The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-03-06

OF my head and l might be lost. Would
he see me? Would he peer into the
darkness? No; he went away. He had
seen nothing. l felt rather than heard
him moving on tiptoe in the room, and
| mounted few steps higher. My
head reached to the level of the win
dow sill; my forehead rose above it;
my eyes looked between the opening
in the blinds, and | saw
"a man seated at Mile. Stangerson's
little desk writing. His back was turn
ed toward me. A candle was lit before
him, and he bent over the flame, the
light from it projecting shapeless shad-
ows. | saw nothing but a monstrous,
STOPPING back.
mile. Stangerson herself was not
there. Her bed had not been lain on!
Where, then, was she sleeping that
/ night? Doubtless in the side room
with her women. Perhaps this wHs
/ but guess. l must content myself
with the joy Of finding the man alone.
| must be calm to prepare my trap.
But who, then, is this man writing
there before my eyes, seated at the
desk, as If he were in his own home?
If there had not been that ladder un
der the window, If there had not been
those footprints on the carpet in the
gallery, if there had not been that open
window, | might have been led to
think that this man had right to be
there and that he was there as a mat
ter of course and for reasons about
which as yet | knew nothing. But
there was no doubt that this mysteri-
Gus unknown was the man of the yell
low room, the man to whose murder
GUS assault Mile. Stangerson without
denouncing him had had to submit. If
| could but see his face Surprise and
capture him!
IF / spring into the room at this
moment he Will escape by the right
hand door opening into the boudoir, or,
crossing the drawing room, he will
reach the gallery and shall lose him
i have him now, and in five minutes
more he'll be safer than If | had him
In a cage. What is he doing there,
alone in Mile. Stangerson's room?
What Is he writing? | descend and
place the ladder on the ground. Dad
dy jacques follows me. We re-enter
the chateau. l send Daddy Jacques
to wake NJ. Stangerson aud instruct
him to await my coming In Mile.
Stangerson's room and to say nothing
definite to him before my arrival.
will go and awaken Frederic Larsan.
It's bore to have to do 1t, for
should have liked to work alone and
to have carried off all the honors of
: this affair myself right under the very
nose of the sleeping detective. But
Daddy Jacques ard NJ. Stangerson are
old men, and ! am not yet fully de-
veloped, l might not be strong
enough. Larsan is used to wrestling
and putting on the handouts. He
: opened his eyes. swollen with sleep
l ready to send me flying without In the
: least believing In my reporters fan
] sfes 1 nau 20 assure MIN Inar u
! man was there.
: "'That's strange he said. i thought
: left him this afternoon In Paris
Q ''He dressed himself In haste AM
n armed himself with a revolver. w
. stole quietly into the gallery.
u "'Where is heT Larsan asked.
y "In Mile. Stangerson's ROOM
y "And Mile. StangersonF
J. "'She is not in there
"Let's go io,'
o "'Don't GO there. On the leas
o alarm the mAn will escape. He ha
IS four ways by which to do 1.-THE doc
d, the window the boudor or the rool
II In which the women a:e sleeping
u 'Tll draw him from Lelov.'
10 "'And If you fall? If you only su
l. ceed Ia wcunGlng him he'll escal
u again without reckoning that he
ie certainly armed no; let me Greet Il
y expedition, and I'll answer for ever
thing
et GAS you like he replied. with fair
good grace.
AZ "Then after satisfying myself tn
all the windows of the two galleri
~ were thoroughly secure placed Ere
ne eric Larsan at the end Of the off tur
We ing gallery, before the window whi
W / had found open and had reclosed.
~ "'Under no consideration | said
en- him, must you stir from this post
ry call you. The chances are even th
II the man when he Is pursued VIII
W! turn to this window and try to sa
ne himself that way. for 1t is by that W
OK he came In and made way ready
NJ his fight. You have dangerous po!