Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-03-04

murder Of Nile. Stangerson produced
on me-wfth what force those words
pronounced by NJ. Robert Darzac,
Must l commit a crime. then, to win
your recurred to me. 1t was not this
phrase, however, that I repeated to
him when we met here at Chandler.
The sentence of the presbytery and the
bright garden sufficed to open the gate
of the chateau. If you ask me II be-
lieve now that NJ. Darzac is the muir
derer l must say do not. do not
think ever quite thought that. At the
time could not really think seriously
Of anything, l had 30 little evidence to
go on. but needed to have at once the
proof that he had not been wounded in
the hand.
when we were alone together told
him how had chanced to overhear a
part of his conversation with Mile.
Stangerson In the garden of the Elysee,
and when repeated to him the words,
Must / commit a crime. then, to win
youY he was greatly troubled, though
much less so than he had been by hear
ing me repeat the phrase about the
presbytery. What threw him into a
state Of real CONSERVATION was to
learn from me that the day on which
he had gone to meet Nile. Stangerson
at the Elysee was the very day on
which she had gone to the postoffice
for the letter. 1t was that letter per-
haps which ended with the words,
The presbytery has lost nothing of its
charm nor the garden its brightness
My surmise was confirmed by my find
ing, II you remember, In the ashes of
the laboratory the fragment Of paper
dated Oct. %. The letter had been
written and withdrawn from the post
Office on the same day.
There can be no doubt that on re-
turning from the Elysee that night
Nile. Stangerson had tried to destroy
| that compromising paper. 1t was In
vain that NJ. Darzac denied that that
letter had anything whatever to do
with the crime. I told him that In an
affair so filed with mystery as this he
had no right to hide this letter; that
was persuaded 1t was of considerable
Importance that the desperate tone In
which Mile. Stangerson had pronOune-
ed the phrase; that his own tears and
| the threat of a crime which he had
professed after the letter was read
all these facts tended to leave no room
| for me to doubt. NJ. Darzac became
more and more agitated. and deter
mined to take advantage of the effect
/ had produced Oh him. 'fou were on
the point of being married. monsieur
I said negligently and without looking
at him, and suddenly your marriage
becomes impossible because Of the
| writer of that letter-because as soon
rs his letter was read you spoke Of the
necessity for a crime to win Mile
stangerson Therefore there Is some
one between you and her-some one
who is preventing your marriage
tempted to kill her SO that she
should not be able to marry And
| | concluded with these words: Now.
monsieur, you have only to tell me in
confidence the name of the murderer
The words ! had uttered must have
| turned my eyes on him | saw that his
face was haggard. the perspiration
standing on his forehead and terror
showing in his eyes.
"'iopsieEr,' he said to me. i am
going to ask Of you something which
may appear insane. but in exchange
for which / place my life In your
hands. You must not tell the magis-
trates of what you saw and heard In
the garden of the Elysee; neither to
them nor to anybody. swear to you
| that / am Innocent, and know. feel,
that you believe me, but / would rath-
| er be taken for the guilty man than
see justice go astray on that phrase,
"The presbytery has lost nothing of
| its charm nor the garden its bright
ness" The judges must know moth
ing about that phrase. All this mat
! ter is in your hands. Monsieur,
leave 1t there, but forget the evening
at the Elysee. A hundred other roads
are open to you in your search for
the criminal / will open them for
you myself ] will help you. VIII
| you take up your quarters here7 You
may remain here TO do as you please
| Eat, sleep here, watch my actions. the
actions Of all here. You shall be mas
ter of the Chandler. monsieur, but for
get the evening at the Elysee.'"
Rouletabille here paused to take
breath. / now understood what had
appeared SO unexplainable In the de-
meanor of NJ. Robert Darzac toward
my friend and the facility with which
the young reporter had been able to
install himself on the scene Of the
| crime
Everything seems to be pointing
against him." continued my friend,
! 'sand the situation Is becoming ex-
ceedingly grave. M. Darzac appears
not to mind 1t much, but In that he Ii
wrong. was interested only IN the
health Of Mile. Stangerson. which was
daily improving, when something oc-
Cured that is even more mysterious
than-than the mystery Of the yellow