." "Mou Dleu! Monsieur, It was the second shot we heard. We were sound asleep when the first shot was Hied." "Two shots were fired," snld Daddy Jacques. "I nm certain that all the cartridges were lu my revolver. We found afterward that two bud been exploded, and we heard two shots be hind the door. Was not that so, M. Stangerson?" "Yes," replied the professor, "there were two shots one dull and the other sharp and ringing." "Why do you persist lu lying?" cried M. de Marquct, turning to the con cierges. "Do you think the police are the fools you are? Everything points to the fact that you were out of doors and near the pavilion at the time of the tragedy. Whut were you doing there? So fnr ns I nm concerned," he snld, turning to M. Stnngerson, "I can ouly explain the escape of the mur derer on the assumption of help from these two accomplices. As soon as the door was forced open and while you. M. Stangerson, were occupied with your unfortunate child the concierge und his wife facilitated the flight of the murderer, who, screening himself behind them, reached the window lu the vestibule nnd sprang out of It Into the park. The concierge closed the window after him and fnstened the blinds, which certainly could not huve closed nnd fastened of them selves. Thnt Is the conclusion I have arrived at. If any one here has any other lden let him state it." M. Stangerson Intervened: "What you say was impossible. I ao not believe either in the guilt or in tne connivance of my concierges, though 1 cannot understand what they were doing In the park at that lute hour of the night. 1 suy It wns Im possible, because Mme. Bernier held the lamp nnd did not move from tho threshold of the room, because I as soon as the door was forced open threw myself on my knees beside my daughter, and no one could have left or entered the room by the door with out parsing over her body nnd forc ing his way by me! Daddy Jacques and the concierge bad but to cast a nam e around the chamber nnd under the bed. ns I had done on entering, to see that there wns nnluuh. i it i,t niv 'nnghter lying on the floor." "Wh',, do you think, M. Dnrzac?" nskl'11 tbe magistrate, M- I'arrnc replied that he had no opinion to express. M. Has. the chief of police, who so far had been listening and examining the room, at length deigned to open "13 lipS W""6 senrch h l"n nde for the Tu"n',Pwc "J eer try to find out "l" ",0"ve for the "ln That will "',V"nce n hc - Turning VI wounds. The m. lnvn,l l i. . ""!1 the cl,lf ...,,' wkJ ..... .., u i . , " 1'YUCi i none so." "What! Is n,.. I that?" """in! M. Stangerson did ,l Robert Duraue ' I that his hand trembL'j his watch ehnU ?A did l ,l " "Ul dently embarrass 1 ou understand. M t,J snld "tl,, i tol .... ". 7, . " analr I ruis we cannot neglect J wiuni noY .Ml ,. ""I rru.iug.y most (otll, r nig mo victim, informs, the most lusiiMiin.. " doubt that this I puice: lou cxprcMH,,! nope implies a doubt ' doubt: M n...n " ' Kersnn made,! to recover himself. I l es. monsieur." ht J -ion nre rielit. It irl you should know soWl concealed It mipht aptri lortance. M. Dnrac ,i a this." 1 M. I lame, whose ia-1 Went seemed to ma ,.1 Kbnormal, made a gfc tuthered lie was una! I "I waul yon to i-t.,,1 uod M. Stangerson, "tlil has sworn never in I.J heres firmly to her will njy prayers aud all ik.-l to Induce her to mill known M. Robert n.rJ He loves my child, ujl she loved him. teiaJ cently consented to J which I desire wltb i am nn old man, mociiJ a happy hour to tne nil after I had gone ibt 1 her side one who Ml would heln her in oust mon labors. I Ion J Dnrzac both for blsrrl and for his devotion il two days before tin I know not what reastj declared to me tbit lit marry M. Dame." I A (lend silence follotl son's words. It trns I d with suspense. "Did mademoiselle pi plunatlou did she t(i:l U'Otlve was?" asked VI I "She told me she trwl ry; that she had wilteJ snld she had given r.l tlie matter, nud ivblid esteem, even nffectloc s'ie felt it would be ! remained as they tren "That is very sintf Das. "Strange!" reiieated ?l "You'll certainly t tlve th.-re, M. I mii Id. wlih a coldsicti l "In any case, the a theft." said the chief a "till, we ure qulttl that!" exclaimed the: trnte. At that moment tbij nrnton- nnctied. and I 'charge of the genduJ handed a curd to we fa ten to M. de MarcM I terod a half angry uj "This is really too "Whut is it?" asked! .it's tlm curd of I engaged on tlie EWj Rouletiibllle. It n' ten ou It. "One of crime was roliwrf. i'i,n fiii,.f smiled. "Ah. young HouleKJ of him. He is co"! or. Let him con a I M. Joseph Ilonleis'- loJini-nforV. bowed B I for M. do Maniuett oi-.io his nrcser.ee. "You pretend, I,,,.,,.- the motive !t': thut that motlve-tt the evidence ttatja' ng-was rubbery.' monsieur: 1 t do not say that nrt'l five for the crime, t "Then what l H Cll.ll I ul "it means that twl the motives for the j 1.....I vontt' "If you will I .. ,e will! company ,j terl H.ont:ni:e It fennel 10 L l tt-or enteral!. 01 "' 1 plot existed WtM trouble a:. a death. "I coul." he -'" .,.,, .: at s'.uc'1' ... tin, tor every, bifli , coniii.e.v.... pound;. . Heap1 nate ixui"', -p.. rivaled. .,,ltt:l tie free. u- kndu:l. ..-amlab'l'!1! growth nr. h .; i only mile and "J
