Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-01-31
The Roupell Mystery
By Austyn GranviI,o
CHAPTER XI.-(Continued. ,

glistenins 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 Ue
opened the door a 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 n
splendid specimen OF physical manhood
He had little occasion for the brisk rph.
bing to which he treated himself. when
he had put down the letter unopened.
merely remarking:
Il wonder what Cassagne is doing at
villeneuye."
The heat of his young and vigorous
body had almost evaporated the moisture
He went back into his bedroom and nut
on soft, silken suit OF pajamas, caught
at the waist with a brocaded belt. He
took tasselled Turkish fez from its peg
and put 1t on his head. Then he went
in to his chocolate and rolls, picked ND
his morning paper and began to read. He
skinned the sheet at first with a 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 10 the murder Of
Nine. Roupell at the Chateau Vile
ueuve@"
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, e1claiming:
The Chateau Yilleneuve! Villeneuye
Why, that's the place Cassagne writes
from. Pshaw ! what am | thinking of?
He can't have been called in on that mat
ter. 1t was in the hands of the prefect
OF police. and know he hates Cassagne
like poison"
Nevertheless it was with fingers which
trembled little in their eagerneSs that
be opened the letter.
"Ah. he exclaimed, here's fun at
last. Cassagne is engaged in that Vile
neuVe matter after all. Called in by
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. 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-
tons. His first excitement over. Charles
DAuburon read them twice very care
fnly 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 Cassagnes
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, NJ. Jules Chabot. while mere ac
quaintance, belonged to a club of which
he 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 as
one is apt to know those one casually
meets in the billiard room or at the card
table.
How fortunate it was that. acting un-
der the advice of his friend CaSsagne, he
had scrupulously hidden from all his
friends and acquaintance his new occu
patton. 1t would be a comparatively easy
task for him to keep watch of ChabOt's
movements. The only question was how
TO do so without exciting his suspicious.
lie sat revolving this matter in his
mind for nearly an hour. at the end of
winch time he arose and completed his
toilet, dressing himself with unusual care.
he role he had now to play was one
which had deceived many-that of rich,
Innocent dandy, to whom appearance is
everything, and who has not thought in
MS head beyond the set of his hat or his
tie
lie selected from his wardrobe a fine
morning frock coat and fowered waist
coat of an oriental design which was all
'he rage among the boulevards. He put
on a very tall collar and a necktie of a
very ultra fashion glossy hat, patent
leather boots and a silver-headed Malacca
cane completed his outfit. AS he descend |
ed the stairs he put an eye glass in one
eye.
thus accoutred, Charles D'Auburon
was as different being as you could well |
imagine, from the free and easy Bohe- |
nilan of an hour previously. A slight |
crawl was apparent in his speech. Hail |
ing a cab, he directed the driver to pro- |
ceed to the Alliance club He was the |
most innocent looking young man in the
whole of Paris. A vacant smile played |
around his mouth. One gloved hand |
sought his blonde mustache in a caress-
ing manner, while with the other he re-
turned the salutations Of his numerous
acquaintances. NJ. Jules Chabot, seated |
IN the bay window Of the Alliance club,
saw him alight, and surveyed him with a
look in which contempt struggled with |
politeness and got rather the best of it.
There is that insufferable fop, D'Au-
ouron, coming up the steps," he remarked
TO an Intimate. 81 think that fellow