Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-04-24


looked the doctor straight in the face.
'On what was that will written? Try
your utmost now to recollect that;
great deal depends on it."
THE first will was not written upon
paper. The second contained some slight
requests to friends and to favorite ser
wants. l believe I was mentioned my
self for some trling amount. In other
respects the two wills were identical. The
first one was drawn up by Madame Rou-
pell's lawyers. She kept the second will
at her bankers. The first one remained
in the house. 1t was engrossed on parch-
ment."
ION parchment" repeated NJ. Cassagne.
WAS it anything like this" and he
handed a scrap of the article in question
over TO the doctor.
Where did you find this?" inquired
the doctor when he could sufficiently re-
cover from his establishment to speak.
II found it upstairs" replied M. Cas-
sagne. 81 put it in my pocket, because
it was in a queer place for a scrap of
parchment. | found it with four other
pieces. in the fireplace of Madame Rou-
pelPs bedroom. OF course, ! have the
DRY, now, how they came there. First OF
all, however. before | come to that, tell
me if you are certain that the scraps
were torn from Madame Roupelrs will
the first WILL l mean-the parchment
oneT
The physician did not Immediately re-
ply. He fully realized the importance OF
his answer, and how much hung on it.
Give me the scraps" he said. III
there is any writing on them | should
be able to tell by that. 1t was very
peculiar hand. 1t looked as if it had been
engrossed by an English scrivener. Yes
the handwritings are identical"
ut is enough" muttered Cassagne,
sweeping the pieces of parchment up
from the table and putting them carefully
away in his pocketbook. NOW for my
theory. Henry Graham is the man we
want to find. Mind you, don't say ne
committed the murder, but you'll see he
is implicated in it in some way or other.
He had everything to gain by Madame
Roupell's death, provided she died lntes-
tate. He must have learned in some way
that his sister had made will disinherlt-
ing him. To gain possession OF what He
thought was the only will was his OBJECT
If he could do that, his sister, Delng ls-
norant of the fact that the will was de-
stroyed, would go to her grave belleV-
ing herself testate. On her death her
brother could have come forward and
claimed the property"
It was clever reasoning. The doctor
listened with breathless interest as the
detective continued:
Assuming that it is this Henry Gra-
ham, let us see what he knew and what
he did. He must have heard of the MAX
ing of this first will, and somehow or
other he must have learned of its con-
tents. He was ignorant Of the making
of the second instrument. Now let US see
how he acted. He gained an entrance
to the chateau. How he did this it is i'm
possible to state at present. Probably
he NAV have been in collision with some
body in the house but l don't know yet.
He was evidently well posted as to the
movements of the family, for he chose
time when, as he thought, they had gone
| to the opera. 1t was mere accident
we don't know whether it was or not but
we will assume so-that Miss Harriet
| Weldon did not accompany the party. L
am myself inclined to think there was
some love affair between her and Van
| Lith. which accounts for his presence in
the house that night, and which also
accounts for his silence. You understand
what mean. He won't speak for fear
of compromising the young lady"
The doctor nodded That Is good he
said, very good, indeed; go ahead"
1.-THE assassin was little disconnected
at finding Miss Weldon and your friend
in the chateau. Instead of entering the
house from the front, which would be
comparatively easy, he was compelled to
do so by the rear, running the risk OF
being seen by the servants. He gained
Madame Roupelps chamber and proceed
ed to search for the document. He ran
sacked the desk and then threw the pa
pers about. Unconsciously he stayed
longer than he intended. So absorbed
was he in his search that he was surpris-
ed by his victim. He drew the stiletto,
stabbed her, and quietly resumed his
search for the paper. After time, he
found it. He was about to destroy 1t
by fire, when it occurred to him that a
parchment would burn better if it was
in small pieces. He(started to tear ii
up, when he altered his mind, and instead
of burning it then and there, put it in his
pocket to be destroyed at some more fav'
orable opportunity. Unluckily for him
in his hurry he did not pick up the scraps
he tore off,"
ITO be continued,)