The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-01-07
Bv CASTOR LEROUX ~

well enough today to allow Of her
being questioned"
Rouletabille. following up his
thought, asked:
"And the attic? There must be some
opening to thatf"
ayes: there IS a window or, rather,
skylight In It. which, as 1t looks out
toward the country. NJ. Stangerson
has had barred, like the rest Of the
windows. These bars, as in the other
windows, have remained intact, and
the blinds, which naturally open In
ward, have not been unfastened. For
the rest, we have not discovered any
thing to lead us TO suspect that the
murderer had passed through the at
tic"
1T seems clear to you, then, mon
sieur, that the murderer e~scaped-no-
body knows how-by the window In
the vestibulc%"
'EverythinG goes to prove It,"
az think so, too" confessed Rouleta,
billie gravely.
After n brief silence he continued:
eff you have not found any traces
Of the murderer In the attic, such as
the dirty footmarks similar to those
on the floor Of the yellow room, you
must come to the conclusion that It
was not he who stole Daddy Jacques
revolver"
There are no footmarks In the attic
other than those of Daddy Jacques
himself" said the magistrate with a
significant turn Of his head. Then,
after an apparent decision, he added,
Daddy Jacques was with Nj. Stanger-
son in the laboratory, and it was lucky
for him he was"
Then what part did his revolver
tlay in the tragedy? 1t seems very
clear that this weapon did less harm
TO Mile. S~tangerson than ii did to the
murderer"
The magistrate made no reply to
this question. which doubtless embar-
tells us that the two bullets have
been found in the yellow room, one
embedded in the wall stained with the
impression Of a red hand-a mans
large hand-and the other in the cell
ing"
"Oh. oh, in the ceiling" muttered
R%ouletabille. I'm the ceiling. That's
very curious. In the ceiling"
He pulled awhile in silence at his
pipe, enveloping himself in the smoke.
When we reached Epinay-sur-Orge |
had to tap him on the shoulder to
arouse him from his dream and come
out on to the platform of the station.
There the magistrate and his regis
trar bowed to u and, by rapidly get
ting into a cab that was awaiting
them. made us understand hat they
had seen enough of US.
"How long will 1t take to walk to
the Chateau du Glandier?' Rouleta-
billie asked one Of the railway porters.
IAN hour and a half or an hour
and three-quarters-easy walking" the
man replied.
Rouletabille looked up at the sky
and, no doubt finding Its appearance
satisfactory, took my arm and said:
"Come on! l need a walk. 1t was a
bit Of luck our falling in with that
examining magistrate and his registrar,
eh? What did l tell you about that
revolverT"
His head was bent down, he had his
hands in his pockets, and he was
whistling. After awhile 1 heard him
murmur:
"Poor woman"
as it Mile. Stangerson you are pity
ing?'
"Yes. She's a noble woman and
worthy Of being pitied-a woman Of
a great, a very great. character, I
imagine-I imagine"
"You know her, them"
"Not at all. l have seen her
but once"
"Why, then. do you say that she is a
woman of great characterT"
Because she bravely faced tie muir
derer. because she courageously de-
Tended herself. and. above all, because
Of the bullet in the ceiling"
w