Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-03-25

while they were keeping us in prison.
Besides. as the gentleman comes TO
the chateau without passing through
our gate he goes away by the way be
comes"
do you know when he came the
first timer"
"oh, yes, monsieur! Nine years
ago"
He was in France nine years ago.
then" said Rouletabille. "and since
that time as far as you know. how
many times has be been at the Clan.
dier?"
''Three times"
when did he come the last time, as
far as you know?"
"A week before the attempt in the
yellow room"
Rouletabille put another question.
this time addressing himself particular
ly to the woman:
In the grove of the parquet?"
I'm the grove Of the parquet," she
replied.
Thanks" said Rouletabille. BE
ready for me this evening"
He spoke the last words with a finger
on his lips as If to command silence
and discretion.
We left the park and took the way
to the Donjon inn.
''Do you often eat hereY
Sometimes"
"But you also take your meals at the
chateau?"
"Yes, Larsan and l are sometimes
served In one of our rooms"
Hasn't NJ. stangerson ever invited
you to his own table?"
Never"
Does your presence at the chateau
displease himT
81 don't know; but, in any case. he
does not make us feel that we are In
his way"
Doesn't he question you?"
Never. He is In the same state of
mind as he was In at the door of the
yellow room when his daughter was
being murdered and when he broke
open the door and did not find the
murderer. He is persuaded since he
could discover nothing that there's no
reason why we should be able to dis
cover more than he did. But he has
made It his duty since Larsan ex-
pressed his theory not to oppose u.s."
Rouletabille buried himself in thought
again for some time. He aroused him
self later to tell me of how he came to
set the two concierges free.
II went lately to see NJ Stangerson
and took with me piece Of paper on
which was written, y promise. what
ever Others may say, to keep in my
service my two faithful servants, Ber-
nier and his wife, explained to him
that by signing that document he
would enable me to compel those two
people to speak out, and i declared
my own assurance of their innocence
of any part In the crime. That was
also his opinion. The examining mag
istrate after it was signed presented
the document to the Berniers, who
then did speak. They said what ] was
certain they would say as soon as.they
were sure they would not lose their
places
"They confessed to poaching on NJ.
Stangerson's estates. and It was while
they were poaching. on the night of
the crime. that they were found not far
from the pavilion at the moment when
the outrage was being committed.
Some rabbits they caught In that way
were sold by them to the landlord Of
the Donjon inn, who served them to
his customers or sent them to Paris.
That was the truth, as | had guessed
from the first. Do. you remember what
said on entering the Donjon inn?
we shall have to eat red meat-nowr
| had heard the words on the same
morning when we arrived at the park
gate You heard them also. but you
You recollect when We reached the
park gate that we stopped to look at o
man who was running by the side of
the wall. looking every minute at his
watch That was Larsan. Well. be
hind us the landlord Of the Donjon inn.
SIduQluS Ou ulS uOOiStCp. cdiu " ooiur
one inside, We shall have to eat red
meat-now.'
why that 'nowY When you are. as
am, in search of some hidden secret.
you can't afford to have anything es-
cape you You've got to know the
meaning of everything. We had come
into a rather out Of the way part of
the country which had been turned
topsy turyy by a crime. and my reason
led me to suspect every phrase that
could bear upon the event Of the day
Now took to mean, since the out
rage In the course Of my inquiry.
therefore. sought to find relation
between that phrase and the tragedy.
We went to the Donjon inn for break
fast repeated the phrase and saw
by the surprise and trouble on Daddy |
Matthews face that had not exagger-
ated its Importance SO far as he was
concerned.
81 bad just learned that the con-
cierges had been arrested. Daddy
Matthew spoke Of them as Of dear