Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-01-29
CHAPTER xxvIII.
The Mystery of MAdsmoiselle Stan
 aerson.

| | l~ 1URING the days that followed llH had several opportunities to lIIU question Rouletabille as to his 0 reason for his voyage to Amer lea, but obtained no more precise an swers than he had given me on the evening of the adjournment of the trial, when we were on the train for Paris. One day. however, on my still pressing him. he said:
 Cant you understand that had to know Larsap's true personalityT
 No doubt" l said. but why did you go to America to find that outT | Ire sat smoKIng ms. pIpe ana maur no further reply. began to see that was touching on the secret that con lcerned Mile. Stangerson. Rouletabille evidently had found 1t necessary to go to America to find out what the mys- terious tie was that bound her to Lar san by SO strange and terrible bond. In America he had learned who Lar san was and had obtained information which closed his mouth. He had been to Philadelphia.
 And now what was this mystery which held Mile. Stangerson and NJ. Robert Darzac in so inexplicable si- lence? After so many years and the publicity given the case by curious and shameless press. now that NJ. Stangerson knows all and has forgiven all, all may be told. In every phase of this remarkable story Mile. Stan ! gerson had always been the sufferer. l The beginning dates from the time ! when, as young girl, she was living | with her father in Philadelphia. A l visitor at the house. a Frenchman, had succeeded by his wit grace and per sistent attention in gaining her affec- lions. He was said to be rich and had | asked her of her father. NJ. Stanger- son. on making inquiries as to M. Jean Roussel. found that the. man was a swindler and an adventurer. Jean ! Roussel was but another of the many names under which the notorious Ball. meyer. Il fugitive from France, tried to hide himself M. Stangerson did not know of his identity with Ball. meyer. He learned that the man was \ simply undesirable for his daughter. He not only refused to give his consent Ito the marriage. but denied him ad- mission into the house. Mathilde 4 Stangerson, however. had fallen in Hove. To her Jean Roussel was every . thing that her love painted him. She was indignant at her fathers attitude and did not conceal her feelings. Her I father sent her to stay with an aunt lin Cincinnati There she was joined | by Jean Roussel and. in spite of the reverence she felt for her father, ran away with him t6 get married.
 I They went to Louisville and lived there for some time. One morning. how ever. a knock came at the door of the house in which they were. and the po- lice entered to arrest Jean Reussel. It
 was then that Mathilde Stangerson. oR
 Rou ssel, learned that her husband vas
 no other than the notorious Ballmeyerl The young woman ID hev desa7ir
 tried to commit suicide She tailed tS
 this, and was forced to rejoin ker auns at Cincinnati. The old lady was over
 joyed to see her again. She had leeii
 anxiously searching for her and had
 not dared to tell NJ. Stangerson of her
 disappearance Mathide swore her tu
 secrecy, so that her father should not
 know she had been away. A mouth
 later Mile Stanger&on returned to her
 father. repentant. her heart dead with
 fin her, hoping only one thing-that she would never again see her husband.
 the horrible Ballmeyer A report was
 spread few weeks later that he was
 dead, and she now determined to atone
 for her disobedience by a life of labor
 and devotion for her father And she
 kept her word,
 All this she had confessed to Robert
 Darzac. and. believing Ballmeyer dead,
 had given herself to the joy of union
 with him But fate had resuscitated
 Jean Houssel, the Ballmeyer of her
 youth He had taken steps to let her
 know that hc would never allow her to
 marry Darzac--that he still loved her.
 Mile. Stangerson never for one mo
 ment hesitated to confide in M Darzac.
 She showed him the letter in which
 Jean Roussel asked her to recall the
 first hours of their union in their beau tiful and charming Louisville home
 "The presbytery has lost nothing of its charm nor the garden its brightness, he had written. The scoundrel pre-
 tended to be rich and claimed the right of taking her back to Louisville. She had told sDarzac that if her father should know of her dishonor she would kill herself. M Darzac had sworn tc silence her prosecutor, even if he had to kill him. He was outwitted and would have succgmbed had it not been for the genius of Rouletabille.
 Mile. Stangerson was herself help less in the hands of such villain
 She had tried to. kill him when he had first threatened and then attacked hei In the yellow room. She had, unfor fuuafalv fnfled and felt herself con