The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-03-26

f1rSt, followed by sharp ringing SCUM.
The dull sound | explained by the
falling of the marble topped table; the
ringing sound was the shot from the
revolver. | was now convinced ! was
right. The shot that had wounded the
hand Of the murderer and sad caused
1t TO bleed so that he left the bloody
imprint on the wall was fired by
mademoiselle in self defense before
the second phase, when she had been
really attacked. The shot in the cell
ing which the Berniers heard was the
accidental shot during the nightmare.
81 had now to explain the wound on
the temple. 1t was not severe enough
to have been made by means Of the
mutton bone, and mademoiselle had
not attempted to hide 1t. 1t must have
been made. during the second phase.
1t was to find this out that went to
the yellow room, and ! obtained my
answer there"
Rouletabille drew a piece of white
folded paper from his pocket and drew
out of it an almost invisible object
which he held between his thumb and
forefinger.
This, NJ. President" he said, sis a
hair-a blond hair stained with blood.
1t Is hair from the head of Mile.
Stangerson. found it sticking to one
Of the corners of the overturned table.
The corner Of the table was itself
stained with blood--a tiny stain-hard
~ visible. but it told me that on ris-
ing from her bed Mile. Stangerson had
fallen heavily and had struck her head
on the corner of its marble top.
II had still to learn, in addition to
the name Of the assassin, which | did
later, the time of the original attack.
| learned this from the examination of
Mile Stangerson and her father though
the answers given by the former were
well calculated to deceive the eXamin.
ing magistrate. Mile. Stangerson had
stated very infinitely how she had
We established the fact that the MUIR
derer had introduced himself into the
pavilion between ) and 6 o'clock. At
a quarter past the professor and his
daughter had resumed their work. Al
5 the professor had been with his
daughter, and since the attack took
place in the professors absence from
his daughter l had to find out just
when he left her. The professor had
stated that at the time when he and
his daughter were about to re-entei
the laboratory he was met by the
keeper and held in conversation about
the cutting of some wood and the
poachers. Mile. Stangerson was not
with him then, since the professor said,
4 left the keeper and rejoined my
daughter, who was at work in the
laboratory
at was during that short interval OF
time that the tragedy took place. That
is certain. In my minds eye l saw
Mile. Stangerson re-enter the pavilion,
go to her room to take off her hat and
find herself faced by the murderer. He
had been in the pavilion for some time
waiting for her. He had arranged to
pass the whole night there. He had
taken Off Daddy Jacques boots, he
had removed the papers from the cabi.
net and had then slipped under the
bed. Finding the time long, he had
risen, gone again into the laboratory,
then into the vestibule, looked into the
garden and had seen, coming toward
the pavilion, Mile. Stangerson-alone
He would never have dared to attack
her at that hour If he had not found
her alone. His mind was made up.
10 hn al WI
Mile. Stangerson in the pavilion than
he would have been in the middle OF
the night, with Daddy Jacques sleep
ing In the attic. So he shut the vesti
bule window. That explains why
neither M. Stangerson nor the keeper,
who were at some distance from the
pavilion, had heard the revolver shot.
''Then he went back to the yellow
room. Mile. Stangerson came in. What
passed must have taken place very
quickly. Mademoiselle tried to call for
help, but the man had seized her by
the throat. Her hand had sought and
grasped the revolver which she had
been keeping In the drawer of her
night table, since she had come to fear
the threats of her pursuer. The muir
derer was about to strike her on the
head with the mutton bone, terrible
weapon in the hands of Larsan or
but she fired In time, and
the shot wounded the hand that held
the weapon. The bone fell to the floor
covered with the blood Of the murder |
er, who staggered, clutched at the wall
for support, imprlnting on 1t the red
marks, and. fearing another bullet
fed.
"She saw him pass through the labo- |
ratory and listened. He was long mt
the window. At length he jumped
from 1t. She few to 1t and shut Ii. |
The danger past. all her thoughts were |
Of her father Had he either seen or |
heard? At any cost to herself she |
must keep this from him. Thus when |
NJ. Stangerson returned he found the |
door Of the yellow room closed and his |
daughter I'm the laboratory bending |
over her desk at work.
Turning toward M. Darzac. Rouleta-
billie cried:
"You know the truth! Tell us, then, |
II that is not how things happened"
II don't know anything about It," re-
piled NJ. Darzac.