Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1908-12-19
COPYRIGHT. 1908,
BY BRENTANo's

| AlODC mar htu lnC CnhaA~V " ~ ~
might have passed for a tomb, vast
mausoleum in the midst of thick for
est AS we came nearer we were able
to make out its disposition. The build
ing obtained all the light It needed
from the south-that is to say, from
the open country. The little door
closed on the park. NJ. and Mile. Stan
gerson must have found it an ideal se-
clusion for their work and their
dreams.
The pavilion had a ground floor
which was reached by few steps,
and above it was an attic, with which
we need not concern ourselves. The
rooms of the pavilion were as follows:
The yellow room, with its one win
dow and its one door opening into the
laboratory.
The laboratory, with its two large
barred windows and its doors, one
serving for the vestibule, the other
for the yellow room.
The vestibule, with it's unbarred win
dow and door opening into the park.
The lavatory, between the vestibule
and the yellow room.
Besides these chambers there was a
fight of stairs leading to the attic.
The only chimney was the large one in
the laboratory.
Before mounting the three steps lead
ing up to the door of the pavilion
Rouletabille stopped and asked M.
Darzac point blank:
"What was the motive for the
crime?
speaking for myself monsieur there
/ can be no doubt ON the matter" said
Mile. Stangerson's fiance, greatly dis
tressed. "The marks of the fingers,
the deep scratches on the chest and
throat Of Mile. Stangerson, show that
the wretch who attacked her attempt
ed to commit frightful crime. The
medical experts who examined these
traces yesterday affirm that they were
made by the same hand as that which
left its red imprint on the wall-an
enormous hand, monsieur, much too
large to go into my gloves" he added,
with an indefinable smile.
"Could not that blood stained hand"
] interrupted, "have been the hand of
Mile. Stangerson, who, in the moment
OF falling, had pressed It against the
wall and, in slipping, enlarged the I'm
pression?"
"There was not a drop Of blood on
either of her hands when she was
lifted up" replied M. Darzac.
I eve are now sure" said I, ''that 1t
was Mile. Stangerson who was armed
with Daddy jacques revolver, since
she wounded the hand of the murder
er. She was in fear, then, of some
body or something"
Probably
'Do you suspect anybody"
mo-" replied M. Darzac, looking at
Rouletabille.
| Rouletabille then said to me:
"You must know, my friend, that the
inquiry is a little more advanced than
M. de MarQuet has chosen to tell us.
He not only knows that Mile. Stanger-
son defended herself with the re-
vOlver, but he knows what the weapon
was that was used to attack her. NJ.
| Darzac tells me it was a mutton bone.
Why is M. de Marquet surrounding
this mutton bone with so much mys-
| terry? No doubt for the purpose of
facilitating the inquiries of the agents
of the police. He imagines perhaps
that the owner of this instrument of
crime, the most terrible invented, is
going to be found among those who
are well known in the slums of Paris
who use it."
HAS a mutton bone been found in
the yellow room?' l asked him.
Eyes, monsieur" said Robert Darzac
''at the foot of the bed. but l beg of
you not to say anything about it." q
made a gesture of assent.) 1T was an
enormous mutton bone the top of which
or, rather, the joint was still red
with the blood of the frightful wound
1t was an old bone, which may, ac-
cording to appearances, have served in
other crimes. That's what NJ de Mar
quet thinks, who has had it sent to the
municipal laboratory at Paris to be
analysed. In fact, he thinks he has
detected on it not only the blood Of
the last victim, but other stains cf
dried blood, evidences Of previous
crimes"
"a mutton bone In the hand of u
skilled assassin is frightful weapon"
! said Rouletabille, "a more certain
weapon than a heavy hammer"
'"rhe scoundrel has proved it to be
so,' said M. Robert Darzac sadly.
''The joint of the bone found exactly
fits the wound inflicted. My belief
Is that the wound would have been
mortal If the murderer's blow had not
been arrested in the act by Mile Stan
gersons revolver. Wounded in the
hand, he dropped the mutton bone and
fed. Unfortunately the blow had
been already given, and mademoisel.e
was stunned after having been nearly
strangled. If she had succeeded in
wounding the man with the first shot
lnf hsa hA InsrhflA1c