The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-02-11
p TX.


u w ~ iF"i E"' @ANA
went back toward the pavilion
At some distance from the
u building the reporter made u
stop and. pointing To- "A small clufnp of
trees to the right Of uS, said
That's where the murderer came
from to get into the pavilion
As there were other patches of trees
OF the same sort between ia" great
oaks. | asked why the murderer had
chosen that one rather than any Of the
others. Eouletabille answered me 10y
pointing to thc path which ran quite
close to the thickct 10 the door If The
pavilion.
THAT path H., ~ YOU see. topped
with gravel" he said. The man must
hive passed along it going 10 the pa
vllion. since no traces Of his steps have
beer found on the soft ground. The
man didn't have wings; he walked
but he wall. ed ou the gravel. which
left no impression ~ his tread. The
gravel has. I'm fact. been troddcm by
many other feet. since the path is The
most dire I way between the pavilion
and the chateau. As to the til" ket.
made Of thc sort ii shrubs that don't
fulriSh IN the rough season -laurrlS
and fuchSiaS-f It offered the murderer
a sufficient hiding place until il was
time for him TO make his way 10 the
pavilion. II was white hidin@ in thar
dump of trees that he saw VI. and
Mile. S~taugcrSun aud then Daddy
jacques lcay" the pavilion. Gravel
has been spread nearly, very nearly.
NJ to the windows Of the pavilion. The
footprints If a man parallel with the
wall. marks which VIC will examine
presently and which | have already
seen. prove that ne only needed T."
make one strid" to End himself i1
front Of the vcstibulc window. left
open hy Daddy Jacques. The man
drew himself up by his hands and on
tered the ~vcStibulc."
After all. ii is very possible | said
''If | did not reason rs | do In re-
gard to this gravel" lioulctabille went
ON. 81 should have to assume n bal
loon. So don't say n thing Is possible
when II could not be otherwise. We
know now how the man entered 10y
the window. and we also know the
moment at which he cnt red during
the = o'clock walk Of the professor
and his daughter. The fact Of the
presence Of the chambcrmaid. who had
come t. clean up the yellow room. in
the laboratory when VI. ~Stangcrson
and his daughter returned from their
walk at half past | permits us to af-
firm that al half past l the murderer
was not IN ,hc chamber under the bed
unless he was IN collision with the
chambermaid. What do you say, NJ.
DarZac?'
NJ. DarzIc SHOOK his head and said
he was sure OF the chambcrmaid's
fidelity aud that she was Il thorough
ly honest aud devoted servant.
BESIDES" he added, lat = o'clock
Nj. Stangerson Went into the room to
fetch his daughters hat"
There Is that also" said Houleta-
bile.
That the man entered by the Win
dow ut the time YOU say. | admit" ]
said. but why did he shut the Win
dow? 1t was IN act which would nee
e~ssarily draw the attention of those
who had left 1t open"
1T may he the window was not shut
at once replied the young reporter.
But II he did shut the window 1t was
because of the bend In the gravel path
a dozen yards from the pavilion and
All ann.,,n - thn th,nn ,,ls. that ~
growing ut that spot"
"What do you mean by that" asked
NJ. Darzac, who had followed US and
listened with almost breathlcss atten-
ton to all that I,ouletabille had said.
"Tll explain Ill to you later on, o
sieur. when | think the moment to be
ripe for doing so. But | don't think
l have anything Of more Importance
to ray on this affair n my hypothesis
Is justified"
"And what is your hypothesis"
"You will never know II It does not
turn out TO be the truth. 1t Is Of much
too grave a nature to speak Of 1t SO
pothesis."
Have you ut least some idea as to
who the murderer is?'
mo, monsieur. l don't know who
the murderer Is. But don't be afraid.
M. Robert Darzac. l shall know"
I could not but observe that NJ. Oar
FAC was deeply moved, and | suspect
ed that Rouletabille's confident asser-
ton was moi pleasing to him. Why.
I asked myself. II he was really afraid
that the murderer should he discover
ed, was he helping the reporter to find
him? My young friend seemed to
have received the same impression.
for lie said bluntly:
M. Darzac. don't you want me to
And out who the murderer wts:"
"Oh, ! should like to XIII linn with
my own hand".' cried Mile. Stanger-
sons iance, with a vehemencc that
amazed me.
II believe you,' said Rouletabille
grnvely. But you have not answered
my question"
We wcre passing by the thicket Of
which the young reporter had spoken