Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1908-04-24

Roupell went to America to fetch them
Tell me what relatives Madame Rou-
pell had besides these young ladies'"
"There were no other relatives except
a brother, a dissolute character, who fol-
lowed his sister from America to this
country"
And his name?"
AS l recollect it, Henry Graham, l
believe. A man of fifty or sixty"
when did syou last see this Henry
Grahamf"
81 never saw him but once. He came
to the chateau, on some begging expedi-
ton when / happened to be here. He
pretended to be very affectionate. He
was poor looking creature, quite broken
down when l saw him, and not at all the
kind of man to commit a daring crime"
'Recollect that the moment Madame
Roupell died he had an interest in her
estate. He was her nearest heir-at-law."
"But she had made her will, she had
disowned him, and utterly cast him OF.
That will bequeathed all her property to
her nicces. l witnessed it. 1 knew what
was in it,"
Nj. Cassagne began to grow more and
more interested. He no longer cast his
cJ To upOu the Wills anu l1ub hC
looked the doctor straight in the face
ION what was that will written? Try
your utmost now to recollect that; a
great deal depends on it."
1.-THE first will was not written upon
paper. The second contained some slight
requests to friends and to favorite SER
wants. I believe l was mentioned my
self for some trifing amount. In other
respects the two wills were identical. The
first one was drawn up by Madame Rou-
pelIs lawyers. She kept the second will
at her bankers. The first one remained
in the house. 1t was engrossed on parch-
ment."
ION parchment" repeated NJ. Cassagne.
WAS it anything like this?" and he
handed a scrap of the article in question
over to the doctor.
where did you find this?" inquired
the doctor when he could sufficiently re
cover from his establishment to speak
81 found it upstairs" replied NJ. Cas-
sagne. 81 put it in my pocket, because
it was IN a queer place for a scrap of
parchment. l found it with four other
pieces, in the fireplace of Madame Rou-
pell's bedroom. OF course, l have a the
DRY, now, how they came there. First of
all, however, before 1 come to that tell
me if you are certain that the scraps
were torn from Madame RoupelPs will
the first will, l mean-the parchment
one?
The physician did not Immediately re-
ply. He fully realized the Importance of
his answer, and how much hung on it.
Give me the SCRAPS" he said. IF
there is any writing on them l should
be able TO tell by that. 1t was very
peculiar hand. 1t looked as if it had been
engrossed by an English scrivener. Yes,
the handwritings are identical"
at is enough" muttered Cassagne,
sweeping the pieces of parchment up
from the table and putting them carefully
away in his pocketbook. Now for my
theory. Henry Graham is the man we
want to find Mind you, don't say he
committed the murder but you'll see he
is implicated in it in some way or other.
He had everything to gain by Madame
Roupelrs death, provided she died intes-
tate. He must have learned in some way
that his sister had made will disinherit-
ing him. To gain possession of what he
thought was the only will was his object.
If he could do that, his sister, being ig-
norant of the fact that the will was de-
stroyed. would go to her grave believ-
ing herself testate. On her death her
brother could have come forward and
claimed the property"
1t was clever reasoning. The doctor
listened with breathless interest as the
detective continued
Assuming that it is this Henry Ora
ham, let us see what he knew and what
he did. He must have heard of the max
ing of this first will. and somehow or
other he must have learned of its con-
tents. He was ignorant of the making
of the second instrument. Now let us see
how he acted. He gained an entrance
to the chateau. How he did this it is i'm
possible to state at present. Probably
he may have been in collision with some
body in the house but 1 don't know yet.
He was evidently well posted as to the
movements of the family, for he chose a
time when, as he thought, they had gone
to the opera. 1t was a mere accident
we don't know whether it was or not but
we will assume so-that Miss Harriet
Weldon did not accompany the party.
am myself inclined to think there was
some love affair between her and Van
Lith, which accounts for his presence in
the house that night, and which also
accounts for his silence. You understand
what l mean. He won't speak for fear
of compromising the young lady"
The doctor nodded. ''That is good" he
said, very good, indeed; go ahead"
"The assassin was little disconnected
ar finding Miss Weldon and vonr fr;a0d