The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-12-31
CHAPTER IL.
IN Which Joseph RouletabiIle APP
pears For the First Time.

bile pronounced Itule-ta- bee
when he was a young re-
u porter. At that time ! was
n beginner at the bar and often met
him in the corridors Of examining
magistrates when ! had zone to get a
permit to communicate" for the pris-
On Of AIaZas or for Saint-Lazare. He
had, as they say, "a good nut" He
seemed TO have taken his head, round
and it is from that, | think, that his
comrades OF the press, all determined
billiard players, had given him that
nickname, which was to stick to him
and be made illustriouS by him. He
was always as red as a tomato, now
gay as a lark, now grave as a judge.
How while still 50 young-he was only
sixteen and a half years old when l
saw him for the first time-had he al
ready won his way on the press?
That was what everybody who came
into contact with him might have ask
ed if they had not known his history.
At the time Of the affair Of the woman
cut in pieces in the Rue Oberskampf,
another forgotten story. he had taken
to n Of the editors Of the Epoque. a
paper then rivaling the Matin for in
formation, the left foot, which was
missing from the basket in which the
grewsOme remains were discovered.
For this left foot the police had been
vainly searching for a week, and young
Rouletabille had found 1t in a drain
where nobody had thought Of looking
for it. To do that he had dressed HIM
self Us an extra W man, Ole Of a
number engaged by the administration
Of the city of Paris owing to an over
flow Of the Seine.
When the editor in chief was in pos
session of the precious foot and in
formed as to the train Of intelligent
deductions the boy had been led to
make he was divided between the ad-
miration he felt for such detective
cunning in a brain Of a lad Of sixteen
years and delight at being able to ex-
hibit in the 'morgue window" Of his
paper the left foot of the Rue Obers-
kampf.
The boy faced reporter speedily
made many friends. for he was serv-
iceable and gifted with a good humor
that enchanted the most we're tenn
pered and disarmed the most jealous
OF his companions. He began to win
a reputation as an u%nraveler Of intri-
cate and obscure affairs which found
its way to the Office Of the chief Of
trouble and Rouletabille-he had al
ready been given his nickname-had
been started on the scent by his editor
In chief he often got the better Of the
most famous detectives.
1t was at the Bar cafe that l became
intimately acquainted with him. Grim
inal lawyers and journalists are not
enemies; the former need advertise.
ment, the latter information. We chat.
ted together, and l 500 warmed to-
ward him-his intelligence was so
keen and so original, and he had a
quality Of thought such as | have
never found in any other person.
Nearly two years passed in this way,
and the better l knew him the more ]
learned to love him, for in spite Of his
careless extravaganza l had discovered
In him what was, considering his age.
an extraordinary seriousness Of mind
Accustomed as | was to seeing him
gay, and, indeed, often too gay. |
would many times find him plunged in
the deepest melancholy. | tried then
to question him as to the cause Of this
change Of humor. but each time he
laughed and made me no answer. One
day, having questioned him about his
parents, Of whom he never spoke, he
left me. pretending net to have heard
what said.
tween us the famous case Of "the vel
low room took place. 1t was this
case which was to rank him as the
leading newspaper reporter and to OBJ
tain for him the reputation Of being
the greatest detective in the world.
Rouletabille entered my room on the
morning of the Goth Of October, 1892.
He was looking redder than usual. and
his eyes were bullying out of his head.
as the phrase is. and altogether he ap-
peared to be in a state Of extreme ex-
element. He waved the Matin with
a trembling hand and cried:
well. my dear Sainclair, have you
read it?" .
THE Chandler crime?"
"Yes: the yellow roomr What de-
YOU think Of it,"
~ think that It must have been the
devil or the Bette du Bon Dieu' tina:
committed the crime"
BE serious"
"Well. I don't much believe in muir.
derers who make their escape through
walls Of solid brick, I think Daddy
jacques did wrong to leave behind him
the weapon with which the crime vas
committed, and. as he occupied the at
tic Immediately above Mile. Stanger.
sons room. the builders Job ordered by
the examining magistrate Will give US
the key Of the enigma. and 1t will not
be long before we learn by what natu-
raj trap or by what secret door the ole
fellow was able to slip In and out and