The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-05-01
Mile stangerso, was herself h

ShC tllCu " NIL WhCh hC nav
first threatened and then attacked her
in the yellow room. She had, unfor-
tunately, failed and felt herself con-
demned to be forever at the mercy of
this INSCRIPTIONS wretch who was
continually demanding her presence at
clandestine interviews. When he sent
her the letter through the postoffice
asking her to meet him she had re-
fused The result of her refusal was
the tragedy of the yellow room. The
second time he wrote asking for
meeting, the letter reaching her In her
sick chamber, she had avoided him by
sleeping with her women. In that let
ter the scroundrel had warned her
that. since she was too iii to come to
him, he would come to her and that he
would be In her chamber at a par
ticular hour on particular night
Knowing that she had everything to
fear from Ballmeyer, she had left her
chamber on that night. 1t was then
that the incident Of the "inexplicable
gallery" occurred.
The third time she had determined
to keep the appointment. He asked
for 1t In the letter he had written In
her own room on the night of the in
cident In the gallery. which be left on
her desk. In that letter he threatened
to bLru her fathers papers IL she did
not meet him. 1t was to rescue these
papers that she made up her mind to
see him. She did not for one moment
doubt that the wretch would carry out
his threat IL she persisted in avoiding
him, and in that case the labops OF her
fathers lifetime would be forever lost.
Since the meeting was thus inevitable
she resolved to see her husband and
appeal to his better nature. 1t was for
this interview that she had prepared
herself on the night the keeper was
killed. They did meet. and what pass
ed between them may be imagined.
He insisted that she renounce Darzac.
She, OH her part, affirmed her love for
him He stabbed her In his anger. de.
termined to convict Darzac of the
crime. AS Larsan he could do 1t and
had SO managed things that Darzac
NOulo hCfCt CApidih hOW HO npA bllis
ployed the time of his absence from
the chateau. Ballmeyer's precautions
were most cunningly taken.
Larsan had threatened Darzac as he
had threatened Mathilde-with the
same weapon and. the same threats.
He wrote Darzac urgent letters declar-
ing himself ready to deliver up the let
ters that had passed between him and
his wife and to leave them forever
If he would pay him his price. He
asked Darzac to meet him for the pur-
pose of arranging the matter, appoint
ing the time when Larsan would be
with Mile. Stangerson. When Darzac
went to Epinay, expecting to find Ball
meyer, or Larsan, there. he was met by
an aocomplice OF Larsan's and kept
waiting until such time as the "coinci-
dence" could be established.
1t was all done with Machiavellian
cunning, but Ballmeyer had reckoned
without Joseph Rouletabille.
| Now that the mystery Of the yellow
room has been cleared up this is not
| the time to tell of Rouletabille's ad-
ventures In America. Knowing the
young reporter as we do, we can un.
derstand with what acumen he had
traced step by step the story Of Ma
| thilde Stangerson and Jean Roussel.
At Philadelphia he had quickly inform.
! ed himself as to Arthur William Rance.
There he learned Of RANGES act of de-
| votion and the reward he thought him
self entitled to for II. A rumor of his
marriage with Mile. Stangerson had
once found its way into the drawing
rooms Of Philadelphia. lie also learn
ed of Ranco's continued attentions to
her and his opportunities for her hand
He had taken to drink, he had said, to
drown his grief mt his unrequited love
1t can now be understood why Roule-
tabllle had shown so marked GOODNESS
Of demeanor toward Rance when they
met In the witnesses room on the day
of the trial.
The strange Roussel-Stangerson mys-
terry had now been laid bare. Who
was this Jean Rousself Rouletabf,ls
had traced him from Philadelphia tc
Cincinnati. In Cincinnati he became
acquainted with the old aunt and had
found means to open her mouth. The
story of Ballmeyer's arrest threw thu
right light on the whole story. HI
visited the "presbytery," a small ant
pretty dwelling In the old colonia
style. which had indeed ''lost nothing
of Its charm" Then, abandoning hi
pursuit of traces of Mile. Stangerson
he took up those Of Ballmeyer. HI
followed them from prison to prison
from crime to crime. Finally as b
was about leaving for Europe he learn
ed In New York that Ballmeyer ha'
five years before embarked for Franc
: with some valuable papers belongin
'. to a merchant Of New Orleans whor
he had murdered.
And yet the whole of this myster
has not been revealed. Mile Stangel
son had child by her husband. a sor
The infant was born In the old aunt
house. No one knew Of It, SO we
? had the aunt managed to conceal th
event.
What became OF that son? That
another story. which SO far ! am NJ
permitted TO relate.
rup rrp