Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-03-11

OF my head and might be lost. Would
he see me? Would he peer into the
darkness? No: he went away. He had
seen nothing. l felt rather than heard
him moving on tlptoe In the room, and
l mounted few steps higher. My
head reached to the level of the win
dow sill; my forehead rose above 1t:
my eyes looked between the opening
In the blinds, and l saw
"a man seated at Mile. Stangerson's
little desk writing. His back was turn
ed toward me. A candle was lit before
him, and he bent over the flame, the
light from 1t projecting shapeless shad-
ows. saw nothing but monstrous.
STOPPING back.
Mile. Stangerson herself was not
there! Her bed had not been lain on.
Where, then. was she sleeping that
night? Doubtless in the side room
with her women. Perhaps this WAS
but guess. | must content myself
with the joy of finding the man alone.
| must be calm to prepare my trap.
But who, then. is this man writing
there before my eyes, seated at the
desk, as If he were in his own home?
If there had not been that ladder un-
der the window. If there had not been
those footprints on the carpet in the
gallery, If there had not been that open
window, might have been led to
think that this man had a right to be
there and that he was there as mat
ter of course and for reasons about
which as yet | knew nothing. But
there was no doubt that this mysteri-
GUS unknown was the man of the yel
low room, the man to whose murder
GUS assault Mile. Stangerson without
denouncing him had had to submit. If
could but see his face! Surprise and
capture himi
If l spring into the room at this
moment he viii escape by the right
hand door opening into the boudoir, or,
crossing the drawing room, he will
reach the gallery and shall lose him
have him now, and In five minutes
more he'll be safer than IL had him
In a cage. What Is he doing there,
alone in Mile. Stangerson's roomy
What Is he writing? ! descend and
place the ladder on the ground. Dad
dy Jacques follows me. We re-enter
the chateau. l send Daddy Jacques
TO wake NJ. Stangerson and instruct
him to await my coming In Milo.
Stangerson's room and to say nothlng
definite to him before my arrival
will 90 and awaken Frederic Larsan.
4 It's q bore to have to do It, for I
should have liked to work alone and
to have carried of all the honors of
this affair myself right under the very
nose of the sleeping detective. But
Daddy Jacques and NJ. stangerson are
old men, aud ! am not yet fully de
veloped. l might not be strong
enough. Larsan is used to wrestling
and putting on the handouts. He
opened his eyes. swollen with sleep.
ready to send me flying without in the
least believing In my reporters fan
sies. ! naa 60 assure MIN tDar "a
man was there.
That's strange he said. i thought
left him this afternoon In Paris
HE dressed himself In haste and
armed himself with a revolver. We
stole quietly into the gallery.
"'Where Is he? Larsal asked.
"'In Mile. Stangerson's ROOM
Stand Mile. StangersonY
/ "'She is not In there
"Lets 60 L..
"sDon't go there. On the least
alarm the nian will escape. He has
four ways by which to do 1.-THE door,
the window. the boudoir or the room
in which the women are sleeping
''I'il draw him from below
"tArd II you faiIf II you only sue.
ceed in wounding him he'll escnpe
again without reckoning that he Is
certainly armed. No; let me direct the
expedition. and III answer for every
thing
4 "'As you like he replied. with fairly
good grace.
"Then after satisfying myself that
all the windows OF the two galleries
were thoroughly secure placed Fred
eric Larsan at the end OF the of turn
ing gallery, before the window which
had found open and had reclosed.
"'Under no consideration | said Il
him, must you stir from this post TIL
call you. The chances are even that
the man when he Is pursued will re
turn to this window and try to save
himself that way, for 1t Is by that way
he came In and made way ready fol
his flight You have dangerous post.