The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-03-11

yOlH MIN dl IuC oiuhhtNis A.
had not contained the words, Bring
revolverS.'
That puzzled me greatly. Houleia-
billie te%legraphing for revolvcrs meant
that there might be occasion to use
them. Now, ! confess It without
shame. l am not a hero. But here
was q friend evidently In danger call-
ing on me to 60 to his aid. | did not
! hesitate long. and after assuring my
Self that the only revolver | possessed
vas properly loaded I hurried toward
the Orleans station. On the way J
remembered that ROuletabille had
asked for two revolvers. | therefore
| entered a gunsmith's shop and bought
an excellent weapon for my friend
had hoped to fnd him a. the sta
ton ar Epinay. but he was not there.
However, a cab vas waiting for me.
and I was D at the Chandler. No
body was at the gate. and it was only
on the threshold of the chateau that
l met the young man. He saluted me
with a friendly gesture and threw his
arms about me, inquiring warmly as
to the state of my health.
When We we're in the little sitting
room of which | have spoken Houle-
tabille made me sit down.
It's going badly" he said.
What's going badly | asked.
"Everything."
He came nearer TO me and whiS-
pered
"Frederj" I.arSan Is working with
might and main against Darzac.'
This did not astonish me. | had seen
the poor show Mile. ~Stangerson's fiance
had made AT the time OF the examiua-
ton OF the footprints. However, l i'm
mediately asked:
What about that Gamer"
at Is still in the hands Of Frederic
Larsan. He never let's 60 OF it,
But doesn't II prove the alibi for
NJ. DarzacT"
Not at all. Gently questioned by
me. Darzac denied ma wing Oh that
evening or on any other purchased a
cane at Cassette's. However, said
Rouletabille. I'm not swear to any
thing. NJ. DarZac has such strange
fits OF silence that one does not know
exactly what to think OF what he
says"
L Frederic I.arSan this cane must
mean a piece Of very damaging evil
dence. BuI in what way? The time
when it was bought shows It could
not have been IN the murdcrer'S pos-
session"
The time doesn't worry LarSan. He
is not obliged (" adopt my theory,
which assumes that the murderer got
into the yellow room between > and q
O'Clock. There's nothing to prevent
him assuming that the murderer got in
between 10 and II o'clock At night. Az
that hour NJ. and Mile. S~tangerson, as
sisted by Daddy Jacques, were engag-
ell ia making an interesting chemical
experiment in the part Of the labora-
tory taken up by the furnaces. L.arsan
says. unlikely as that may seem. that
the murderer may have slipped behind
them. He has already got the examin-
ing magistrate TO listen to him. When
one looks closely into it the reasoning
is absurd. seeing that the intimate
if there is one-must have known hat
the professor would shortly leave the
pavilion and that the friend had only
to put of operating till after the pro
feSsor'S departure. Why should he
have risked crossing the laboratory
while the professor was in it: And
then when he had got into the yellow
room
There are many points to be cleared
up before l.arSan's theory can be ad-
mitted. shan't waste my time owe
II. for my theory won't allow me to
occupy myself with mere imagination.
Only. as | am obliged for the moment
10 keep silent, and L.arsan sometimes
talks, he may finish by coming out
openly against NJ. Darzac II I'm not
there" added the young reporter
proudly. for there are surface evi-
dences against Darzac much more con
vincing than the cane which remain
incOmprehensfble to me, all the more
so as Larsan does not in the least hest
tate to let Darzac see him with It. |
understand many things in I.arsans
theory. but | can't maxi anything "
that cane."
is be- still at the chateau!'
yes. He hardly ever quits ii. He
sleeps there. as I do. at the request OF
NJ. Stangerson. who has done for him
what NJ. Robert DarZac has done fol
NE. In spite Of the accusation made
by Larsan that NJ. StangersOn knows
who the murderer Is. he yet affords
him every facility for arriving at the
truth. just as Darzac is doing for me-
But you are convinced Of DarZac's
innocence
"At one time I did believe in the pos
sibility Of his guilt. That was whe1
we arrived here for the first time. The
time has come for me to tell you what
has passed between VI Darzac and
myself"