Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-05-08
The RoupeII Mystery
CHApTER XI.-(Continued. }

lie sprung ITOH the Ddlu, Tue HdbSA |
dripping from his firm, white body and |
glistening in big drops on the thick hair
on his heaving chest, as he rushed across |
the floor of his sitting room, holding his
towel around him with one hand. He
opened the door little way and took In
the letter. Still holding his towel about
him, he stood examining the envelope very
carefully. As he stood thus, with one
foot slightly thrown forward, all his
weight on his left leg, his muscles stood
out like whip-cords. His eyes were bright
and the light of new interest suddenly
sprang into them. He presented thus a
splendid specimen of physical manhood.
He had little occasion for the brisk rub
bling to which he treated himself, when
he had put down the letter unopened,
merely remarking:
II wonder what Cassagne is doing at
Villeneuve."
The heat of his young and vigorous
body had almost evaporated the moisture.
He went back into his bedroom and put
on soft, silken suit of pajamas, caught
at the waist with a brocaded belt. He
took tasselled Turkish fez from its peg
and put it on his head. Then he went
in to his chocolate and rolls, picked up
his morning paper and began to read. He
skinned the sheet at first with languid
interest, eating very deliberately as his
eye travelled over the paper. Suddenly he
came to this item:
Nothing new has transpired since
yesterday in regard to the murder of
Nine. Roupell at the Chateau Vile
neuVe-"
He got no further. Like a fash he
dropped the paper and reached out and
took hold of the letter which he had
almost forgotten, exclaiming:
1.-THE Chateau Villeneuve! Villeneuve
Why, that's the place Cassagpe writes
from. Pshaw what am l thinking of?
He can't have been called in on that mat
ter. 1t was in the hands of the project
of police, and l know he hates Cassagne
like poison"
Nevertheless it was with fingers which
trembled little in their eagerness that
he opened the letter.
"Ah" he exclaimed, "here's fun at
last. Cassagne is engaged in that Vile
neuve matter after all. Called in by a
! friend of the suspected party, too. Al
ways on that side of the case-the most
difficult, of course. Wants me to watch
one Jules Chabot. l know him; old
fop; club man. About as much chance
of his being implicated as of my getting
married. Well, declare !"
There were two long sheets of instruc-
tions. His first excitement over, Charles
DAuburon read them twice very care
fully, slipping his chocolate so slowly that
the contents of the cup were almost cold
before he finished it. Several minutes
elapsed before he finally put Cassagne's
letter on one side and lay back to think
1t was curious that his new field Of
activity should at last have brought him
into contact professionally with a man
whom he had hitherto known only social.
ly. M. Jules Chabot, while d mere ac-
quaintance. belonged to a club of which
be was a member-the alliance" He
was not very constant in his attendance
but he was tolerably well acquainted
there. Jules Chabot he had known al
one is apt to know those one casually
meets in the billiard room or at the care
table.
How fortunate it was that, acting un
der the advice of his friend Cassagne, h,
had scrupulously hidden from all hi!
friends and acquaintance his new occu
patton. 1t would be a comparatively easy
task for him to keep watch of Chabot'i
movements. The only question was how
to do so without exciting his suspicious
He sat revolving this matter in hi
mind for nearly an hour, at the end o
which time he arose and completed hi
toilet, dressing himself with unusual care
The role he had now to play was on
which had deceived many-that of rich
innocent dandy, to whom appearance i
everything, and who has not a thought il
his head beyond the set of his hat or hi
tie.
He selected from his wardrobe a fin
! morning frock coat and a lowered waist
: coat of an oriental design which was al
the rage among the boulevards. He pu
/ on a very tall collar and necktie of
very ultra fashion; glossy hat, paten
, leather boots and a silver-headed Malacc
cane completed his outfit. As he descend
ed the stairs he put an eye glass in on
eye.
Thus ACQUIRED, Charles D'Auburo
was as different being as you could wei
imagine, from the free and easy Bohe
mian of an hour previously. A Sigh
drawl was apparent in his speech Hail
!. ing a cab, he directed the driver to pre-
coed to the Alliance club. He was tn
most innocent looking young man in tn
= whole of Paris. A vacant smile playe
= around his mouth. One gloved han
l sought his blonde mustache in a cares
{ ing manner, while with the other he re
e turned the salutations of his numerou
J. acquaintance. NJ. Jules Chabot, seate
/. in the bay window of the Alliance clul
n saw him alight, and surveyed him with
/ look in which contempt struggled wit
I politeness and got rather the best of {
A "There is that insufferable fop, D'At
buron, coming up the steps," he remarke
to an Intimate. Il think that fello
looks bigger fool every day."