The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-16
helplesslY by her eide.

kSilt Gstli lSstI kztQ ucI leSSOu. tlOuRQG as
much"
At this moment some one raped on the
door leading from the hall, and two men en-
tered. They were Tristot and Pivolot, who
had come to tell NJ. Lacroix that this morn
ing Roger Laroque had been arrested in his
I Office, Rue Saint Maur, and examined ct
once by q commissaire of the judiciary.
o~oft- of these two detec.
tives at the Villa Mont i1aiS, rlley proceeded
to search the premises for anything which
might seem to them useful in establishing
their evidence against Roger. This search
was not fruitless, as they found in Rogers
dressing room the clothes which Roger had
worn the night of the crime, the gray coat
with its cape, a pair of brown pantaloons,
which were torn; high gray hat, with 8
narrow black band, dented and soiled iris
tot and Pivolot, who had been at work since
the previous day, knew that these were I'M
doubtedly the clothes that Roger had worn
on the day of the murder.
"Look at the coat, pantaloons and overcoat
and hat. Do you know thema" asked Lacroix
OF Henriette.
eyes; they are my husbands"
~Did your husband tell you how this hat
was crushed and coat and pantaloons became
SO soiled and torni"
She made u negative sign.
"Have you the keys to this secretary and
the bureaul"
and corne.
was searched and the papers, money. every-
thing that could possibly bear upon the case
made into package, along with the clothes.
In one of the bureau drawers Nj. Lacroix
found a small silver handled revolver of six
hotT.nIS five of VUloiof,
empty. and it was of a size which would
carry just such q ball as the doctor had ex-
tracted from the dead mans breast The
three men took their departure, carrying with
them the clothes, papers and revolver.
ave shall have to return tonight toward
10 or II o'clock for an experiment which I
wish to make. VIII you please wait our
comingg" said Lacroix, as they We're about
to go.
Henriette bowed without speaking. She
had reached the limit of her forces and could
no longer resist.
AT about IL Lacroix returned, accompanied
By Tristot and Pivolot, and it was Henrietts
herself who opened the door for him. She
had tried to imagine what could be their
object, but vainly. And after all, what did
1t matter? 1t would only be one torture more.
Neither Of the detectives entered the house
with H. Lacroix. They remained in the gar
den, while he mounted to the parlor, where
he said:
II must ask your permission, madame, to 90
into your room for a few minutes only"
"What do you wish to dof'
@Yeu shall see. 1t is an experiment."
He went into the room. Suzanne was, not
In bed. She had begged SO hard Of her
mother not to make her go to bed until they
should have gone.
"Oh, mother, mother!" she had begged,
"protect me from that mani Forbid him to
talk to me; he frightens mel"
As soon as she saw III. Lacroix she retreated
to the back of the room, while the magistrate
went out on the balcony. The night was
splendid The sky seemed covered with stars.
which shone like SO many plying eyes upon
this corner of the earth, where for two days
despair had made its habitation The calm
was so great that there was not even a leaf
stirring. Opposite, the cottage Of Larouette,
mournful and deserted since the assassina-
ton, seemed to animate itself and to live.
Before the open window of the victims room
a shadow moved. A candle placed on the
table suddenly lighted the scene, the theatre
Of the crime. Lacrusx then came and took
Suzanne by the hand. She drew back, say
! ing:
Mamma, mamma, don't want to go!"
Henriette mechanically approached the
balcony, not imagining what NJ. Lacroix in
tended to do, but, suddenly having seen, she
understood, and drew back with cry Of
horror.
"No, you shall not do that" cried the I'M
happy woman, throwing herself between Su-
canine and NJ. Lacroix. at would be an abom-
ination, an atrocious abuse of power that is
! rot permitted you It is enough to have tor
tured us as you have done for the last two
| days. You are in my house and in my room,
and have the right to order you to leave it,
and do. Go! gol"
She was in state Of agitation bordering
on insanity, and she drew back from M. La
croix, hiding the child's terrified face in her
robe
"But reflect, madame" said Lacroix.
II have told you that my child is sick A
strong emotion may kill her, so delicate and
nervous she is. Have PITY upon her, sir.
And what do you wish anyhow from her!
What of me? Why for two days have you
entered by force into our lives, giving us nc
instant of repose9 A crime has been COM
mitted near US. Is it my fault or herSa You
trespass upon our rights, and your zeal carries
you too far. A womans chamber should be
sacred to you, and more sacred still the
terrors, the tears and the innocence Of this
child Go then, tell you"
She was angry, felt outraged, and not only
that, but hemmed in and helpless, and per
haps she would have betrayed herself had
he not answered coldly:
"Silce neither you nor your daughter knows
anything of tie murder of Larouette, how
can you know that we are about to rehearss
the crime?"
She said no more except "Have mercy upon
us, oh. Father Of the fatherlessI"
Lacroix said:
"Since she saw nothing why Is she afraidi
And why does she not wish to 60 with me on
the balcony?"
Suzanne suddenly lifted her head and
looked at her with regard which said plain
ly. "Fsar nothing; l am strong"
And with Lacroix she went out on the bal.
cony Opposite, in the little room, seated
before his secretary, was man occupied with
his papers. This was Tristot. Behind him
burned the candle which shed its light La
croix touched Suzanne's shoulder. "Look,
| childl II you have seen you will remember. ="
Then came up the street a tall man. with q
high gray hat, gray coat with cape. Thh
was Pivolot. in Rogers clothes One by one
the dreadful scenes Of this drama were worked
out with remarkable force and precision.
"One can see perfectly well, said Lacroix,
Sand it is evident, if they were. as Victoria
says, on this balcony, they saw all"
During this time he held Suzanne by the
hand He hoped that she would show some
emotion, make some movement, but not one
did she make. Then he leaned over gently
and looked at her closely, and found that her
eyes were tightly closed, and she held them so
with such force that her little face was one
mass of wrinkles She had willed not to see,