The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-22
 THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK
By GASI0N LER0uX, Author of "The Mystery Oi the Yellow ROOm."
Copyright, 1909, by Rrentano'S.


going on:"
 RouIetabilie was there before us, with his hot water in the casserole. a napkin and his skull. And be washed the skull. It was soon done. The paint disappeared. He made us bear witness to the fact. He stood in mute contemplation before his own drawing for ten minutes. during which he had by sign ordered us to keep silence Suddenly he seized the skull in hi right hand and tossed it about so tha, 1t rolled over the drawing. Then hs showed us the skull and bade us no tice that it bore no trace of red paint Rouletabille drew out his watch again
 ''The paint has dried upon the plan." he said Tt has taken a quarter of an hour to dry. Upon the 11th of April we saw at o'clock in the afternoon Darzac entering the square tower and coming from out of doors. But Darzac after having entered the square tower and after having fastened behind him the bolts of his door. as he tells us, had not gone out again until we came to fetch him after G o'clock. As to Oid Bob. we had seen him enter the square tower at 6 o'clock. and there was no paint on this skull then.
 How was this paint. which has talk en only a quarter of an hour to dry upon this plan. fresh enough still more than an hour after Darzac hnd left ito stain old Bob's skull when the savant. with movement of anger. threw it down on the plan as he en- tered the round tower? There is only ss ..E .4. you to find another. and that is that the Robert Darzac who entered the square tower at o'clock and whom no one had seen going out again was not the same as the one who came to paint in the round tower before the arrival of Old Bob at 6 o'clock and whom we found in the room in the square tower without having seen him enter there and with whom we went out. In one word. he was not the same man as the Nj. Darzac here pres ent before us- The testimony of pure reason shows that there are two per sonaIities appearing in the guise of Robert Darzac."
 And RUuietabille turned his eyes full upon the man whose name he had ut- tered.
 DarZac. like all the rest of us. was under the spell of the luminous deln- onstration of the young reporter. We were all divided Between new hor- TOT and a bUundless admiration. Here again We found the mark of his pro- digious and logical mathematical in- teiligence.
 Darzac cried out:
 Tt was thus. then. that he was able to enter the square tower under a dis guise which made him without doub. my very image. 1t was thus that he was able to hide behind the panel iu such way that 1 did not see him myself when 1 came here to write my letters after quitting the Tower of ths Bold. where l left my dra wing. But how could Pere Bernier have opened to himy'
 ''Doubtless.'' replied Rouletabille. who had taken the hand of the Lady in Black in both his own as though he wished to give her courage. he must have believed that 1t wars your self''
 That. then. explains the fact that when l reached my door l had only to
 
 that l was within"
 Exactly. That is good reasoning" declared Rouletabille. and rere Ber- nier. who had opened to Darzae No. 1. had not troubled himself about No. 2 since he did not see him any more than yourself. You certainly reached the square tower at the moment that Sainclair and myself called Bernier to the parapet to see whether he could help us In understanding the strange gesticulations of Old Bob. talking at the threshold of the Barma Grande to Mrs. Rance and Prince Galitch."
 But Mere Bernier-' cried M Dar- Eac. ''She mad gone Into her lodge Was she not astonished to see M. Dar- tac come in a second time when she had not seen him go out?"
 Let us suppose" replied the young reporter. with Il sad smile-"let us sup pose. NJ. Darzac. that Mere Bernier at that moment. the moment when you passed into your apartments-that is So say. when the second apparition of Darzac passed ln-was occupied in picking up some of the potatoes spilled upon the floor. and we shall suppose tle truth.
 Well. ther, l can congratulate my self on the fact that am still upon earth"
 Congratulate yourself, M. Darzaci Congratulate yourselfr'
 When l remember that as soon as l entered my room l drew the bolts as have tuld you that l did. that l be- gan to work and that this wretch was hidden behind my back Why, he might have killed me without hin drance-'
 ROuletabille stepped close to Oar zac and fixed his eyes upon him with q look that seemed to read his soul.
 Why did he not kill you. then?'' he asked.
 You know very well that he was waiting for some one else" replied DarZac. turning his face sorrowfully toward the Lady in Black
 ROuletabllle was now so close to