Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-01-14

ALast night just as l was going to
aSed NJ. Robert Darzac knocked at my
lroom. When he came In he confded
ito me that he was compelled to go to
GParis the next day-that Is, this morn
1lng. The reason which made this jour
Sney necessary was at once peremptory
land mysterious. II was not possible
3eor him to explain its object to me. i
no, and yet he added, I you'd give
F1ny life not to leave Mile. Stangerson
lat this moment He did not try to
f3ide that he believed her to be once
slnore in danger 1t will not greatly
hstonish me If something happens to-
smorrow night he avowed, and yet
must be absent. l cannot be back at
lthe Chandler before the morning of the
nay after tomorrow
81 asked him to explain himself, and
this is all he would tell me. His antici-
patton of coming danger had come to
him solely from the coincidence that
Mile Stangerson had been twice at
Backed, and both times when be had
been absent Now a man so moved
nEho should still go away must be act
ing under compulsion-must be obey
ing a will stronger than his own. That
Eyas how reasoned, and l told him so.
Nde replied Perhaps l asked him if
MIlle. Stangerson was compelling him.
ole protested that she was not His de-
termination to go to Paris had been
1aken without any conference with
Mile. Stangerson.
''To cut the story short, he repeated
that his belief in the possibility Of
fresh attack was founded entirely on
the extraordinary coincidence. IF any
thing happens to Mile. Stangerson,' he
said, it would be terrible for both of
us-fOr her, because her life would be
in danger; for me, because / could nei-
Their defend her from the attack nor
tell of where I had been. l am perfect
ly aware of the suspicious cast on me.
The examining magistrate and NJ. Lar
san are both on the point of believing
in my guilt Larsan tracked me the
last time 1 went to Paris, and had all
the trouble in the world to get rid of
him.
of the murderer now if you know itY
cried.
an Darzac appeared extremely trou-
bled by my question and replied to me
I'm a hesitating tone:
"T? | know the name Of the MUIR
derer? Why, how could | know his
name"
..I ,+ oroo ror,tiod ,L1ror, Nfno C+on-
gerson.'
HE grew so pale that l thought he
was about to faint, and I saw that
had hit the right nail on the head.
Mademoiselle and he knew the name
of the murderer When he recovered
himself, he said to me: 4 am going to
leave you. Since you have been here
have appreciated your exceptional in
telligence and your unequaled inge-
nuity. But / ask this service Of you.
Perhaps | am wrong to fear an attack
during the coming night, but as
must act with foresight ! count on you
to Illustrate any attempt that may be
made
"'Have you spoken of all this to NJ.
OLduSeISOu
"'No. | do not wish him to ask me,
as you just now did, for the name Of
the murderer | tell you all this, M.
Rouletabille, because | have great
very great, confidence in you. l know
that you do not suspect me-
'rhe poor man spoke in jerks. He
was evidently suffering | pitied him.
the more because | felt sure that he
would rather allow himself to be kill
ed than tell me who the murderer was.
AS for Mile Stangerson, felt that
she would rather allow herself to be
murdered than denounce the man Of
the yellow room and OF the ineXplica-
BILE gallery. The man must be domi-
mating her or both by some inscruta-
bic power They were dreading moth