Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-08-08
CHAPTER II-(Co,-i,ua,I ,
A u S t y n

body. Around the neck. a pearl necklace
Of considerable value yet depended, and
on her fingers rich gems still sparkled
in their golden settings
Come here. Monsieur ReveIl.'' he said
quietly to the mayor, in that hushed voice
which even men accustomed TO such
scenes involuntaTiIy 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
LETT! inquired the project, pointing with
his finger.
Il do. 1t appears to have entered the
front Of tba head, considerably above the
temple"
Just so; but you will notice that its
course is downward
What does that indicate to you?'' in
CURED 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 Roupell, but you may have no.
tlced that women as a general thing sit
higher than men"
L 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 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. Roupeil. 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 le prefect.' -
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-
clsely 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
NJ. Revell on one side close to the win
dow when he asked the next few ques-
tions:
You are well acquainted, 1 suppose,
with the Roupell family?"
Yes, may say l am. We exchange
| visits. My wife and daughters frequent
ly 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 MANI"
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?"
II do not think so, and especially not
of late. People here seem to think rath-
er that he has been entirely ecIipsed bv
Monsieur Chabot, who, it appears, stood
very well with them. l know the gen
tleman was quite attentive"
And to whom were those attentions di-
sected, 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 have told you, are the acknowledged
heiresses of Madame Roupell."
1t was NJ. Lablanche's turn to be as
tonished-
Her acknowledged heiresses ~ he ex-
claimed. why, you never told ME
that"
Did L not?" answered the mayor
well, 1t is the fact, all the same But
| you were about to say something"
Not at all" replies NJ. Lablanche. AZ
was only thinking" and he suffered his
features to relapse into their accustomed
expression of inmobility. Thank YOU ::
that is all l wish to know, monsieur lie
MARIE. If you will now go downstairs
and prepare your report for the tribunal.
l will join you in a few minutes. when I
have concluded my investigations"
The mayor bowed to the project and
| left the apartment