The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-16
THE FARMER: DECEMBER 1e, 1909

That Is the mystery. monsieur. That is what puzzles NJ. Darzac more than all the rest. But 1 have only been able to answer him as l have an- swered you. There is the mystery"
 When you left the room with NJ. Darzac. NJ. Sainclair and myself did you lock the door immediately"
 ''Yes. monsieur"
 "When did you open 1t after thatT'
 Not at all"
 And where were you in the mean time?"
 Bernier quickly explained.
 '1n front of the door of my lodge. watching the door of the apartment. My wife and took our dinner in that spot at about half after 6. on a little table in the corridor. because on ac- count of the door of the tower being open 1t was quite light and was pleas anter. After dinner I sat In the door way of the lodge. smoking a cigarette and chatting with my wife. We were so seated that, even if we had wished to do so. we would not have been able to withdraw our eyes from NJ. Dar- xac's rooms. It is a mystery-a mys- tery more extraordinary than ''The Mystery of the Yellow Room.'
 And from 5 o'clock until the mo- ment of the tragedy you declare that you never quilted the corridor?"
 ..Ah. pardon. monsieur-there was one moment--the moment that you called me. but was not away from my post more than an instant or two. and M. Darzac was in his room then. He did not leave 1t while was gone" ]"
 How do you know that M. .Darzac didn't go out during those momentsT
 Why, because if he had done SO, my wife. who was in the lodge. must have seen him. No one has entered that room except M. Darzac at 5 o'clock and you two at 6. and no per son got in between the time that NJ. Darzac went out and the time when he came in at night with Mme. Darzac. He was like you-he didn't want to be- lieve me. swore 1t to him upon the corpse that lay before usr'
 ''Where was the corpse?"
 "In M. Darzac's bedroom"
 ''It was really dead body?"
 .'Oh, he was breathing still--I heard him."
 Then it was not a corpse. Pere Ser nier.-
 ~where was the difference? He had bullet in his heart-s
 He told us that be was going to his lodge. feeling drowsy. when he and Mere Bernier heard a commotion in the apartment of M. Darzac. The fur niture was being thrown about and blows rained on the walls.
 They heard the voice of Mime. Dar- zac shouting Help. helpr This was the cry that we, too, had heard in the new chateau. Pere Bernier rush. ed to the door of NJ. Darzac's room and beat against it. He heard the labored breathing of two men. and he recog- nixed the voice of Larsan when he heard the words. with this blow I shall have your iifeT Then he heard Darzac. who called his wife to his aid in a voice almost stified. as though he were gagged. "Mathilde, Mathilder' Evidently he and Larsan must have been engaged in a life and death strug- gle when suddenly the pistol shot had saved him. One would have thought that Mme. Darzac, who had then ut- tered a cry. had been mortally wound cd. Why did she not admit him to help her husbandr Finally the door was opened. The room was dark 1t was Nine Darzac who had opened the door. and Bernier could distinguish through the gloom the form of M. Darzac leaning over something which the concierge knew was dying man. Bernier had called to his wife to bring n light. but Mme. Darzac had cried: No. mol No light. no Hghti And. above all. be sure that he knows noth- ingr' And immediately she had rush. ed to the door of the tower. calling out. ~He is coming. he is comingl I hear himi Open the door. Pere Der nierl must go and meet -himr And Pere Bernier had opened the door, the while she kept on moaning: Hide yourselves. Go ini Don't let him know anythingP' fs
 Pere Bernier went on:
 "You came like waterspout. M. RouletabiIle. And she drew you into old Bob's sitting room. You saw nothing. I stayed with M. Darzac. The rattle in the throat of the man on the floor had ceased. Darzac, still bending over him. said to me. Get a sack, Bernier-a sack and a stone-and we will throw him into the sea. and no one will ever hear his voice againr
 Then" Bernier went on. "I thought of my ck of potatoes. My wife had gathers them up and put them back fin the Back after you had emptied them out l emptied the bag again and brought 1t to him. We made as little noise as possible. Moving very quiet Iy. we had slipped the body. which Darzac had tied up. into the sack. But I said to Darzac: Let me beg of you not to throw it into the water. It is not deep enough to hide it. What shall we do, thenr inquired M. Dar- zac. answered. Heaven help us. don't know. monsieurF And l went out of the room and found you in the lodge. M. Sainclair. And then you went for NJ. RouIetabIlle at the re- quest of M- Darzac. who ilRd come out of his own apartment As for my