Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-04-08
CHAPTER XIV.
RouletabiIIe Knows the Two Halves
of the Murderer.


the severer injuries of this second at
tack as well as she had those Of the
| first She had received three wounds
| In the breast from the murderer Z
knife, and she lay long between life
and death. Her strong physique. how
ever, saved her; but. though she recov-
cred physically. 1t was found that her
mind had been affected. The slightest
allusion to the terrible incident sent
her into delirium. and the arrest of
Robert Darzac, which followed on the
day following the tragic death Of the
keeper, seemed to sink her fine intelli-
gence into complete melancholia.
Robert Darzac arrived at the chateau
toward half past 8. I saw him hurry
ing through the park. his hair and
clothes in disorder and his face dead
| ~ white. Rouletabille and were look
ing out of window In the gallery.
sIe saw us and gave a despairing cry.
| I'm tSo later Il
Ronletabille answered, "She livesw
A minute later Darzac had gone into
Mile. stapgerson's room, and through
the door we could hear his heartrend-
ing sobs,
n
There's fate about this placer
groaned ROnletabille. ''Some Internal
gcds must be watching over the mis-
fortunes of this family. If | had not
been drugged would have saved
Mile. Stangerson. ] should have 81
fenced him forever And the keeper
would not have been killedv
| NJ. Darzac came in to speak with us.
| His distress was terrible. ROuleta-
billie told him everything prepara-
| tions for Mile. Stangefsop's safety, his
plans for either capturing or for dis
posing of the Gssaiiant forever and
how he would have succeeded had 1t
not been for the drugging.
''If only you had trusted mel! said
the young man in q low tone. If you
had but begged Mile. Stangerson to
confids in me! But then, everybody
here distrusts everybody else. The
daughter distrasts her father and even
her lover. While you ask me to pro-
tect her, she is doing all she can to
| frustrate me. That was why ! came
on the scene too later
At NJ. Robert Darzac's request Roule-
| tabille described the whole scene.
/ Leaning on the wall to prevent him
| self from falling, he had made his way
/ to Mile. Stangerson's room, while we
were running after the supposed muir
derer, The anteroom door was open,
and when he entered he found Mile.
Stangerson lying partly thrown over
/ the desk. Her dressing gown was
dyed with the blood flowing from her
| BOSOM Still under the influence Of
the drug, he felt he was walking in a
horrible nightmare.
He went back to the gallery auto
| matically. opened a window, shouted
! his order to fire and then returned to
| the room He crossed the deserted
| boudoir, entered the drawing room and
| tried to rouse NJ. Stangerson, who was
lying on sofa. NJ. Stangerson rose
| stupidly and let himself be drawn by
| Rouletabille into the room, where, on
seeing his daughters body, he uttered
heartrending cry. Both united their
| feeble strength and carried her to her
bed
| On his way to rejoin US Ropletabille
passed by the desk. On the floor, near
| it, he saw large packet He knelt
| down. and. finding the wrapper loose.
he examined it and made out an enor-
nous quantity Of papers and photo
| graphs. On one of the papers he READ
New differential electroscopic con-
denser. Fundamental properties of sub
stance intermediary between ponder
| able matter and imponderable ether"
Strange irony of fate that the profess
ors precious papers should be restored
| to him at the very time when an at
| tempt was being made to deprive MIN
of his daughters life! What are pa
| pers worth to him nowi
The morning following that awful
night saw NJ. de Marquet once more at
! the chateau with his registrar and gen.
| darmes. OF course we were all cues
! TONED. Rouletabille and had already
| agreed on what to say. kept back
| any information as to my being in the
| dark closet and said nothing about the
drugging. We did not wish to suggest
in any way that Mile. Stangerson haa
been expecting her nocturnal visitor
Arthur Rance told everybody In q
| manner so natural that It astonished
me that he had last seen the keeper
toward II o'clock of that fatal night.
He had come for his valise. he said,
! which be was to take for him early
next morning to the st. Michel station
and had been kept out late running
after poachers Arthur Rance had, In
deed, intended TO leave the chateau
and, according to his habit. to walk TO
the station.
! nj. Stangerson confirmed what Rance
had SAID. adding that be had pot asked