Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1909-04-23
CHI APTER xXVIII.
The Mystery OF MademoiseIle Stan-s
a serson.

/ tSCTSUEI<
"a Turing the days that followed j
L had several opportunities to
IH question Rouletabille ms to his:
- reason for his voyage to Amer
lea, but 1 obtained no more precise an
swers than he had given me on the.
evening OF the adjournment Of the
/ trial, when we were on the train for
Paris. One day. however. on my still
pressing him, he said 4 @
Can't you understand that I had to-
know Larsan's true personality? 2"
doubt said, but why did
You go to America to find that out?'
He sat smoothing his pipe and made
no further reply began to see that
was touching on the secret that con-
]cerned Mile. Stangerson. Rouletabille
evidently had found it necessary to go.
to America to find out what the mys-
ferrous tie was that bound her to Lar
san by SO strange and terrible a bond
4 In America he had learned who Lar:
san was and had obtained informat ton
which closed his mouth. He had been.
to Philadelphia. 53
And now what was this mystery
4 which held. Mile. Stangerson and M.
Robert Darzac III SO inexplicable si-
llence? After so many years and the
publicity given the case by curious
and shameless press now that NJ.
Stangerson knows all and has forgiven
all, all may be told. In every phase
| of this remarka Bile story Mile. Stan
Igerson had always been the sufferer.
/ The beginning dates from the time
when, as young girl, she was living
4 with her father in Philadelphia. A
visitor at the house, a Frenchman, had
succeeded by his wit, grace and per-
sistent attention in gaining her affec-s
TONS. He was said to be rich and had
. son, on making inquiries as to NJ.
Jean Roussel, found that the man was
swindler and an adyenturer Jean
/ Roussel was but another of the many
! names under which the notorious Ball.
meyer, fugitive from France, tried
to hide himself. M. Stangerson did
not know of his identity with Ball
meyer He learned that the man was
simply undesirable for his daughter.
He not only refused to give his consent
to the marriage, but denied him adj
mission info the house Mathildei
Stangerson, however, had fallen In
love. To her Jean Roussel was every
thing that her love painted him. She
was indignant at her fathers attitude
and did not conceal her feelings. Her
father sent her to stay with an aunt
In Cincinnati. There she was Joined
by Jean Roussel and, in spite Of the
4 reverence she felt for her father, ran
away with him to get married.
They went to Louisville and lived
there for some time. One morning, how.
ever, knock came at the door Of the
house in which they were, and the po-
lice entered tc arrest Jean Roussel. 1t
was then that Mathilde stangerson, or
\ Roussel, learned that her husband was
no other than the notorious Ballmeyer!
The young woman In her despair.
tried to commit suicide She failed In.
this, and was forced to rejoin her aunt
at Cincinnati. The old lady was over
joyed to see her again. She had been
4 anxiously searching for her and had
not dared to tell NJ. Stangerson Of her
disappearance. Mathilde swore her to
secrecy, so that her father should not.
know she had been away. month
later Mile. Stangerson returned to her
father, repentant, her heart dead with
in her, hoping only one thing that she:
would never again see her husband,
the horrible Ballmeyer. "a report was
spread few weeks later that he was
! dead, and she now determined to atone
for her disobedience by life OF labor
and devotion for her father. And she
kept her word
All this she had confessed to Robert
Darzac, and, believing Ballmeyer dead,
had given herself to the JOY of union
with him. But fate had resuscitated
Jean Roussei, the Ballmeyer OF her
/ youth He had taken steps to let her
! Know that he would never allow her to
marry Darzacth that he still loved her.
Mile. Stangerson never for one mo-
ment hesftated to confide in III. Darzac.
She showed him the letter In which
/ Jean Ronssel asked her to recall the
I first hours Of their union in their beau
tiful and charming Louisville home
HE presbytery has lost nothing OF Its.
charm nor the garden It's Brightness
he had written. The scoundrel pre-
tended to be rich and claimed the right
lot taking her back to Louisville She
| had told Darzac that II her father
i al Il
kiln herself. NJ Darzac had sworn to-
silence her prosecutor. even II he had
to- kill him. He was outwitted and
would have succumbed had it not been
for the genius OF Rouletabille.
I Mile. Stangerson was herself help
less in the hands Of such a Villain
She had tried to Kill him when he had
first threatened and then attacked her
In the yellow room. She had, unf0r-
fa S1nd Z, t,a cl =