The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-03-26
was then that Mathilde stangerson. or
Roussel, learned that her husband was
40 other than the notorious Ballmeyeri


this. and was forced TO rejoin her aunt
It Cincinnati. The old lady was over
oycd TO see her again. She had been
cnxiously searching for her and had
rot dared TO tell NJ. Stangerson of her
lisanpearanee. Matltilde sWore her to
secrecy, so that her father should not
know she had been away. A month
latcr Mile. Stangerson returned to her
father. repentant, her heart dead with
In her, hoping only one thing-that she
would never again see her husband.
the horrible Ballmeyer, A report was
spread n few weeks later that he was
dead, and she now determined to atone
for her disobedience by life Of labor
and devotion for her father. And she
kept her word.
All this she had confessed to Robert
DarZac, and, believing Ballmeyer dead,
had given herself to the joy of union
with him. But fate had resuscitated
Jean Roussel, the Ballmeyer of her
youth. He had taken steps to let her
know that he would never allow her to
marry Darzac-that he still loved her.
Mile. Stangerson never for one mo-
ment hesitated to confide in NJ. Darzac.
She showed him the letter In which
Jean Roussel asked her to recall the
first hours Of their union in their beau
tiful and charming Louisville home.
The presbytery has lost nothing Of its
charm nor the garden its brightness
he had written. The scoundrel pre-
tended to be rich and claimed the right
Of taking her back to Louisville. She
had told DarZac that If her father
should know Of her dishonor she would
kill herself. M. Darzac had sworn to
silence her prosecutor, even if he had
to kill him. He was outwitted and
would have succumbed had it not been
for the genius Of Rouletabille.
Mile. Stangerson was herself help
less in the hands Of such villain.
She had tried to kill him when he had
first threatened and then attacked her
In the yellow room. She had, unfor-
tunately, failed and felt herself con-
demned to be forever at the mercy Of
this INSCRIPTIONS wretch who was
continually demanding her presence at
clandestine interviews. When he sent
her the letter through the postoffice
asking her to meet him she had re-
fused. The result of her refusal was
the tragedy of the yellow room. The
second time he wrote asking for a
meeting, the letter reaching her in her
sick chamber she had avoided him by
sleeping with her women. In that let
ter the scroundrel had warned her
that, since she was too Ill TO come to
him, he would come to her and that he
would be in her chamber at a par
ticular hour on particular night
Knowing that she had everything to
fear from Ballmeyer, she had left her
chamber on that night 1t was then
that the incident of the "inexplicable
gallery" occurred.
The third time she had determined
to keep the appointment. He asked
for 1t in the letter he had written in
her own room on the night Of the in
cident in the gallery, which he left on
her desk. In that letter he threatened
to burn her fathers papers IL she did
not meet him. 1t was to rescue these
papers that she made up her mind to
see him. She did not for one moment
doubt that the wretch would carry out
his threat if she persisted in avoiding
him, and in that case the labors Of her
fathers lifetime would be forever lost.
Since the meeting was thus inevitable
she resolved to see her husband and
appeal to his better nature. 1t was for
~ tv.NA TON haA he hnA vN1
herself OH the night the keeper was
killed. They did meet, and what pass
ed between them may be imagined.
He insisted that she renounce Darzac.
She on her part. affirmed her love for
him. He stabbed her In his anger, de-
termined to convict Darzac Of the
crime. AS Larsan he could do It and
had so managed things that Darzac
could never explain how he had en-
ployed the time Of his absence from
the chateau. Ballmeyer's precautions
were most cunningly taken.
Larsan had threatened Darzac as he
had threatened Mathilde-with the
same weapon and the same threats.
He wrote DarZac urgent letters declar
ing himself ready to deliver up the let
tiers that had passed between him and
his wife and to leave them forever
II he would pay him his price. He
asked Darzac to meet him for the pur-
pose of arranging the matter, appoint
ing the time when Larsan would be
with Mile Stangerson. When Darzac
went to Epinay. expecting to find Ball
meyer, or Larsan. there. he was met by
an accomplice of Larsan's and kept
waiting until such time as the "coinci-
dence" could be established.
1t was all done with Machiavellian
but Ballmeyer had reckoned
without Joseph Rouletabille.
Now that the mystery Of the yellow
room has been cleared up this is not
the time to tell Of Rouletabille's adj
ventures In America. Knowing the
young reporter as we do, we can un-
derstand with what acumen he had
traced step by step the story Of Ma
thilde Stangerson and Jean Roussel
At Philadelphia he had quickly inform
ed himself as to Arthur William Rance.
There he learned Of RANGES act of de-
votion and the reward he thought him.