The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-04-08
CHAPTER XVIII.
R~outetAbiIle Has Drawn . Circle
Between the Two Bumps on His
Forehead.

"fVavlE separated on the thresholds
A Of our rooms with a melan-
chOly shake Of the hands.
kJ LarSan's was an original
brain. very intelligent, but without
method. | did not go to bed. | await
cd the coming Of daylight and then
went down to the front Of the chateau
and made a detour. examining every
trace of footsteps coming toward it or
going from it. These, however, were
so mixed aud confusing that l could
make nothing Of them. Here | may
make a remark am not accustomed
to attach an exaggerated importance
to exterlor signs left in the track of a
crime.
The method which traces the Grim
inal by means Of the tracks of his foot
steps is altogether primitive. SO many
footprints are Identical. However, in
the disturbed state Of my mind ! did
20 into the deserted court and did look
at all the footprints | could find there,
seeking for some indication as a basis
for reasoning.
IF | could but find il right starting
point, In despair | seated myself on a
stone. For over an hour | busted my
self with the common, ordinary work
OF a policeman. Like the least intelli-
gent of detectives ] went on blindly
over the traces Of footprints which told
me just nc more than they could.
Il came to the conclusion that ! was
a fool. lower in the scale Of intelligence
than eve the police of the modern ro-
maucer NOveiistS build mountains OF
stupidity out Of a footprint on the
sand or from an impression of a hand
on the wall. That's the way innocent
men are brought 10 prison. 1t might
convince an examining magistrate or
the head of a detective department, but
it's not proof. You writers forget that
what the senses furnish IS not proof.
II | an taking cognizance of what is
offered NE by my senses ] do so but
to bring the results within the circle
Of my reason. That circle may be the
most circumScribed. but. If It is. it has
this advantage-it holds nothing but
the truth. Yes, ! swear that ! have
never used the evidence of the senses
but as servants to my reason. | have
never permitted them to become my
master. They have not made of me
that monstrous thing-worse than a
blind mana a who sees falsely.
And that is why | can triumph owe
your error and your merely animal in
telligence. Frederic Larsan.
"Be Of good courage, then, Friend
Rouletabille. 1t is impossible that the
incident of the inexplicable gallery
should be outside the circle of your
reason. You know that, Then have
faith and take thought with yourself
and forget not that you took hold of
the right end when you drew that cir
Gle in your brain within which to un-
ravel this mysterious play of circum
stance.
TO it. once again. Go back to the
gallery. Take your stand on your
reason and rest there AS Frederic Lar.
san rests or his cane You will then
soon prove that the great Fred is moth
Ing but a fool.-30th October. Noon.
JOSEPH ROULETABILLE."
Il acted rs ! planned. With head on
fire. | retraced my way to the gallery.
and without having found anything
more than | had seen on the previous
night. the right hold | had taken of my
Deason drew rne to something SO impor-
tant that l was obliged to cling to it to
save myself from falling.
snow for the strength aud patience
to find sensible traces to ct IN with
my thinking these must come
within the circle | have drawn be-
tween the two bumps on my forehead.
-SNh October. Midnight.
"IOSEPH ROLL ENr pIfIHn