The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-02-19

| gallery and see that the window couid
be simply pushed open from the out
side This question of the unfastened
window easily narrowed the field Of
| search for the murderer. He must be-
long to the house unless he had an ac-
| complete, which do not believe he
had; unless-unless Mile. Stangerson
herself had seen that that window was
not fastened from the inside. But,
then, what could be the frightful Sc
cret which put her under the necessity
Of doing away with obstacles that sep
arated her from the murderer?
| 81 seized hold of the ladder, and we
returned to the back Of the chateau to
see If the window of the chamber was
still half open. The blind was drawn,
but did not join and allowed a bright
stream Of light to escape and fall upon
the path at our feet. planted the
| ladder under the window. l am al
most sure that / made no noise, and
while Daddy Jacques remained at the
foot Of the ladder l mounted ii very
quietly, my stout stick in my hand.
| held my breath and lifted my feet
with the greatest care. Suddenly a
| heavy cloud discharged itself at that
moment In q fresh downpour Of rain.
AT the same instant the sinister cry
of the Bette du Bon Dieu arrested me
in my ascent. 1t seemed TO me - have
come from close by me, only few
yards away. Was the cry a signal?
Had some accomplice Of the man seen
me on the ladder? Would the cry
bring the man 10 the window? Per
haps All, there he was at the window.
| felt his head above me. | heard the
sound of his breath | could not look
up toward him. The least movement
of my head and might be lost. Would
| he see me? Would he peer into the
darkness? No; he went away. He had
seen nothing. | 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 ii,
my eyes looked between the opening
| in the blinds, and l saw
"A man seated ut 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 ii projecting shapeless shad-
ows. | saw nothing but 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 was
but guess. must content myself
with the joy of finding the man alone.
l must be calm 10 prepare my trap.
But who, hen 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 a right to be
there and that he was there ar 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 l 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.
have him now, and In five minutes
more he'll be safer than If had him
in 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 and 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 a bore to have to do ii, 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 and NJ. Stangerson are
old men, and ] am not yet fully de
veloped. might not be strong
enough. Larsan Is used 10 wrestling
and putting on the handouts. He
opened his eyes. swollen with sleep.
ready to send me flying without In the
east belering in my reporters fan
sies. had to assure him that the
man was there.
That's strange, he said L thought |
left him this afternoon in Paris
He dressed himself in haste and
armed himself with revolver. We
stole quietly into the gallery
Where is hei' Larsan asked.
"In Mile. Stangerson's ROOM
"'And Mile. StangersOnr
She is not in there
LETS 90 in
Don't go there. On the least
alarm the man will escape. He has
four ways by which TO do 1.-THE door,
the window, the boudoir or the room
In which the women are sleeping
III draw him from below
And IL you fail? If you only sue
coed in woundlng him he'll escape |
again without reckoning that he Is |
certa inly armed No. LOT mo direct the |