The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-02-26
The Mystery OF
| The Yellow Room
VI I
COPYRIGHT. 1908. 10 ~
BY BRENTANO'S


to the Donjon inn.
do you often eat herei"
sometimes"
But you also take your meals at the
chateau?"
Eyes, Larsan and l are sometimes
served in one Of our rooms"
Hasn't M. Stangerson ever invited
you to his own table?"
Never"
Does your presence at the chateau
displease himY'
II don't know; but, in any case, he
does not make us feel that we are in
his way"
Doesn't he question your
"Never. He is In the same state Of
mind as he was in at the door of the
yellow room when his daughter was
being murdered and when he broke
open the door and did not find the
murderer He Is persuaded since he
could discover nothing that there's no
reason why we should be able to dis
cover more than he did. But he has
made 1t his duty since Larsan ex-
pressed his theory not TO oppose u.s."
Rouletabille buried himself in thought
again for some time. He aroused him
self later to tell Inc of how he came to
set the two concierges free.
81 went lately to see NJ. Stangerson
and took with me piece of paper, on
which was written, Il promise, what
ever others may say, TO keep in my
service my two faithful servants, Bcr-
nier and his wife | explained to him
that by. signing that document he
would enable me TO compel those two
people to speak out, and l declared
my own assurance of their innocence
Of any part I'm the crime. That was
also his opinion. The examining mag
istrate after II was signed presented
the document TO the Berniers. who
then did speak. They said what was
certain they would say az soon as they
were sure they would not lose their
places.
''They confessed 10 poaching on NJ.
Stangerson's estates, and it was willie
they were poaching, on the night Of
the crime. that they were found not IA"
from the pavilion at the moment when
Some rabbits they caught in that way
were sold by them to the landlord of
the Donjon inn, who served them TO
his customers or sent them to Paris.
That was the truth, as | had guessed
from the first. DO you remember what
cold nm nnfnrinn tho nAniOn inn
we shall have to eat red meat-now!
had heard the words on the same
morning when we arrived at the park
gate. You heard them also. but you
did not attach any Importance to them.
You recollect wber we reached the
park gate that We stopped to look at q
man who was runSjng by the side Of
the wall, looking every minute at his
watch That was Larsan. Well, be-
hind us the landlord of the Donjon inn.
standing on his doorstep. said to some
one inside, eve shall have to eat red
meat--now.'
why that 'now?' When you are, as
am, in search of some, hidden secret.
you can't afford to have anything es-
cape you. You've got 10 know the
meaning of everything We had come
into rather out OF the way part of
the country which had been turned
topsy turvy by crime, and my reason
led me to suspect every phrase that
could bear upon the event of the day
Now i took to mean, since the out
rage In the course of my inquiry
therefore, | sought to find a relation
between that phrase and the tragedy.
We went to the Donjon inn for break
fast. repeated the phrase and saw
by the surprise and trouble on Daddy
Matthew's face that I had not exagger-
ated it's Importance so far as he was
concerneul
81 bad just learned that the con-
cierges had been arrested. Daddy
frlends-people for whom one is sorry.
That was reckless conjunction of
ideas, / said to myself. Now that
the concierges are arrested, we shall
have to eat red meat No more con-
cierges, no more game! The hatred ex-
pressed by Daddy Matthew for NJ.
Stangerson's forest keeper-a hatred
he pretended was shared by the con-
cierges-led me easily to think Of
poaching. Now, as all the evidence
showed the concierges had not been in
bed at the time Of the tragedy. why
were they abroad that night? As par
Elephants in the crime? / was not dis
posed to think so. l had already ar
rived at the conclusion. by steps OF
which | will tell you later-that the as
sassln had had no accomplish and that
the tragedy held a mystery between
Mile. StangersoD and the murderer, q
mystery with which the conclcrgcs
had nothing to do.
with that theory in my mind,
searched for proof In their lodge,
which, as you know, entered.
found there under their bed some
springs and brass wire. All
thought, these things explain why
they were out in the park at nightr
I was not surprised at the logged 81
lence they maintained before the ex-
aiming magistrate, even under the nc.
cusation so grave as that of being ac-
completes In the crime. Poachlng
would save them from the assize court.