Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, January 04, 1910, Image 6

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Medford mail tribune., January 04, 1910, Page 6, Image 6

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Newspaper Page TextTEE BEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, M13DFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, JANUARY -1, 1010. THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK Uy GASTON IjKKOUX, Author of "The Mystery of the Yellow Hoom." ConyrlRht, 1000, by Utvtnno'a "It Is I'ero Simon. Ah. how old he him grown: Listen: '1'hN Ik thf hour when lie gtes to superlutetul the study hour of the younger boys. Rvery one 1 In the eliisHriNiui now. Uh. we an very lucky r Why was Itouletabllle so anxious to ilili hlmuulf "I bellevo that 1 am going cmsyt" ! he satd with n short laugh. "Hut I j can't help my feelings. They are ! stronger than 1. To think that I am golug to Bee the parlor where she waited for mo! I had been living only In the hope of seeing her, and after die had gone 1 fell Into such a do- spondent state that nfter each of her . rjvo caslly nt the solution of perplex Tlslts they feared for my health. So jK problems. By logical deductions Xrom one visit to another I bad her or a'n almost amazing kind he aston tnemory nnd her perfume to comfort ' iSDed his professor of mathematics. me. Pcver havlnc seen her dear race , - - distinctly, 1 lived less with her Imago j than with the heavenly odor. The perfume which she always used and which was lndinsolubly associated in my mind with her was the most sub tle and the sweetest odor I have ever known, and I never breathed it again in all the years which followed until the day wc first went to the G lan dlord "Yon mean the day that yen met Mathllde StnngersonT" "That is what I mean," responded tho nA In n ITfnhHntf voir. (Ah, If I bad known at that moment f that Professor Stangerson's daughter as the result of her first marriage In America bad had a child, a son. who ! would have been if he bad lived tho same age as Rouletabille. perhaps 1 would have at last comprehended his emotion and grief and the strange re luctance which he Hhowed to pro nounce the name of Muthllde Stanger son there at the school to which in the past had come so often the Lady In Black!) "And yon have never known why the Lady in Black did not return r 1 asked. "She did return. be evM. "flat I ran away." j ".Why-to look for herr "No, no to flee from ber." "She may have been broken hearted at not finding you." Roulctabllle raised hi arms toward the sky and shook his bead. "How can 1 know? What an unhap py wretch I am! Bush. Salnclair: Hero comes Pere Simon! Now he's gone again. Quick to the parlor!" As we entered the room his faco be came flushed, be advanced with short Btcp3, turned to me and said in low tones: "Ob. Salnclair. this is it-the parlor! Feel bow my bands burn. My face is flushed, is it not? I was nlways flush ed when I camo here, knowing that I should find ber. I used to run. I felt smothered. do now. I was not able to wait. Ob, my heart beats just as it did when 1 was u little lad! I would come to the door right hen and then 1 would pause, bashful and shame faced. But I would see ber dark shadow in the corner. She would take me In her arms and hold me there In silence, and beforo we knew it we were both weeping as we clung to gether. How dear tboso meetings were! She was my mother, Salnclair. Oh, she never told me so! On tho con trary, sbo used to say that my mother was dead and that she bad been ber friend. But she told me to call ber mamma, and when sbo wept as I kissed ber I knew that sbo really was my mother." Tho poor lad could no longer contain himself. He rested his 'arms on tho mantel and wept like a little child. I saw him draw forth the letter which ho bad placed there in tho train and tear It open. His baud fell, and be uttered a groan. His flushed face grew pallid. It seemed as though every drop of blood bad left bis heart .Finally bU features took on the sereni ty which cornea from assurance of vic tory. "We must go now, Salnclair." And he left the parlor without even looking back. I followed, in the de serted street I stopped him by asking anxiously: "Well, did you find the perfume of the Lady In Black?" "yes." be said, very eravelv-"yes. Salnclair, i found it" And be band- cd mo the letter from Professor Stan gerson's daughter. 1 looked at him, doubting the evi dence of my own senses, not under standlug, because 1 knew nothing. Then be took my two hands aud look ed into my eyes. "I am going to confide a secret to you, Salnclair the secret of my Jlfo and perhaps some day the secret of my death. Let what will come, it must die with you and me. Muthllde Stangerson bad a child a' son. He is dead Is dead to every one except to tho two of us who stand here." 1 recoiled, struck with horror under such u revelation. Jlouletabille the son of Matbllde Stangerson! In that case Roulotabllle must bo the son of Lar Ban. Oh, I understood now all tho wretch edness of the boy! Jlouletabille simply made a gesture which seemed to say, "And now you Understand. Salnclair." When we reached Paris, Itouletabllle banded me a new dispatch a isa4 come from Vulence and which was (signed by Professor Stnngersoti. Jt said; "M. Darzuu tells mo that you duys' lenvc. Wo stiouM ulud If you eoultl como niul spend tliom with us. We will wnlt for you nt Arthur Ituucc'n lee, tlochers Kouros. He will be detlKhl od to present you to his wife. .My daughter will be pleased to see you. She Joins me In kindest greetings." , A concierge from Uuuletnbllle's hotel enme rushing up nud bnnded us a ' third dispatch. This one wns sent 'from Mcntoue nnd signed by Mnthlldc. I It contained two worts. "Rescue us." I CHAPTER III. A Living Vision of the Dead Lnrsin. OW 1 knew all. As wo contin ued on our Journey llouleta blllo related to me the remark able nnd adventurous story of N his childhood, and 1 knew also why . ... t .. ....... I. .!... bo dreaded nothing so much as that Mme. Darzac should penetrnto the mystery which separated them. Uouletablllo had tied from school at Eu Itke n thief. lie had been accused of stealing. At the age of nine he had nn ex- traordlnarr Intelligence nnd could nr- ne had nercr beeu able to loam his " multiplication tables nnd nlways count- ed upon bis fingers. Ho wonld usually get the answers to the problems him self, leaving the working out to be done br his fellow nunlls. But first 1 hnvc n few nil be very : .. . : , . iceeueu aou in woxc manner mere re- he would show them exactly how thai Usclf hm hb Qru his admirable faculties of reasoning to Kl. .In II . .Alt am tils atrtiltftfl uu, -- using the rule both materially and .nnmiix- Pnr Tn,niP. nn act had been committed in the school 1 have forgotten whether it was of cheating or talebearing by one of ten persons whotn hc knew and he picked out the riKht nf w,Ul a divination which """d a,mo" supernatural, simply by deduction. He later found In this ab- THERE IN" THE GLASS HATHILDE LABS AN! normal fashion a small sum or moue; which bad been stolen from the super intendent, who refused to believe that the discovery was due only to tbe lad's intelligence and clearness of in sight They tried to make him ac knowledge his fault He defended himself with such indignation and an ger that it drew upon him a severe punishment. Tbe principal held an in vestigation and a trial, at which Jo seph Josepbln. as be was called, was accused by some of his youthful com rades in that spirit of falsehood which children sometimes possess. Tbe fact that tbe boy seemed to have no rela tives and that no one knew where be came from made blm particularly like ly in that little world to bo suspected of crime. Finally the superintendent told tho lad that If he did not confess bis guilt It was decided not to keep him in the school and that a letter would be written to tho lady who In terested herself In blm to tell ber to como after him. The child allowed himself to be tak en to his little room a prisoner. Upon tbe morrow be had disappeared. He bad run away. He had felt that the principal was no longer bis friend since be believed him guilty of theft And he conld see 'no reason why the Lady In Bluck would not believe It too. To appear as a thief in tho sight of tbe Lady in Black! He would rather die. Bo he climbed over tbe -wall of tbe garden at night. He rush ed to tbe canal, with a prayer, uttered as much to tbe Lady In Black as to God himself, and threw himself In the water. Bolng a good swimmer, he Boon landed and led a gypsy Ufo as one of the "orange fishers" of the port of Marseilles, subsisting on fruits that fell overboard and sleeping where his fancy pleased. One day Joseph Josepbln met a man who gavo blm a bright now hundred sou piece. With his hundred sous ho bought himself a lino new bootblack's box and Installed himself In business opposite the Brcgalllon. With tho feeling of ownership which his box and his business had brought him, nWMtldn Had entered Ms tnlrrtJ. fie had received too good an educatlou not to understand that if ho did not himself finish what others hml begun 1 for hlui he would be deprive! of the best chance which he had of making for himself a place In the world. Ills customers grew Interested In the little bootblack, who nlways had on his box some work of history or ninth enmtlcs, nnd n hnrneos maker became attached to him nnd took Id in Into his , shop.' Soon Roulctabllle wns promoted to the dignity of working In leather and was able to save. At the ngo of six teen, having a little money, he took the train for Paris to look for the Lndy lu Black. As soon as ho reached the capital he looked up bis benefactor, who was a nowspaper man, nnd recalled himself to tho tatter's memory, telling him that ho had decided to becomo a Jour nalist The editor tried to turn the youth : from his project ' . 1...... . At Inst, tired of his persistent requests, the editor said: "Well, my lad. since you have noth ing special to do Just now, go and Hud the left foot of tho body In tho Ruo Oborkampf." And with thoae strange words ho turned away, leaving poor Roulctabllle with half n dozen young reporters tit tering around him. But the boy was not daunted. Ho searched through the files aud found that the Epoch was of fering a large reward to the person finding tho foot missing from the tuu' I UUUMl W1U (UM4IU ilVUt Mt tilated body of a woman found In the Hue Oberkampf. In "The Mystery of the Yellow Room" I told bow Roulctabllle suc ceeded and In what manner there re callingthat of always beginning to , where others had finished, i . . , , , , , . ' 1 nava told by what chance be vw led to the Elysee. where be Inhaled as be passed the perfume of the Lady tn Black. He realized then that It was Mile. Stangerson who had been his visitor at tho school. What more need I add? Why speak of the sensations which his knowledge as to tho wearer BEHELD THE FACE OP of tho perfamo aroused In the heart of Itouletabllle dualng tbe events at tho Glandler nnd. above nit, after bis trip to America? However, his In stinct drew htm so strongly to the pro fessor's daughter that be could scarce ly resist his longing to throw himself Into ber arms aud press her to his heart and cry out to her: "You are my mother! You aro my mother!" And ho fled from ber presence Just as he bad fled from tbe vestry on tbe day of her wedding In order that there should not escape from bim nny sign of the socrct tenderness that burned In his breast for horrible thoughts dwelt in his mind. Suppose he were to make himself known to ber and she were to cast him off tbe little thief of tho boarding school, the sou of Rous sol, Ballmeycr, the heir of tbe crimes of Larsanl nowever, this torturo could not last always, ho told himself. If it were she bo would know bow to say things to her that must open ber heart Howovor, it is bjr no means certain that decisive result would have been gained from this expedition at least in tbe eyes of a third persou, like my selfhad It n6t been for the Influence of tho odor If tho letter from Ma thlldo, which I had banded to Roule tabille In the train, bad not suddenly, with Its faint sweet perfume, brought to us directly the ovldence which wo woro seeking. I have never read this letter. It is a doenmsnt so sacred In tbe oyes of my friend that other oyc will never behold it, but I know that the gentle reproaches which It con tained for tho boy's rudeness and lack of confidence in tho writer concluded with a final sentence which suld that the interest which she felt In him arose less from tho services he bad rendered ber than because of tho memories which sbo bad of a llttlo boy the son of a friend whom sho bad loved vory dearly and who had killed himself "like a llttlo roan with a bro ken hoart" at tho ago of nine years and whom Uouletablllo greatly resem bled. In the rrtrfn en rottfo tor nones the boy was so quiet that I could not even hear blm breathing. "Do you kn(w""wlmt I have been thinking of?" he said. "Of the dls patch that enme to us from llourg aud wns signed 'Dnrtnc' nnd tho other dispatch which came from Vnlouco nnd was signed 'Stangerson.' "Aud tho more I think of thorn tho stranger they soom to mo. At Uourg M, nud Mine. Onrznc were not with StaUKcrsou, who l,oft them nt DIJon Besides, the dispatch says, 'Wo are going to rejoin Stangerson.' Hut tho Stangerson dispatch proves thnt Stan jrerson. who had continued on his Jour ney toward Marseilles, is tignln with the Darzncs. The Darzncs might have rejoined Stangerson on the wny to Marseilles, but If that were so tho professor must have stopped on the road. Why was this?" We consulted the tltno table. Finally we reasoned that Darzac must hnvo scut his wire from llourg one mluuto beforo leaving for Lyons by tho 0:20 train. But this train reach ed Lyons at 10:23 o'clock, while Stan gerson's train' reached Lyons nt 10:24. After changing their plana nnd leav ing the train nt Bourg, M. nud Mine. Darzac must huve rejoined Stangerson nt Lyons, which they reached one min ute beforo him. Now, what had upset their plaus? We could only think of the most terrible hypotheses, every one of which, alas, had as Its basis the reappearance of Lnrsnn. Tbe fnct which gave the greatest color to this idea wns the desire expressed by each of our friends not to frighten any one. Darzac In bis mrssngc, Mme. Darzac lu hers, had not endeavored to conceal the gravity of the situation. As to Stangerson. wo asked ourselves wheth er he bad been made aware of the new developments. When we reached Toulon our im patience became extreme, and at Cannes wo were scarcely surprised nt all to see Darzac upon the platform, 1 anxiously looking for us. He could 1 Hcnreely have received the dispatch which Roulctabllle had sent him from Dijon, announcing the hour at which we would reach Mm tone, nnvlng ar rived there with Mme. Darzac and M. Stangerson the day before nt 10 o'clock in the morning, be must have .left Mcntone almost ut once nnd bave come to meet us at Cannes. His face looked worn. Somehow it frightened u only to look nt blm. Trouble?" questioned Itoutetabtllo briefly. "So, not yet" was the reply. "God be praised." exclaimed Roule tabille, heaving a deep sigh. "Wo bave como In timer Darzac pressed both our hands in silence, following us Into our compart ment. In which we locked ourselves, taking care to draw tbe curtains. Our friend's voice trembled. "Well." be said, "bo U not dead. 1 bave aeon him." "And has Mme. Darzac seen him?" "Alas, yen! But It Is necessary that we should use every means to make her believe that It was nn Illusion. I could not bear it If she were to lose ber mind again, poor girl! Ah, my friends, what has this man come back to do to us?" I looked at Rouletabille. His faco was even more full of grief than that of Darzac. There was a brief pause, and then Darzac spoke again: "Listen! This man must disappear be must bo got rid of! We must ask what It is that he wants. If be will not go I shall kill him. It is vory sim ple. Don't you think so too?" We could not answer. Darzac told us that tbe event which had changed the faco of bis existence had taken place at Bourg. Two compartments of the sleeping car had been reserved bv Darzac. and these compartments were Joined by a little dressing rxm. In one bad been placed the traveling bag with tbe toilet articles of Mmo. Darzac and lu tbe other the smaller packages. It was In the latter com partment that tho Darzncs and Pro fessor Stangerson had traveled from Paris to DIJon, where the three had left tho train and had dined at tbe buffet They had arrived nt 0:27 o'clock, exactly on time, and M, Stan gerson had left DIJon nt eight min utes after 7 and tho Darzncs at Just 7 o'clock. The professor bad bidden ndleu to bis dnughtor and his son-in-law upon tbe platform of tho station. The Dar zncs had returned to one of their com partments and remained at the win dow, chatting with tho professor un til tbo train started. Aa it steamed ou tne l'a,r waved their hands to Stangerson. who was standing on tho platform throwing kisses. From DIJou to Bourg neither M. nor Mme. Darzac had occasion to enter tho adjacent compartment where Mme. Darzac's night bag bad been placed. Tho door hud not been locked cither upon tbo outside with a key by the porter nor on tbo Inside with tbo bolt by tho Darzacs. The curtain of the glass door had been drawn over the pano from tho inside by M, Dnrsac in such a way that uo ono cpuld look Into tho compartment from tho corri dor. But tho curtain between the two compartments had not been drawn. All of these circumstances were brought out by tho Questions asked by Rouletabille of M. Darzac. When they reached Bourg our trnv- elcrs learned that on account of nn accident on the line at Culoz tbe train would bo delayed for an hour and n half. M. and Mme. Darzac alighted and took a stroll on tho platform. Darzac while talking with his wlfo mentioned tho fact that he had for gotten to writo Important letters be foro leaving Paris. Both entered tho buffet, nnd Dnrznc asked for writing materials. Matbllde sat besldo him for a fow moments and then remarked that she would tako a llttlo walk through tho station while be finished bis letters. "Very well," replied Darzac. "As ixxm 1 nrr finished I will Join you." From that point I will auoto Dnr- sac's own word. "I had finished writing," ho said, "aud 1 nrose to go aud look for Mn thlldu when 1 saw Iter approaching tho buffet pallid nnd trembling. Aa soon na she perceived mo she uttered n shriek nnd threw herself Into my nnuH, 'Oh. my Ood,' she cried, 'oh, my Godl' It seemed tmpoaalblo for her to utter nny other words, She was shak ing from head to foot. I tried to calm her, aud I bogged her to tako sumo restorative llor teeth chattered as though she had an ague. At length bIio told me that she had started to wnlk nbout the station, but that she had not dared tu go far lost I should finish my writing ntul look for her. Thru she went uhu the platform, when she noticed the sleeping car por ters making up tho bod In a berth near our own. Sho remembered immediate ly thnt her night traveling bag, lu which she bad put tier Jawels, wna standing unlix Uod, aud sho decided tu go and lock It up without delay. Shu entered the car, walked down tho cor ridor nnd camo to the glass door of the compartment reserved for her, She opened tbe door nud Instantly ut tered a cry of horror. No one hennl her, for there was uo one lu that part of tho car. and a train which passed at thnt moment drowned tho sound of her voice with the clamor of the loco motive. What had happened to alarui her? "Tbo little door opening upon the dressing cabinet was half drawu to ward the interior of the ssctlou. cut ting off diagonally the view of who over might enter. This little door was ornamented by a mirror. Thero In the glass Mathllde bvbeld the faco of Lar- san. (To bo continued.) JOINT INSTALLATION OF G. A. It AND W. It O. All members of poet and corps aro requested to meet Tucsdny ovonlng, Junaary 4, 1010, at Angle's opera house for open meeting nud public Installation of tho officers of both ordors. All old eoldlors and families aro cordially invited. MRS. ELLA 8HOULT8, 347 Socrotary. Notice. My wife, EfGco Gordon, has wil fully left my board and bed, nnd I will not bo rcsonmblo for nny debts whatever which fiho mny contract hereafter. ALFRED D. GORDEK, 210 Prospect, Ore. A NEW KUOCriUO ORDINANCE. Mny it be ordained by tho city council of tho city of Modford. Any nble-bodled, married mnn who shall neglect or refuse to provide his wlfo with electric lights and electric Iron, thereby compelling her to spend ' theso pleasant days and evenings In tho kitchen over tho hot cook stove, when ho cn now buy electricity at bargain prices, shall bo punished by Imprisonment in his own kitchen, with cook Btov0 in full blast, and shall bo compelled to btart nil fires at 4 a. m. eo that ho may be ready for 8 o'clock breakfast, until ho nhnll provido said ''lfe with enld electric lights and electric Iron, to sava fa tlguo, exhaustion and troublo aa aforoaald. (Signed) DOMESTIC FELICITY, Chairman. Attest: THE CLERK. Send for Our Solcct List of FIFTY CALIFORNIA PAPERS You can insort display ndfl in tho ontiro lint for FIVE DOLLARS AN INCH The Dakc Advertising Agency, Inc. 127 So. Main St. 12 Gonry St. Lob AhroIob, Cal. Sun PrnnciHco EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS CHANCES For sale Span of horses, harness nnd wagon; will sell ono or both cheap for cashh, or will tako half half and balance with bankable note. Room 208 Phlpps & Taylor bldg. Wantod To borrow $800 on good proporty for ono year. Wanted Four girls for general housework; good wages. Wantod Girl for dishwasher. For Salo Span of horses and har- noss; 0 years old; 1400 ounds. For Salo Horses, wagon, harnoss and buggy; horses 7 years old. For Salo Saddlo horuo. For Salo Saddlo and briddle. Ilavo a sawmill for salo or trndo. A now bungalow, 4 rooms; prico $1150. For Salo Two lots, on C stroot, tho othor on Rlvorsldo nvonuo. Have calls for bouses to rent. Ilavo you any? hundred on road estate. Wanted to borrow Four or Five Wantod 4 room houso with burn, Wanted 3 room houso with barn, not to far out, would consider u 2 room houso. Ilavo a numbor oh houses for Bale. For Salo Hcsturant nnd othor hitbi- nesses. E. F. A. RITTNER, Prop. nOMM 208, PHIPPS BLDG, PHONE MAIN 4141. STORE WINDOWS Your window In tho moat ,ln truth, tho only, potout factor for'nUjht ad vertising your ntoro linn. it Is tho only inwitiH you hnvo of glvliiK people, on tho stroot, n toinpt lug Idon of whnt you hnvo In your Btoro, It It' Is tho only way you hnvo ot arousing tholr curlonlty, Why not cut out tho "Its" by Il luminating your nloro wludown with oloetrlo lights? Othor forms of light uro shadowy, flickering, smudgy, dingy, gloomy, nud place your ontlro window oxhlblt nt n disadvantage. lCloctrlo lighting floods your win dow with nn nttrautlvo brilliancy, and tihowii your goods advnutngoounty, as v ." i A New Year of Prosperity Is assured to you if you pur chase your groceries of Rex Grocery Co. Resolved That with the beginning of the New Year, I will trade where I receive the greatest value for my money In other words sRex Market Huth & Pech Props. Phone 3271 uu i a ai- Wire to Us to Wire for "You" Why not got in touch with tho host electrical con tractors in Modford'? Electrical work is too impor tant and too "particularr" to bo loft to anyone but experts, and wo will not only do tho work skillfully and porfectly, but supiw tho best and moat roliablo of appliances. Southern Oregon Electric Company TEL. 1091. 36 , jOTH GBAPE to color, tint, loxturo and boauty, Pooplo on tho stroot ovnulugn uro attrnctod to bright wlndown, Gloomily, hnlf-llgMod nhow win dow nro pnimml by, Why? Just beonuHo n dingy nltow window Ih nn unchoorlng night. Many n mtlo la mndo or ntnrtod nftot your atoro doors aro locked, If your vrludonn nro Ilghtod by oloo trlclty. If you would tnlk to folks at nlr.ht In tho only wny your window dlnplny Is Intuudnd to tall!, uwo oloclrlo light ing. Lot us tell you moro nbout It nud ltd (icouomlcnl coat. Yourn for hotter light. ltooutt nivnu nLi:cnuo co.