The gazette-times., May 06, 1915, HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION, Page 11, Image 17

home and farm Magazine section
11
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL.
The Secret of the Night
By Gaston Leroux
THRILLING MYSTERY OTWIIY OW RCSSUlf tSTBlCrE BY NOTED FRENCH AUTHOR,
BYxoraa or pujethwb chatters.
Tmr Joseph Rouletabllle. eeteneibty a
reporter for a Parlataa newspaper but.
in fact, a deteetl of renown, la called to
Hussta by th t'ar to the Ufa ol
General Trebaaaof (Feodor rooclorovitcb).
wlio has seen condemned to dealh by the
Nihilist. He to received by the Gen.
ei-al's evfr-feithlul al eer-watehful wife,
Madame Trebaasof (Matrons Petrovina).
Ho meet Natacha, tho General's daughter
t,y a .previous marriage. The General u
at his villa, surrounded by a few faithful
friend, Houleiablll learns of the fir two
attempt aalnt th lite of the General
from Madams Trcbaaaol. One of Houlet
abllle' firal acltoM la to aWmUs the secret
pjllee Kuardlna th yllla. Rouletnbllle
hears of the third attempt en the Gen
eral' lite, by meens of a clockwork homo
art In a vase of flowers on his table. It
was frustrated by Madam Trebassof, who
wa slightly Injured by the ejoloslon. Ine
detective learn that Nataena it in love
with Birls, but also la very friendly to
ard Michael. He learns the secret of
the night the terrtblo nightmares that are
experienced by til age.1 General. Natarha
Lm suspected of complicity In the plot
asalnst the life of th General, but uou
letabllle stoutly affirms his belief In her
innneenee. Though a great warning tell
Roulctaullla that hla ward, the General,
will he dead la 4S hour, the detcetlve sug
gests a promenade by the sea, unattentlea.
Katacha absents herself during the prom
enade en allfht ranse. Rouletabllle be--omu
Interested In hat-pins. He Is confi
dent of a plot ajratnat the General by
noiseless methods and watches the door of
an unused entrance to the room where the
General sleeps. KouletabIM discovers thot
entrance can be forced Into the General's
room through an unused door by mans
of a bent hat-nln and he and Madame Tre
bassof set themselves to watch. A myste
rious hand t ween to pour a rial of pnlsoa
lata th General's mwlklae. Ttie owner of
I bo band cacaoes.
ADA ME," he commenced. "It ts
Impossible to work with you.
Why la the world have you
wept not two feet from your step-daughter's
door? You and your Kooprtane,
you commence to make me regret the
Faubourg Poissonlere, you know. Yoftf
Btep-dMUBhter has certainly heard you.
It is lucky that she attaches no Importance
at all to your nocturnal phantasmagorias,
and that she has been used to thera a long
time. She has more sense than yon. Ma
demoiselle Natacha has. She sleeps, or at
least she pretends to sleep, which leaves
everybody m peace. What reply will you
give her if it happens that she asks you
the reason today for your marching; anil
counter-marching op and down (ho silllng
room and complains that you kept her
from sleeping?'
Matrena only shook her old. old head.
"No, no, she has not heard me. 1 was
there like a shadow, Ifke a shadow of my
self. She will never hear me. No one hears
a shadow."
Rouletabllle felt returning pity for her
and spoke more gently.
"In that case, it is necessary, you must
understand, that she could attach no more
Importance to what you have done tonight
thaa to the things she knows of your do
ing oLb.tr nights. It Is not the first time.
Is It, that you have wandered In the sitting-room?
You understand niel And to
morrow, madams, embrace her us you al
ways have."
"No, not that," she mooned. "Never that.
I could not"
"Why notr
Matreua did not reply. She wept Ho
took her in his arms like a child consoling
Its mother,
"Don't cry. Don't cry. All is not lost.
Someone did leave the villa this morntng."
"Oh, IU1. domovol! How is that? How
Is that? How did you find that out?"
"Slneo we didn't find anything inside. It
was certainly necessa'y to ftnd something
outside."
"And von have found it?"
"Certainly."
"The Virgin protect yon!"
"8ht It with ns. She will net desert us.
I will even say that I believe she has ft
special guardianship over the Isles. She
watches over them from evening to morn
ing." "What ore you Baying?"
"Certainly. You don't know what we
call In Franco 'the watchers of the Vir
gin?' "
"Oh, ymi, they are the wefts that the dear
little beasts of the good God spin between
the tree and that. .
"Exactly. You understand me and you
will understand further when you know
that in the garden the first thing that
struck me across the face as I went into
It was these watchers of the Virgin spun
by the dear little spiders of the good God.
At first wh m I felt them on my face I
said to myself, "Hold on, no one has passed
this way ' and so I went to search other
places. The webs stopped me everywhere
in the garden. But, outside the garden,
they kept ont of the way and let me pass
undisturbed down a pathway which led to
the Nova. So then I said to myself, 'Now,
has tho Virgin by accident overlooked her
work in this pathway? Surely not Some
one haa ruined it.' I found the Bhreds of
them hanging to the bushes, and so I
reached the river."
"And you threw yourself Into the river,
my dear angel. You swim like a little
god."
"And I landed where the other landed.
Yes, there were the reeds all freshly
broken. And I slipped in among the
bushes."
"Where tor
"Up to the Villa Krestowsky, mndamc
where they both live."
"Ah, it was from thero someone came?"
There was a silence between Ihcm.
She questioned:
"Boris?"
"Someone who came from the villa and
who. returned Jhcre.Borjs or Michael, or,
mrother. 'liny wehVimd'relufi'cJ th'fouijh"
the "reeds. But in coming they used
boat; they returned by swimming."
- Her customary agitation reasserted it-
self.
She demanded ardently:
"And yon ar- sure that he came here
and that he left here?"
"Yea, I am sure of It"
"How?"
"By the sitting-room window."
"It Is impot sible. for we found it locked."
"It Is possible, if someone close It be
hind him."
"Ah!"
She commenced to tremble again, and,
falling back Into her nightmarish horror,
she no longer wasted fond expletives on
her domovoi as on a dear little angel who
had Just rendered a service ten times more
precious to her than life. While he listened
patiently, she said brutally:
"Why did you keep me from throwing
myself on htm, from rushing upon bira as
he opened the door? Ah, I would hare, 1
would have. . . we would know."
"No. At the least noise ho would hive
closed the door. A turn of the key and
he would have escaped forever. And he
would have keen warned."
"Careless boy! Why then, if you knew
he was going to come, didn't you leave me
In the bedroom and you watch below
yourself?"
Because so long as I was below h
would not hare come. He only conies
when there is no one downstairs."
"Ah, Saints Peter and Taul, pity a poor
woman! Who do you think it is, then?
Who do you think It Is? I can't think any
more. Tell me. tell me that. You ought
to know yon know everything; Come
who? I demand the truth. Who? Stilt
tome agent of the Committee, of the Central
Committee? Still the Nihilists?"
If It was only that!" said RouletabiUe
quietly.
Ton have sworn to drive mo mad! What
do you mean by your 'if it was only that? "
Houletabille, Imperturbable, did not reply.
"What have you dene with the notion?"
said ha
"The potion? The glass of the crime! I
have locked It In my room, in the cup
board safe, safe!
"Ah. but madarae. it is necessary to. re
place it where yen took it from."
"What!"
"Yea, after having- poured the poison Into
a phial, to wash the glass and fill it with
another potion."
"You are right. You think of everything.
It the general wakes and wants his potion,
he must not be suspicious of anything, and
he must be able to have his drink."
"It is not necessary that he should
drink."
"WelT, then, why have the irlnk there?"
"So that the person can be sure, madame,
that if he has not drunk it is simply be
cause he baa not wished to. A pare chance;
madame, that he Is not poisoned. You
understand me this time?"
"Yes, ye. O Christ! Bnt how now, if
the general wakes and wishes to drink his
narcotic?"
"Tell him I forbid it. And her Is an
other thing yon must do. When 8smeone
comes into the general's chamber, in the
morning, ymr must quite openly and
naturally throw out the potion, useless and
vapid, you see, and so Someone will have
no right to be astonished that the general
continues to enjoy excellent health."
"Yes, yes, little one; you are wiser than
King Solomon. And what will I do with
the phial of poison.?"
"Bring It to me."
"Right Rway."
She went for it and returned five minutes
later.
"He Is still asleep. I have put the glass
cm the table, out of his reach. He will
call me."
"Very good. Then push the floor to, elose
it; we have to talk things over."
"But If someone goes back up the serv- ,
ants' staircase?"
"Be easy Bhont thst. They think the
general is poisoned siready. It Is the first
cure-free moment I have been able to en
joy In this bouse."
"When will you stop making me. shake
with horror little demon! Yon keep your
secret well, 1 must say. The general is
sleeping better than If he really were
poisoned. But what shall we do about Na
tncha? I dare ask you that you and you
alone."
"Nothing at all."
"How nothing?"
"We will watch her . . ."
"Ah, yes, yes."
"Still, Matrena, you let me watch her by
myself."
"Yes, yes, I promise you. I will not pay
any attention to her. That is promised.
That Is promised. Do as you please. Why,
just now, when I spoke of the Nihilists to
you, did you say, 'If it were only that?"
You believe, then, that she Is not a Nihi
list? She reads such things things like
on the barricades. , .
"Madame, madame. you think of nothing
"cut Natschn. Yon have promised me not
to watch her; promise me not to think
about her.
"Whv, why did you say, If it was only
that!'?"
"Because, if there were only Nihilists In
ycur affair, dear madame, it would be too
simple, or. rather it would have been more
simple. Can you possibly believe, madame,
tl at simply n Nihilist, a Nihilist who was
only a Nihilist, would take pains that his
bomb enploiled from n vase of flowers?
th a It wou'd have mattered where, so long
as it overwhelmed the general? Do you
Imagine that the bomb would have had less
eficct behind the door than In front of It?
And the little, cavity under the floor, do
you believe that a genuine revolutionary,
such as yott have here in Russia, would
amuse himself by penetrating to the villa
only to draw out two nails from a board,
when one, happens to give him time be-,
twecn two visits to the dining-room'; Co
you suppose that a revolutionary who
wished to avenge the dead of Moscow and
who could succeed In getting so far as tho
door behind which General Trebasaof slept
would amuse himself by making a little
hole with a pin la order to draw back the
bolt and amuse himself by pouring poison
into a glass? Why, in such a case, he
would have thrown his bomb outright,
whether it blew him up along with the
villa, or ho wa arrested on the spot, or
had to submit to the martyrdom of the
dungeons In '.he Fortress of SS. Peter and
Paul, or be hung at Schlusselburg. Isn't
that what always happens? That Is the
way he would have done and not have
acted like a botel-rat! Now, there is some
one In your home (or who comes to your
home) who acts like a hotel-rat because he
do3s not -wish to be seen, because he does
not wish to be discovered, because he does
net wish to b take in the act. Now, the
moment he fears nothing, so much as to
be taken In the act, so that he plays all
these tricks of legerdemain, it Is certain
that his object lies beyond the act Itself,
beyond the bomb, beyond the poJson. Why
all this necessity for bombs of deferred
explosions, far clockwork placed where it
will be confused with other things, and
not on a bare staircase forbidden to every
body, though jou visit it 20 times a day?"
"But this man comes In as he pleases
by day and by night? You don't answer.
Yon don't know who he is, perhaps?
"I know him, perhaps, but I am not sure
who it Is yet"
"You are '-lot curious, little domovol
doukh! A friend of the house, certainly,
and who enters the boe as he wishes,
by night, because someone opens the win
dow for him. And who comes from the
Krestowsky Villa. Boris or Michael! Ah,
poor miserable -Matrena! Why don't they
kill poor Matrena? Their general! Their
generatt And they are soldiers soldiers
who come at night to kill their general!
Aided by by whom? Do- you believe that?
You? Light of my eyes! you believe that! No
no, that ts not possible! I want you to
understand, monsieur Te domovol, that I am
not able tu believe anything so horrible.
No, no, by Jesus Christ, who died on the
cross, and who searches our hearts, I do
not believe that Boris who, however, has
very advanced Ideas, 1 admit it Is neces
sary not to forget that; very advanced;
and who composes ery advanced verses
also, as I have always told hint I will
not believe that Boris Is capable of such
a fearful crime. As to Michael, he Is an
honest man, and my daughter, my Natacha,
is en hottest girl. Everything looks very
bad, truly, but I do not suspect either
Michael or Boris or my pure and beloved
Natacha teven though she has made a
translation into French, of very advanced
verses, certainly most improper for the
daughter of a general.) That Is what lies
at the bottom of my mind, the bottom of
my heart yon have understood me per
fectly, little angel of paradise? Ah, it Is
yon the general owes his Itfe toi that Ma
trena owes her life. Without you this house
Wtuld already be a coffin. How shall I
ever reward yon?' You wish for nothing!
I annoy you! You don't even listen to me!
A coffin we would all be In our eoffins!
Tell m what you desire. All that I have
belongs to yon!"
"I desire to smoke a pipe."
"Ah, a pipe! Do you want some yellow
perfumed tobacco that I receive every
month from Constantinople, a treat right
from the harem? I will get enough for
you, If you like It, to smeke ten thousand
pipes full."
"I prefer caporal," replied Rouletabllle.
"But you are right. It is not wise to sus
pect anybody. See, watch, wait There
Is always time, once) the game Is caught,
to say whether It Is a hare or a wild boar.
Listen to me. then, my good mamma. We
must know first what is in the phlaL Where
is it?"
"Hero it lr."
She drew it from her sjeeve. He stowed
it In lils pocket
"You wish the general a good appetite,
for me. I am going out. 1 will be back
in two hours at the latest. And, above
all, don't let the general know anything.
I am going to see one of my friends who
lives in the Aptiekarskl pfreoleh."
"Depend on me and get back quickly for
l--ve of me. My blood clogs in my heart
The Mle street of the apothecaries.
when you are) not here dear servant if
God."
She mounted to- the general's room and
came down at least 1 times to see if
Houletabille had not returned. Two hours
later he was around the villa, as he bad
promised. She could not keep herself from
tunning to meet him, for which sho was
scolded.
"Be calm. Be ealra. Do yea know what
was In the phial?"
- "No-
" Arsenate of soda, enough to kill ten
people."
Holy Mary!"
"Be Quiet. Go upstairs te the general"
Feodor Feodorovitca was in charming
himor. It wa his first good night since
the death of the youth of Moscow. He at
tributed It tc his not having touched the
narcotic and resolved, once more, to give
up the narcotic, a resolve Rouletabllle and
Mitrina encouraged. During the conversa
tion there was a knock at the door of Ma
trena's chamber.
rTo Bt- Cuntlnueu.)
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