The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-03-12
CHAPTER XIV.
Rouletabille Knows the Two Halves
Of the Murderer.

murdered. Unfortunately sh
e was In too weak state to bea
the severer injuries of this second at
tack as well as she had those of tn,
first She had received three wounds
in the breast from the murderer
knife, and she lay long between lif
and death. Her strong physique, how
ever, saved her; but, though she recov
cred physically, 1t was found that he
mind had been affected. The slightes
allusion to the terrible incident sen
her into delirium, and the arrest O
Robert Darzac, which followed on tn,
day following the tragic death of thu
keeper, seemed to sink her fine intelli
gence into complete melancholia.
Robert Darzac arrived at the chateau
toward half past 8. I saw him hurry
ing through the park, his hair ant
clothes in disorder and his face dead
ly white. Rouletabille and 1 were look
ing out Of a window in the gallery
He saw us and gave despairlng cry
'Fm too latel"
Rouletabille answered, "She lives"
A minute later Darzac had gone into
Mile. Stangerson's room, and through
the door we could hear his heartrcnd-
ing sobs.
:. There's q fate about this placer
groaned Rouletabille. "Some internal
gods must be watching over the mis-
fortunes of this family If l had not
been drugged would have saved
fenced him forever. And the keeper
would not have been killed!'
M. Darzac came in to speak with us.
His distress was terrible. Rouleta-
bile told him everything-his prepare
tons for Mile. Stangerson's safety, his
plans for either capturing or for dis
posing of the assailant forever and
how he would have succeeded had it
not been Tor the drugging.
"If only you had trusted mev' said
the young man in low tone. IF you
had but begged Mile. Stangerson 20
confide in msi But, then, everybody
here distrusS everybody else. The
daughter distrusts her father and even
her lover. While you 90, me to pro
tect her. she is doing al she can to
Illustrate me That was why came
on the scene too later
At M. Robert Darzac's request Roule-
tabille described the whole scene.
Leaning on the wall to prevent him
self from falling, ne had made his way
to Mile. Stangerson's room, while we
were running after the supposed MUIR
derer. The anteroom door was open,
and when he catered he found Mile.
Stangerson lying partly thrown over
the desk. Her dressing gown was
dyed with the blood flowing from her
bosom. Still under the influence Of
the drug, he felt he was walking in a
horrible nightmare.
He went back to the gallery auto
matically, opened n window, shouted
his order to fire and then returned to
boudoir, entered the drawing room and
tried to rouse M. Stangerson, who was
lying on a sofa. NJ. Stangerson rose
and let himself be drawn by
into the room, where, on
seeing his daughters body, he uttered
a heartrending cry. Both united their
feeble strength and carried her to her
bed.
On his way to rejoin us Rouletabille
passed by the desk. On the floor, near
1t, he saw a large packet. He knelt
down, and, finding the wrapper loose,
he examined 1t and made out an enor-
nous quantity Of papers and photo
graphs. On one Of the papers he read:
New differential electroscopic con-
denser. Fundamental properties Of sub
stance intermediary between ponder
able matter and imponderable ether"
Strange irony Of fate that the profess
or's precious papers should be restored
10 him at the very time when an at
tempt was being made to deprive him
of his daughters life! What are pa
pers worth TO him now?
The morning following that awful !
night saw NJ. de Marquet once more at |
the chateau with his registrar and gen.
1armes. OF course we were all ques- |
toned. Rouletabille and had already |
agreed on what to say. I kept back |
my information as to my being in the
lark closet and said nothing about the
lrugging. We did not wish to suggest |
n any way that Mile. Stangerson had
been expecting her nocturnal visitor.
Arthur Rance told everybody in a
manner so natural that 1t astonished
ne that he, had last seen the keeper
oward IL O'Clock of that fatal night.
lie had come for his valise, he said.
which be was to take for him early
lext morning to the st. Michel station,
md had been kept out late running
lfter poachers Arthur Rance had. in
Iced, intended to leave the. chateau
md, according to his habit. to walk TO
re station.
M. Stangerson confirmed what Rance
lad said, adding that he had not asked
lance TO dine with him because his
rn1&kS.1 ff