Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-01-20
CHAPTER xx.
An Act of Mile. stanserson.


 frown, shook 1t and introduced Mr. Arthur Rance to me. He invited him to share our meal.
 No. thanks. breakfasted with N. Stangerson."
 Arthur Rance spoke French perfect ly, almost without an accent.
 'T did not expect to have the pleas ure of seeing you again. monsieur. l thought you were to have left France the day after the reception at the Elysee."
 Rouletabille and I. outwardly indif- ferent. listened most intently for every word the American would say.
 The mans purpllsh red face. his heavy eyelids. the nervous twitchings, all spoke of his addiction to drink. How came 1t that so sorry a specimen of a man should be so intimate with M. Stangerson?
 Some days la,er learned from Fred eric Larsan-who. like ourselves. was surprised and mystifed by Rance's appearance and reception at the cha teau--that Mr. Rance had been an in- ebriate for about fifteen years only that 1t Is. to say. since the professor and his daughter left Philadelphia. During the time the Stangersons lived in America they were very intimate with Arthur Rance. who was one of the most distinguished phrenologists of the new world. Owing to new experf- l. AoL Ctr beyond the science of Gall and Lava ter. The friendliness with which he was received at the Chandler may be explained by the fact that he had rem dered Mile Stangerson great service by stopping, at the peril of his own life, the runaway horses of her car riage. The immediate result of that could, however, have been no more than mere friendly association with the stangersons, certainly not love affair.
 Frederic Larsan did not tell me where he had picked up this informa. tion, but he appeared to be quite sure of what he said.
 The American must have been at least forty-fve years old He spoke in a perfectly natural tone in reply to Rouletabille's question.
 Tt put of my return to America when l heard of the attack on Mile. Stangerson. wanted to be certain the lady had not been killed, and l shall not go away until she is perfectly recovered"
 Like Larsan, Rance thought that Robert Darzac had something to do with the matter He did not mention him by name, but there was no room to doubt whom he meant. He told us he was aware of the efforts young Roule- tabille was making to unravel the tangled skein of the yellow room mys- tery He explained that NJ. Stanger- son had related to him all that had taken place in the inexplicable gallery. He several times expressed his regret at NJ. Darzac's absence from the cha teau on all these occasions and thought that NJ. Darzac had done cleverly in allying himself with NJ. Joseph Roule- tabille, who could not fail sooner or later to discover the murderer. He spoke the last sentence with uncon- cealed irony. Then he rose, bowed to us and left the inn.
 Rouletabille watched him through the window.
 "An odd fish, thatr' he said.
 "Do you think he'll pass the night at the GlandierT' I asked.
 To my amazement the young report CT answered that 1t was matter of entire indifference to him whether he | did or not.
 As to how we spent our time during 1 the afternoon. all I need say is that ! Rouletabille led me to the grotto of Sainte Genevieve and all the time | talked of every subject but the one | with which we were most interested. | Toward evening I was surprised to | find Rouetabille making none of the ! preparations had expected him to make. spoke to him about it when | night had come on and we were once more in his room. He replied that all his arrangements had already been made. and this time the murderer would not get away from him. | I expressed some doubt on this, re- minding him of his disappearance in the gallery, and suggested that the same phenomenon might occur again. He answered that he hoped it would. He desired nothing more. did not insist, knowing by experience how use less that would have been. He told me that, with the help of the con cierges, the chateau had since early dawn been watched in such way that nobody could approach it without his knowing it and that he had no con cern for those who might have left 1t and remained without.
 It was then o'clock by his watch Rising, he made sign to me to follow him, and, without in the least trying to conceal his movements or the sound of his footsteps, he led me through the gallery. We reached the right gal lery and came to the landing place, which we crossed. We then continued k1 70 tIx<l lnpk Ira