Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-12-31
CHAPTER XII.



I'LL the article hastily written by
my friend In the little sitting
room which NJ Robert Darzac had
placed at our disposal The reporter
was to sleep at the chateau, taking adj
vantage of the TO me inexpicabIe hos
pitallty offered him by M Robert Oar
FAC, to whom M. Stangcrson In that
sad time left the care Of all his do
nestle affairs. Nevertheless he insist
ed on accompanying me to the station
at Epinay. In crossing the park he
said to me:
Frederic is really very clever and
has not belied his reputation. DO you
know how he came to find Daddy
| Jacques boots? Near the spot where
we noticed the traces of the neat boots
and the disappearance of the rough
ones there was square hole, freshly
made In the moist ground, where q
stone had evidently been removed.
Larsan searched for that stone with
out finding 1t and at once imagined
that 1t had been used by the murderer
with which to sink the boots In the
lake. Fred's calculation was an excel
lent one, as the success of his search
proves. That escaped me- but my
mind was turned in another direction
by the large number of false indica-
lions of his track which the murderer
left and by the measure Of the black
footmarks corresponding with that Of
Daddy Jacques boots, which / had es-
tablished without his suspecting 1t, on
the door of the yellow room. All
which was proof, in my eyes that
the murderer had sought to turn sus-
picion on to the old servant. Up to
that point Larsan and are in ac-
cord but no further 1t is going to be
a terrible matter, for l tell you he is
working on wrong lines, and II must
fight him with nothingw
At that moment we passed by the
back of the chateau. Night had come.
A window on the first floor was partly
open. A feeble light came from it as
well as some sounds which drew our
attention. We approached until we
had reached the side of door that
was situated just under the window.
Rouletabille IN a low tone made me
understand that this was the window
Of Mile Stangerson's chamber. The
sounds which had attracted our atten-
ton ceased, then were renewed for a
moment, and then we heard stified
sobs. We were only able to catch
these words. which reached us dis
tinctly, "My poor Robertp Rou'eta-
bile whispered in my ear:
IL hnin0
said in that chamber my inquiry would
soon be finished"
he looked about him. The darkness
Of the evening enveloped us. We could
not see much beyond the narrow path
bordered by trees which ran behind
the chateau. The sobs had ceased.
"If we can't hear we may at least
try to see," said Rouletabille.
And, making sign to me to deaden
! the sound of my steps, he led me
across the path to the trunk of tall
beech tree, the white bole of which
was visible in the darkness. This
tree grew exactly in front of the win
dow in which we were so much inter
ested, it's lower branches being on
level with the first floor of the cha
| teau. From the height of those
branches one might certainly see what
was passing in Mile. Stangerson's
chamber Evidently that was what
Rouletabille thought, for, enjoining me
to remain hidden, he clasped the trunk
with his vigorous arms and climbed
10 soon lost sight of him amid the
branches, and then followed deep
silence.
In front of me the open window
remained lighted. and I saw no shadow
move across it, | listened, and pres
emily from above me these words
reached my ears:
"After you'll"
after you, pray|
! Somebody was overhead, speaking
exchanging courtesies. What was my
establishment to see on the slippery col
umn of the tree two human forms APP
pear and quietly slip down to the
ground. Rouletabille had mounted
alone and had returned with another.
GOOD evening, NJ. SalnclairI
1t was Frederic Larsan. The detee-
tive had already occupied the post of
observation when my young friend nad
thought to reach it alone. Neither no
ticed my establishment. explained
that to myself by the fact that they
must have been witnesses of some ten
der and despairing scene between Mile.
Stangerson. lying in her bed, and NJ,
Darzac on his knees by her pillow. 1
guessed that each had drawn different
conclusions from what they had seen.
1t was easy to see that the scene had
strongly impressed Rouletabille in IA
vor of NJ. Robert Darzac, while to Lar
san it showed nothing but consummate
hypocrisy acted with finished art by
Mile. Stangerson's iance.
AS we reached the park gate Larsan
stopped us.
my canew he cried. II left 1t near