The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-22

bands that evening? You know what
mean-over her forehead"
mo, young man. My mistress never
wore her hair I'm the way you suggest,
neither on that day'nor oH any other.
She had her hair drawn up, rs usual.
so that her beautiful forehead could be
seen, pure as that of an unborn childr
Rouletabille grunted and set 10 work
examining the door, finding that it fas-
tened itself automatically. He salts
fed himself that 1t could never remain
open and needed Il key to open it.
Then we entered the vestibule. small,
well lit room paved with square red
tiles.
"Ah, this is the window by which
the murderer escapedw said Roule-
tabille.
$50 they keep on saying, monsieur;
so they keep on saying. But If he had
gone off that way we should have been
sure to have seen him. We are not
blind, neither M. Stangerson nor 1 nor
the concierges who are in prison. Why
have they not put me In prison, too, on
account of my revolver?"
Rouletabille had already opened the
window and was examining the shut
tiers.
"Were these closed at the time of the
crimeT
"And fastened with the iron catch
inside" said Daddy Jacques, land
am quite sure that the murderer did
not get out that way"
Are there any blood stainsY'
"Yes-on the stones outside-but
blood of whatT'
"Ah," said Rouletabille, "there are
footmarks visible on the path! The
ground was very moist. l will look
into that presently"
"Nonsensev said Daddy Jacques.
1.-THE murderer did not go that way"
(Which way did he go, then?"
"How do 1 know?"
Rouletabille looked at everything,
smelled everything. He went down on
his knees and rapidly examined every
one of the paving tiles. Daddy Jacques
went on:
"Ah, you can't find anything, mon
sieur. Nothing has been found. And
now 1t is all dirty. Too many persons
have tramped over it. They wouldn't
let me wash 1t, but on the day of the
crime l had washed the floor thor
oughly, and If the murderer had cross
ed 1t with his hobnailed boots I should
not have failed to see where he had
been. He has left marks enough in
chamber"
Rouletabille rose.
"When was the last time you washed
these tiles?" he asked, and he fixed on
Daddy Jacques a most searching look.
"Why-as / told you-on the day Of
the crime, toward half past 5-while
and her father were TAX
ing little walk before dinner here in
this room. They dined in the labora-
tory. The next day the examining
came and saw all the marks
there were on the floor as plainly as II
they had been made with ink ON white
paper. Well, neither In the laboratory
nor In the vestibule, which were both
as clean as new pin. were there any
traces Of a mans footmarks. Since
they have been found near this win
dow outside, he must have made his
way through the ceiling Of the yellow
room into the attic, then cut his way
through the roof and dropped to the
ground outside the vestibule window.
But there's no hole, neither In the cell
ing of the yellow room nor In the roof
Of my attic; that's absolutely certain.
L., 80.
Ing. And nothing will ever be known!
It's mystery Of the DEVILS own max
ing"
RouletabiIle went down upon his
knees again almost in front Of small
avatory at the back Of the vestibule.
In that position he remained for about
, minute.
"Well?' I asked him when he got
up.
ooh, nothing very important. A drop
If blood" he replied, turning toward
Daddy Jacques as he spoke. "While
you were washing the laboratory and
his vestibule was the vestibule win
low open?" he asked.
mo, monsieur, it was closed. But
after l had done washing the floor /
It some charcoal for monsieur in the
laboratory furnace, and as / lit it
with old newspapers 1t smoked, so
opened both the windows in the labo-
atory and this one to make current
# air. Then 1 shut those In the labo-
'atory and left this one open when 1
went out. When I returned to the
PAVILION this window had been closed
Ind monsieur and mademoiselle were
llready at work I'm the laboratory"
IN. or Mile. Stangerson had no
loubt shut it?'
mo doubt"
you did not ask them?'
mo"
After close scrutiny Of the little
avatory and of the staircase leading
~ to the attic Rouletabille-to whom
We seemed no longer to exist-entered
he laboratory. I followed him.
vas, I confess, In a state Of great ex-
element. Robert Darzac lost none Of
ny friends movements. AS for me.
ny eyes were drawn at once to the
l,>Dr Of the yellow room. 1t was closed
Ind, as I Immediately saw, partially
,ha ttprpd md put of commission