The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-07-11
ROGER LAROQUE.
Adapted and Translated from theF French
of Jules Mary.
BY OLIVE HARPER.
CHAPTER XIV.

mother did not need to question him; she had
noticed the traces of sorrow and trouble on
bis mobile face on his departure; she saw Joy
and hope when he returned.
Something pleasant has happened, my
son,"
He smiled, but only said:
II can tell you nothing, mother-yetn-
"Wellf"
II am happy and wish you to share my
Joy"
"And her refusal"
"Was not on her own account. There was
an obstacle between US.
How many mysteriesl and the obstacle
has ceased to existw
"No"
"And your marriagep
"Soon, l hope. 1t depends on certain
things, which am not at liberty to tell, but
hopo soon"
"Pray God you have your wish, my dear
boy. ask no more to render my own hap
piness complete" said this mother, who was
30 blind. Afterwards they both remembered
this wish. Her face cleared and she grew
quito cheerful in the knowledge that her
favorite son was to be happy. Not one COM
miseratng thought did she bestow upon her
elder son, whose heart lay like lead in his
bosom, and who had no idea that RAYMOND
was his successful rival
From the day he saw Suzanne last Raw
mond had but one desire and one preoccupa-
ton, and that was to discover the mystery in
the affair concerning her father.
At Paris, at police headquarters, he found
no difficulty in getting all the facts he de.
sired. The Laroque affair was not forgot
ten, and with the exception of Henriette and
Lucien all those who had been especially in
terested in it were still alive, and he thought
he could easily find them.
The days passed in a minute reconstruction
and copy of all the testimony, and, though
he could not see his way clear to prove it, he
saw clearly how justice had followed up
Roger Laroque upon preconceive6 theory
OF his guilt given by NJ. Lecroix, and thus
they had never made any movement toward
the discovery of the real criminal He studied
the testimony Of Suzanne and her mother, of
Roger and Victoria, and noticed that not one
OF them varied Ho did not wonder that an
innocent man was tried and condemned on
such evidence; indeed, he wondered more
how he was not sentenced to death.
One mystery appeared in all Rogers an
swers. Had Lucien penetrated it? Perhaps
he had. Was it not possible that among the
papers relating to this affair might be found
some mention Of It'll At any rate be could
look. In large closet at Meridon farm there
was an immense quantity Of paper, books and
briefs, which had belonged to his father, and
he was quite certain that he should find them
undisturbed, with the accumulated dust OF
oil these years upon them.
This would have been a painful task, to
open and search all these traces of his bril-
liant fathers ambitious talent, under other
circumstances. Now it seemed a pious labor,
and as he worked among them he thought
with regret of that honorable, loyal life "a
nobly spent and lost
Until evening he worked without finding
anything; then be at last came upon the
notes which bore upon the assassination OF
Larouetts. Little by little he found the pa
psrs which made up the file. and finally be
found the notes and most Of the final speech
which Lucien had given. He read it with a
J heart beating high with conflicting emotions
and with tears standing in his eyes. The
eloquent passages fairly spoke even now, with
the dust of age upon them. At nearly every
page Raymond found few words as mar
ginal notes, such as: "What is this mystery
woman played in Rogers life, that he will
not contest" II see woman's hand in this,
and "Who Is this womanY'
"My father was not deceived" said Ray
mond. "There was a woman, but who i.
shei"
At last the desk in tho closet was empty
and there remained but few papers. Thi,
desk had belonged to Julia, but in removal tt
the farm it had been placed in here and al
the other papers with and upon it. AS there
were still apparently two or three leaves Of
the brief missing, Raymond took hold Of
come papers and they seemed caught. With
his penknife he tried TO loosen them and in sc
doing he touched a spring somewhere. and g
narrow secret drawer few open, and in il
was photograph Of handsome, noble look
ing man.
The photograph was clean and in every
other way in good condition, except that
where the heart Of the man would be was q
cut clear through the paper, as though done
with some sharp instrument Idly turning il
In his hand, Raymond saw written On The
back, in his mothers delicate but peculiar
handwriting, the following dates:
~The SSth of July 1872 at IL 80 p. M.
"The 3Oth Of July, 1872.
SThe 14th of August 1871"
What was this: Why these three dates be-
hind the picture of this known in hii
mothers writing, and besides, who was thh
mani He felt that he had seen him some
where.
Finally, prey to vague uneasiness, Ray
mond placed the photograph in his poke,
and went out of the house. He walked, hi
ran, he threw himself On the ground, but
wherever he went he was haunted by that
face i'll the picture, and also those dates il
his mothers writing. He looked again and
with a groan of agony hid the face, Their
again he looked, this time as one faces q
forlorn hope, and doubt was no longer pos
sible; this was, without even one sole LITTLE
possibility Of doubt, Roger Laroque as he wa.
before this awful accusation fell upon him
10 be sure, the hair and beard were dark, ths
face was young and care free, and that awful
d1sfguring scar had not destroyed the sym
metry Of the left side of his face; but thu
same great dark eyes, high forehead and gen
eral cast Of features were there William For
ney OF today and Roger Laroque of old were
one. Then why these three dates in hi!
mothers writingi She must have known
Aaroque well, but why had she never men
toned his namei All the afternoon and unit
late he remained in the woods, entering a
night somber and silent.
What is the matter with you, my boy
Are you ILL"
mo, only my head aches little from
1umbling over those dusty papers,"
AS soon as dinner was over, when he at,
next to nothing, he went at once to his room
And then he again examined the photograph
and the more he strl(iied it the more certa il
oe grew. Doubt was impossible. sus
picion came into his mind which gave him .
mortal chill. He knew that there was wo-
Ian mixed mysteriously up in that crime; h