The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-02-19
tcontiuued from page o.

bed. Then he suddenly began talking
to her as II she were little child. He
smiled at her and seemed not to know
either what he said or what he did.
The illustrious professor had lost his
head. Mile. Stangerson in tone Of
tender distress said, Father, fatherr
Daddy Jacques blows his nose, and
Frederic Larsan himself is obliged to
turn away to hide his emotion. For
myself, / am able neither to think or
feel. / felt n contempt for myself.
1T was the first time that Frederic
Larsan. like myself, found himself
face to face with Mile. Stangerson
since the attack in the yellow room.
Like me, he had insisted on being al
lowed to question the unhappy lady.
but he had not, any more than had 1,
been permitted. To him, as to me, the
same answer had always been given:
Mile. StangersOn was too weak to re-
ceive us. The questionings Of the ex-
amining magistrate had overfatigued
her. 1t was evidently intended not to
give us any assistance I'm our re-
searches 1 was not surprised, but
Frederic Larson had always resented
this conduct. 1t is true that he and i
had totally different theory Of the
crime. still catch myself repeating
from the depths of my heart: Save
her! Save her without his speakingr
Who is he-the murderer? Take him
and shut his mouth. But Nj. Darzac
made 10 clear that In order to shut lis
mouth he must be killed. Have l the
right to kill Mile. Stangerson's muir
derer? No, / had not. But let him
only give me the chance! Let me find
out whether he is really a creature of
flesh ard blood! Let me see his dead
body. since it cannot be taken alive.
IF I could but make this woman,
who does not even look at us, under
stand! She is absorbed by her fears
and by her fathers distress of mind.
And l can do nothing to save her. Yes,
/ will go to work once more and ac-
complish wonders.
81 move toward her. I would speak
to her. l would entreat her to have
confidence in me. l would, in word,
make her understandable alone-that
l know how the murderer escaped
from the yellow room, that 1 have
guessed the motives for her secrecy,
and that pity her with all my heart.
But by her gestures she begged us to
leave her alone, expressing WEAKNESS
and the need for immediate rest. NJ.
Stangerson asked us to go back to our
rooms and thanked us. Frederic Lar
san and bowed to him, and, followed
by Daddy Jacques, we regained the
gallery. l heard Larsan murmur:
Strange! Stranger He made a sign
to me to go with him into his room.
On the threshold he turned toward
Daddy Jacques.
Ibid you see him distinctly he
asked. t.. .-
"'WhoY
""rhe man
"'Saw him! Why, he had big red
beard and red hair
'That's how he appeared to me- |
said.
"'And to me- said Larsan.
"The great Fred and l were alone
in his chamber now to talk over this
Ing the matter over and viewing it
from every side. From the questions
put 10y him, from the explanation
which he gives me, It is clear to me
that in spite of all our senses he Is
persuaded the man disappeared by
some secret passage in the chateau
known to him alone.
L. l,a llat hn To
me; he knows 1t we'll
"Iie is II rather tall man, well
built suggested.
"'Ie is as tall as he wants to be-,
murmured Fred.
Il understand l said But how do
you account for his red hair and
beard?'
"'Too much beard, too much hair
false says Fred.
"'rhat's easily said. You are al
ways thinking of Robert Darzac. You
can't get rid of that idea! l am GER
tain that he Is innocent
$50 much the better. | hope so,
but everything condemns him. Did
you notice the marks OH the carpet?
Come and look at them
81 have seen them. They are the
marks of the neat boots the same as
those we saw on the border Of the
lake
"'Caa you deny that they belong to
Robert DarZacT
"sOf course one may be mistaken
sHHave you noticed that those foot |
prints only go In one direction, that
there are no return marks? When the
man came from the chamber. pursued
by all OF us, his footsteps left no traces
behind them
"He had perhaps been in the cham
Der for hours The mud from his boots
had dried. and he moved with such
rapidlty on the points of his toes. We
saw him running, but we did not hear
his steps
al suddenly put an end to this idle
chatter, void Of any logic, and made a
sign to Larsan to listen.
"'There, below, some one is shutting
q door
III rise. LaTsan follows me- We
descend To the ground floor of the |
chateau. J lead him 10 the little semi |
circular room under the terrace be-
meath the window of the off turning
gallery. point to the door, now |
.I.sV.t