Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-12-22
[CoNTINuEp.l

CONTINUED.
"See-see this blood on the wanT- I
could not help exclaiming. 1.-THE man
who pressed his hand so heavily upon
1t in the darkness must certainly have
thought that he was pushing at a door.
That's why he pressed on 1t so hard,
leaving ON the yellow paper the terri
Bile evidence. l don't think there are
many hands in the world of that sort.
1t is big and strong, and the fingers
are nearly all one as long as the other.
The thumb is wanting, and we have
only the mark of the palm, but if we
follow the trace Of the hand" l con-
tinued. 1--WE see that after leaving its
imprint or the wall the touch sought
the door. found it and then felt for the
lock"
''No doubt" interrupted Rouletabille,
chuckling, "only there is no blood
either on the lock or on the bolt"
"What does that prove" l rejoined,
with a good sense of which l was
proud. "He might have opened the
lock with his left hand, which would
have been quite natural, his right hand
being wounded"
"He didn't open it at ALL" Daddy
Jacques again exclaimed. eve are not
fools. and there were four Of us when
we burst open the door"
"What a queer hand! Look what a
queer hand it is!' l said.
at is a very natural hand" said
Rouletabille, "of which the shape has
been deformed by it's having slipped
on the wall. The man dried his hand
on the wall. He must be a man about
FIVE feet eight in height"
"How do you come at that?"
"By the height of the marks on the
wall"
My friend next occupied himself
with the mark of the bullet in the
wall. 1t was round hole.
This ball was fired straight, not
from above, and consequently not
from below"
Rouletabille went back to the door
and carefully examined the lock and
the bolt, satisfying himself that the
from the outside, and, further that
the key had been found in the lock on
the inside of the chamber. He finally
satisfied himself that with the key in
the lock the door could not possibly
be opened from without with another
key. Having made sure of all these
details, he let fall these words, That's
betterr' Then, sitting down on the
ground, he hastily took off his boots
and in his socks went into the room.
The first thing he did was to exam
inc minutely the overturned furniture.
We watched him in silence.
young fellow, you are giving your
self a great deal of trouble" said Dad
dy Jacques ironically.
Rouletabille raised his head and
said:
"You have spoken the simple truth,
Daddy Jacques. Your mistress did
not have her hair in bands that even
ing | was a donkey 10 have believed
she did"
Then, with the suppleness Of ser
pent he slipped under the bed. Pres
emily we heard him ask:
"At what time, NJ Jacques, did NJ.
and Mile. StangersOn arrive at the
laboratory"
"At 6 O'clock"
The voice Of Rouletabille continued:
Eyes, he's been under here. that's
certain. In fact, there was nowhere
plse whore no cOuld have hidden him
self. Here, too, are the marks Of his
hobnails. When you entered, all four
of you, did you look under the bed?"
"At once. We drew it right ont OF its
place"
"And between the mattressesY
There was only one on the bed, and
on that mademoiselle was placed. and
M. Stangerson and the concierge Inn
mediately carried II into the labora-
tory. Under the mattress there was
nothing but the metal netting which
could not conceal anything or any
body. Remember, monsieur. that there
were four of us. and we couldn't fail
TO see everything. the chamber is 80
small and scantily furnished and all
was locked behind In the pavilion"
ventured on hypothesis
Perhaps he got away with the mat
tress-in the mattressl Anything Is
possible I'm the face of such mystery
In their distress Of mind NJ. StanGer-
son ard The concierge may not have
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