Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-08-08
he Roupell Mystery

viii have the larger share of the estate.
And If such provision exists, it is not IN
likely That a sharp, shrewd fellow like
this Chabot would have made himself
master of its contents, for he is an init
mate friend of the family; and his rela-
tons must be almost confidential. This
is a mere theory, of course" concluded
the pre<ect TO himself but in pursuance
OF it, let US see how Monsieur Chabot
spent the hour which elapsed between his
retiring and the time of the murder"
He again entered the chamber which
had been occupied by Chabot, and with
his new theory thus in his mind looked
around him. He now sought to make
each trifing incident reflect some suspi-
cfon against the late occupant of the
chamber. He examined the bed clothes
with greater care this time. 1t was evil
dent that Chabot had not even lain
down outside of them. He looked under
the bedstead even, but espying nothing
but a bootjack, directed his attention
next to the toilette table. He was about
to despair, when his eye fell upon q small
black object, not over a quarter of an
inch in length. He picked it up, and
found it was the broken point of a lead
pencil. NJ. Chabot had evidently passed
the time in writing. The question was,
how much of the time?
According to the mayors written notes
of his examination of the inmates of the
chateau, an hour had certainly elapsed
between the time of Nine. Roupells re-
firing and the sound of the pistol shot.
At what precise period of that interval
had the pencil point been broken? The
accident to the pencil had not occurred
at the time of the firing of the shot,
for if it had been caused by reason of the
writer's starting with surprise he would
not naturally have taken time to put
away his writing materials before going
to ascertain the cause of the noise. He
must therefore have been thus employed
for only a portion of the interval. The
question now uppermost in Victor La
blanche's mind was: How did Jules Cha
bot consume the rest of his time? If he
should fail to properly account for the
whole hour, there would be strong reasons
for holding him in custody.
Having revolved these matters in his
mind, the project of police arose from
the easy chair into which he had thrown
himself and approached the door leading
from Jules Chabot's room to the cham
Der of Nine. Roupell. OF course it was
fastened as by again referring to the
mayors notes it transpired that Jules
Chabot had entered the chamber bv an
other way. Almost mechanically he seiz-
ed the handle and turned it. The door
was unlocked. When he had made these
| discoveries he descended with a lighter
heart than he would otherwise have done
Much would depend upon the evidence to
be elected by himself and the testimony
to be taken before the judge of instruc-
ton.
He strolled out on the terrace to COM
plete his official inspection of the prem
ises. He commenced his examination at
| the back of the chateau. He went into
all the outhouses he visited the servants
| offices-even the cellars and dairy. Then
be emerged again into the open air and
inspected the windows and searched
among the flower beds beneath them for
the prints of feet. Nothing, however. re-
warded this careful scrutiny, until cross
ing the lawn he went through an ancient
! UNCOVERED archway and gained the front
of the building. Then his quick eye de-
teCJeu InaL d SnruD naQ been brushed
aside, and STOPPING on the graveled walk,
he discovered that a weed had been crush
ed beneath heavy foot. A little further
on he found further signs, and a little
later stood looking down upon a footprint
in the soft mold.
Following these footprints, he found
| they led directly beneath the window of
| the chamber occupied by Harriet Weldon
This puzzled him. He was nonplussed
for the moment, when he noticed that
the vines on the lattice seemed lately to
have been disturbed. There was another
window below Miss Weldon's within easy
| reach He put up his hand, and it swung
| open. Looking in he saw that it afforded
access to a small pantry, and the door of
the room was ajar. He took a rule from
| his pocket, and carefully measured the
| footprints Then, after Eliminating for a
few moments, he quickly re-entered the
house.
THAT is an American boot heel, if ever
l saw one in my life," muttered the pre-
feet. ''The open door and the footprints /!
l wonder which of those men did it. for
it lies between the two. And Just at
present the odds are against the Ameri-
can. Yet, still, something tells me Mon
sieur Jules Chabot will bear watching"