The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-05-20
had told Darzac that II her father
should know of her dishonor she would
kill herself. NJ. DarZac had sworn to

kill herself. NJ. DarZac had sworn to
silence her prosecutor, ever If he had
to kill him. He was outwitted and
would have succumbed had it not been
for the genius Of Rouletabille.
Mile. S~tangerSon was herself help
less in the hands Of such a villain.
She had tried to kill him when he had
In the yellow room. She had, unfor-
tunately, failed and felt herself con
demned to be forever at the mercy of
this INSCRIPTIONS wretch who was
continually demanding her presence at
clandestine interviews. When he sent
her the letter through the postoftice
asking her to meet him she had re-
fused. The result Of her refusal was
the tragedy of the yellow room. The
second time he wrote asking for a
meeting, the letter reaching her in her
sick chamber, she had avoided him by
sleeping with her women In that let
ter the scroundrel had warned her
that, since she was too III to come to
him, he would come to her and that be
would be in her chamber at a par
ticular hour on a particular night.
Knowing that she had everything to
fear from Ballmeyer, she had left her
chamber on that night. 1t was then
gallery" occurred.
The third time she had determined
to keep the appointment. He asked
for it in the letter be had written in
her own oom on the night Of the in
cident in the gallery, which he left on
her desk. In that letter he threatened
to burn her fathers papers If she did
not meet him. 1t was to rescue these
papers that she made up her mind to
see him. She did not for one moment
doubt that the wretch would carry out
his threat if she persisted In avoiding
him, and In that case the labors of her
fathers lifetime would be forever lost.
Since the meeting was thus inevitable
she resolved to see her husband and
appeal to his better nature. 1t was for
this interview that she had prepared
herself on the night the keeper was
killed. They did meet, and what pass
ed between them may be imagined.
He insisted that she renOunc Darzac.
She, on her part, affirmed her love for
him. He stabbed her In his anger, de-
termined to convict DarZac Of the
crime. AS Larsan he could do 1t and
had SO managed things that Darzac
could never explain how he had en-
ployed the time of his absence from
the chateau. Ballmeyer's precautions
were most cunningly taken.
Lafsan had threatened Darzac as he
had threatened Mathilde-with the
same weapon and the same threats.
He wrote Darzac urgent letters declar-
ing himself ready to deliver up the let
ters that had passed between him and
his wife and to leave them forever
II he would pay him his price. He
asked Darzac to meet him for the pur-
pose of arranging the matter, appoint
ing the time when Larsan would be
with Mile. Stangerson. When Darzac
Went to Epinay, expecting to find Ball
meyer, or Larsan, there, be was met by
an accomplish of Larsan's and kept
waiting until such time as the "coinci-
dence' could be established.
1t was all done with Machiavellian
cunning, but Ballmeyer had reckoned
without Joseph Rouletabille.
Now that the mystery Of the yellow
room has been cleared up this is not
the time to tell Of R~ouletabille's ad-
ventures in America. Knowing the
young reporter as we do, we can I'M
derstand with what acumen he had
traced step by step the story Of Ma
thilde Stangerson and Jean Roussel.
At Philadelphia he had quickly inform.
ed himself as to Arthur William Rance.
There he learned Of RANGES act of de-
votiOn and the reward he thought him
self entitled to for it. A rumor Of his
marriage with Mile. StangerSon had
found it's way into the drawing
Of Philadelphia. He also learn
ed Of RANGES continued attentions to
her and his opportunities for her hand.
He had taken to drink, he had said, to
his grief at his unrequited love.
1t can now be understood why Route
had shown SO marked q GOODNESS
OF demeanor toward Rance when they
met In the witnesses room on the day
Of the trial.
The strange Roussel- Stangerson mys-
terry had now been laid bare. Who