Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-02-04
By GASTON LEROUX

the bolt, satisfying himself that the
door had certainly been burst open
from the outside, and, further, that
the key had been found in the lock on
the inside Of the chamber He finally
satisfied himself that with the key in
the lock the door could not possibly
be opened from without with another
key. Having made sure of all these
details, he let fall these words, That's
better" Then, sitting down on the
ground, he hastily took off his boots
and in his socks went into the room.
The first thing he did was to exam
inc minutely the overturned furniture.
We watched him in silence
young fellow, you are giving your
self great deal of trouble" said Dad
dy Jacques ironically.
Rouletabille raised his head and
said:
"You have spoken the simple truth,
Daddy Jacques. Your mistress did
not have her hair in bands that even.
Ing. | was donkey to have believed
she did"
Then, with the suppleness Of ser
pent, he slipped under the bed. Pres
emily we heard him ask:
"At what time, M. Jacques, did M.
and Mile. Stangerson arrive at the
laboratory"
"At G o'clock"
The voice Of Rorletabille continued:
'Yes, he's been under here, that's
certain. In fact, there was nowhere
else where he could have hidden him
self. Here, too, are the marks of his
hobnails. When you entered, all four
Of you, did you look under the bed?
sat once. We drew 1t right out of its
place"
"And between the mattresses?"
There was only one on the bed, and
on that mademoiselle was placed, and
NJ. Stangerson and the concierge Inn
mediately carried 1t into the labora-
tory. Under the mattress there was
nothing but the metal netting, which
could not conceal anything or any
body. Remember, monsieur, that there
were four of us. and we couldn't fail
to see everything, the chamber is 80
small and scantily furnished, and all
was locked behind in the pavilion"
/ ventured on hypothesis:
perhaps he got away with the mat
tress-in the mattress! Anything is
possible in the face of such mystery.
In their distress Of mind NJ Stanger-
son and the concierge may not have
noticed they were bearing a double
weight, especially If the concierge
were an accomplice. I throw out this
hypothesis for what 1t is worth, but 1t
explains many things and particularly
the fact that neither the laboratory
nor the vestibule bears any traces Of
the footmarks found in the room. II
In carrying mademoiselle on the mat.
tress from the laboratory they rested
for moment there might have been
an opportunity for the man in 1t to
escape"
sand them" asked Rouletabille, de-
iiberately laughing under the bed.
| felt rather veXed and replied:
81 don't know. but anything appears
possible"
"rhe examining magistrate had the
same idea. monsieur" said Daddy
Jacques. "and he carefully examined
the mattress. He was obliged to laugh
II the idea, monsieur, as your friend
| b doing now. for whoever heard OF
) mattress having double bottomw
My friend alone seemed able to talk
,ltelligently. He called out from un
or the bed
The mat here has been moved out
If place Who did it?'
We did, monsieur" explained Dad
dy Jacques. when we could not find
| the assassin we asked ourselves
whether there was not some hole in
the floor"
"There is not" replied Rouletabllle.
''Is there cellar?"
mo, there's no cellar. But that has
not stopped our searching and has not
prevented the examining magistrate
and his registrar from studying the
floor plank by plank, as If there had
been cellar under It,"
The reporter then reappeared. His
eyes were sparkling and his nostrils
quivered. He remained on his hands
and knees. Thus he made his way to
the four corners of the room, so to
speak, shifting and going around ev-
erything that we could
see, which was not much, and every
thing that we could not see, which
must have been infinite.
The toilet table was simple table
standing on four legs There was
nothing about it by which 1t could
possibly be changed into temporary
hiding place. There was not closet
or cupboard. Mile. Stangerson kept
her wardrobe at the chateau.
Rouletabille literally passed his nose
and hands along the walls, constructed
of solid brickwork. When he had
finished with the walls and passed his
agile fingers over every portion of the
yellow paper covering them he reached
to the ceiling which he was able to
touch by mounting ON chair placed
on the toilet table, and by moving
this ingeniously constructed stage
| from nlaca IN uloco no ayaminQd py-