The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-03-05
CHAPTER XXI.
On the Watch.

the room, and, without even re-
ferring to what we had seen. he gave
ne bis final instructions for the night.
First we were to go to dinner After
1inner I was to take my stand in the
lark closet and wait there as long as
was necessary-to look out for what
night happen.
20 "Tf you see anything before ! do,
he explained, you must let me know
If the man gets into the right gal
lery by any other way than the of
turning gallery you will see him before
shall, because you have a view along
the whole length Of the right gallery
while / can only command a view OF
the on turning gallery. All you need
do to let me know is to undo the cord
holding the curtain Of the right gal
lery window nearest to the dark clos
ct. The curtain will fall Of itself and
Immediately leave a square Of shadow
where previously there had been a
square of light To do this you need
but stretch your hand out Of the closet.
shall understand your signal per
fectly."
"And thenP'
"Then you will see me coming round
the corner of the off turning gallery"
what am to do them"
"You will Immediately come toward
me, behind the man, but 1 shall al
ready be upon him and shall have seen
his face"
attempted feeble smile.
"Why do you smile? Well, you may
smile while you have the chance, but
I swear you'll have no time for that
a few hours from now"
sand if the man escapesw
$50 much the better" said Roule-
tabille coolly. 81 don't want to cap
ture him. He may take himself off
any way he can. / will let him go
after / have seen his face. That's all
/ want. shall know afterward what
to do, so that as far as Mile. Stanger-
son is concerned he shall be dead to
If / took him alive Mile. Stangerson
and Robert Darzac would perhaps
never forgive me. And l wish to re-
tain their good will and respect.
"Seeing, as / have just now seen,
Mile. Stangerson pour a narcotic into
her fathers glass, so that he might
not be awake to interrupt the CONVEX
sation she is going to have with her
assailant, you can imagine she would
not be grateful to me If I brought the
man Of the yellow room and the mex
plicable gallery bound and gagged to
her father. i realize now that If ]
am to save the unhappy lady l must
silence the man and not capture him
To kill a human being is no small
thing. Besides, that's not my business
unless the man himself makes it my
business. On the other hand, to render
him forever silent without the lady's
assent and confidence Is to act on ones
own initiative and assume knowledge
of everything with nothing for basis
Fortunately, my friend, have guessed
no, have reasoned 1t all out. All
that I ask Of the man who is coming
tonight is to bring me his face so that
1t may enter
'Into the circle?''
Exactly! And his face won't sur
prise me!'
"But i thought you saw his face on
the night when you sprang into the
"Only imperfectly. The candle was
on the floor, and his beard
twill he wear his beard this even
mgr
81 think can say for certain that he
will. But the gallery is light and now
I know-or at least my brain knows
and my eyes will see"
"If we are here only to see him and
let him escape, why are we armedY
Because, If the man of the yellow
room aud the inexplicable gallery
knows that ] know, he is capable Of
doing anything! We should then have
to defend ourselves"
"And you are sure he will come to-
nightT'
"As sure as that you are standing
there! This morning, at half past 10
o'clock, Nile. Stangerson, In the clever
est way in the world, arranged to have
no nurses COD1gnt. Sne BaVe tnem
leave Of absence for twenty -four hours,
under some plausible pretexts, and did
not desire anybody to be with her but |
her father, while they are away. Her
father, who is to sleep in the boudoir,
has gladly consented to the arrange |
ment Darzac's departure and what |
he told me, as well as the extraor-
binary precautions Mile. Stangerson is |
Iaklng to be alone tonight, leaves me no |
room for doubt. She has prepared the
way for the coming Of the man whom
Darzac breads"
"And what we saw her do was done
10 send her father to sleep"
eyes"
''Then there are but two Of us for
.onight's work.
-Four; the concierge and his wife
will watch at all hazards. don't set
much value on them before, but the
may be useful after, II