The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-22
To bs Conflnled-l


 At this iHei-irnt q pistol shot sound ed outside. very near to the square tower. We all Ieaped to our feet. re- membering the order given by the re- porter to the three servants 10 fire upon gay cue who should attempt to go out of the square tower. Edith ut tered cry and tried to run out of the room. but Rouletabille. who had not made so much as gesture. calmed her with word.
 If any one had drawn upon him" he, said. .-the three men would have fired together. That pistol shot was merely a signal-a direction for me to begin"
 Turning to me. he continued:
 ssM. SaincIair. you ought to know that I never suspect any person or anything without previously having satisfied myself upon the ground of pure reason I-arsan is here among us. and the power of pure reason is going to show him to you. So be seat ed again. if you please, and do not take your eyes from me. for l am go- ing to begin on this paper the cor poreal demonstration of the pOssibili- ty of the body too many"
 First of all. he investigated to make sure that the bolts of tbe door behind him were closely drawn; then. return ing ito the table, he took up com pass.
 'T have the intention of making my demonstratiun.'' he said. along the same lines on which the body too many has produced itself. It will be thereby only the more irrefutable."
 Aud with his compass he took upon N. Darzac's drawing the measure of the radius of the circle which repre- scented the space occupied by the Tow CT of the Bold. so that he was imme- dfateiy afterward able to trace the same circle upon a piece of white pa per which he had fastened with copper headed nails to another drawing board. When the circle was traced Rouleta- \biile. putting down his compass. pick up the tiny dish of red paint and sked M. Darzac whether he recog fzed 1t as the coioring matter he had Fed- NJ. Darzac replied that. to the st of his belief. it was the same Int which he had mixed for his
 ssh drawing.
 
 I'm the bottom of the dish: but. ac- rding to the opinion expressed by
 Darzac, the part which remained
 nld upon paper give nearly the
 be tint with which he had wash
 -the drawing of the peninsula of
 |rG-
 5 one has touched it. said Roule-
 lie very graveIy. 'and nothing has
 n added to it save a single tear. esides, you will see that tear more Br less In the paint cup would detract nothing from the value of my demon etraeiUn.' -e @
 Thus saying. he dipped the brush in the paint and began carefully to ~wash'.=aii the space occupied by the circle which he had previously traced. When he had finished he looked at his watch and said:
 You may see. ladies and gentlemen. that the coating of paint which GOV CTS my circle is neither more nor less thick than that which covers the cir cie of M. Darzac. It is almost the same thing-the same tint
 "Endoubtedly." rejoInpd M Darzac. But what does all this signify? was certainly in enough of an i'll hu- mor when l found the state it was In. Old Bob had ruined my drawing by letting his skull roll over it.
 We are therpr' spoke up Rouleta- bile quick as a flash. And he lifted from the bureau the oldest skull of the human race He turned it over and showed the crfmsoned jaws to Darzac
 Then he arose. holding the skull in the crook of his aruL and went fn.o the alcove In the wall, lighted by a large window and crossed by bars, which had been a loophole for cannon dn the ancient times and which M. DarZac had used as dressing room. There he struck match and lighted "a lamp flied with spirits of wine (which stood upon n little table. Upun this lamp he set a little pot which he had previously filled with water. The skull still lay in the crook of his arm.