The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-11-16
CHAPTER III.-(Continued.,


In their golden settings.
Come here, Monsieur Revell." he said,
quietly to the mayor in that hushed voice
which even men accustomed to such
scenes involuntarily adopt in the pres
ence of the dead. The mayor of Vile
neuve approached the bedside, and gaZed
for some moments on the features of the
murdered woman.
do you notice the direction of the bull
let?" inquired the project, pointing with
mis- finger.
Il do. 1t appears to have entered the
front of the head, considerably above the
temple"
Just so but you will notice that it's
course is downward"
What does that indicate to you?" in
quired the magistrate.
Come with me, and l will show you,"
replied the officer. He led the way across
the room, and stood before the escretoire.
You say nothing has been disturbed
here"
Positively nothing"
"Then notice how this chair has been
tipped over. Now let me place another
chair in the position it occupied So!
Now sit down in it. You are taller than
Madame RoupeIl, but you may have no.
ticed that women as general thing sit
higher than men,"
II have noticed that"
Therefore when you were both seated
there would not be so very much differ
ence between the height of your head
from the ground and that of Madame
Roupell"
No! 1t would be approximately the
same"
Exactly so. Now 1 am going to point
my pistol at your head"
The project pressed the muzzle of his
weapon against the magistrates temple
In the spot corresponding to the wound
on the head of Nine. Roupell NJ. Revell
changed color slightly as he felt the cold
rim of the pistol against his forehead,
but he sat still
You may make this experiment as
short as you please, monsieur lie project"
he exclaimed, with a feeble attempt at
pleasantly.
1T is concluded" replied the officer,
putting UP his pistol. IF l had fred
then my bullet would have described pre-
cisely the same course as the bullet of
the assassin has DONE"
Through my BRAIN" replied the mag
istrate, not without a momentary shud-
der. (Which convinces you-'
THAT Madame Roupell was at the
escretoire when she was killed. She
must have been seated or how could the
course of the bullet have been down.
ward?"
The mayors admiration for NJ. Lee
blanche increased every moment Though
they were alone in the room, the project
dropped his voice to whisper, and took
M. Revell on one side close to the win
dow when he asked the next few uues-
tions
You are well acquainted, l suppose,
with the Roupell family?'
Yes, l may say l am. We exchange
visits. My wife and daughters frequent
iy walked and rode with the young ladies
here. In fact, l may say that we have
been quite friendly"
M. Lablanche put the next question in
an apparently careless manner.
"And the young ladies? There was
nothing between either of them and this
young man?"
Nothing that know Of He was sim
ply friend of the family
Has he not been particularly atten-
tive to one of the young ladies?"
Il do not think so, and especially not
of late. People here seem to think rath-
er that he has been entirely eclipsed by
Monsieur Chabot. who, it appears, stood
very we'll with them. / know the gem
Mt
"And to whom were those attentions d.
rected, Mademoiselle Harriet or Mademoi-
selle Emily?"
Il could not really say. There was lit
tie to choose between them Both, as
you have seen, are charming, and both,
as l have told you, are the acknowledged
heiresses of Madame Roupell."
1t was M. Lablanche's turn to be as
tonished.
Her acknowledged heiresses :" he ex-
claimed. why, you never told me
that"
Did 1 not?" answered the mavor.
well, it is the fact, all the same. But
you were about to say something"
Not at ALL" replies M. Lablanche. ST
was only thinking" and he suffered his
~SsuASo W iCiopSS lulO tuelr accustomed
expression of immobility. Thank you
that is all l wish to know, monsieur lie
MARIE. If you will now 90 downstairs
and prepare your report for the tribunal.
will join you in few minutes when 1
have concluded my investigations"
The mayor bowed to the project and
left the apartment
CHAPTER Nv.
Victor Lablanche owed his unprece-
denied success largely to the fact that he
never permitted anybody to share his
discoveries in the field of crime. If
ever ne found out anything remarkable
he never suffered the slightest hint of II
to cross his lips. He reserved it for a
grand coup when the crisis of the case
should be reached. And these surprises