The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-23
 THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK
By GASTON LEROUX, Author of "The Mystery of
 the Yellow R0OEl."
Copyright, 1909, by Brentano's.


listns-e- OniN ol ing the door opening iuto the corridor. and he had not noticed that every movement of the false Darzac as soon as he realized that he was being con victed of his irInUsture had been in the direction of Mme. DarZac's room. The reporter hnd attached no impor- tance to these movements. knowing. as he did. tha. this room did not offer any way by which Larsan might es- cape. But. however. when the scoun- drel was behind tine door which af- ford..d his last refuge cur confusion increased beyond all proportions. One might have thought that we had be- come suddenly bereft of our senses. We knocked on the door. We cried out We thought of all his strokes of genius. Of his marvellous escapes in the past.
 He will escape us. He will get away from us again.'
 Arthur Rance was the most enraged of us all. Mne. Edith. who was cling ing to my arm. drove her finger nails into my hand In a pRroxysm of nerv- ous fear. None of us paid any heed to tue Lady in Black and Robert Oar zac. who In the midst of this tempest seemed to have forgotten everything even the clamor and confusion around them. Neither one had spoken a word. but they were looking into each oth- CTS eyes as though they had discov- cred another world-the world which is love. But they had not discovered it: they had merely found it again, thanks to RouletaLille.
 The latter had opened the door of the corridor and summoned the three domestics to our assistance. They en- tered with their rifles. But 1t was axes that were needed. The door was solid and barricaded with heavy bolts Pere Jacques went out and fetched a beam. which served us as a battering ram. Each of us exerted all his strength. and finally we saw the door beginning to give way. Our anxiety was at its height.
 When the door had commenced to yield. Rouletabille directed the serv- ants to take up their guns. with the order. however. that the weapons were to be used only In case 1t should be Impossible to capture Iarsan living. Then Rouletabille set his shoulder to the door with one last powerful effort. and as the boards. wrenched from their hinges. fell to the ground, he was the first to enter the room.
 We followed him And behind him. upon the threshold. we all halted. stu pefed by the sight which met our eyes. Lnrxan was there. plainly 10 be seen by every one. And this time there was no difficulty in recognizing him. He had removed his false beard: he had put aside his 'Darzac nasiz:' he had resumed once more the pale clean shaven face of that Frederic Larsan whom we had known at the Chateau of Chandler. And his pres ence seemed to fill the entire room. He was lying back comfortably in an easy chair in the center of the room and was looking at us with his great. calm eyes. His arm was stretched along the arm of the chair. His head was resting on the cushion at the back. One would have ssid that he was giv- ing us au audience and wns waiting for us 10 make Known our business. It seemed 10 me that l could even discern an ironical smile on his lips.
 Rouletabill adsanced toward him.
 "Larsan.'" he said in a voice which was not quite sready-"Larsan, do you give yourself up:"
 But Lar "'-l not reply.
 To be Continued.)