The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-02-27

on me-W1th what force those words
pronounced by NJ. Robert Darzac,
Must l commit crime, then, to win
youY required to me. 1t was not this
phrase, however, that 1 repeated to
him when we met here at Chandler.
The sentence Of the presbytery and the
bright garden sufficed to open the gate
of the chateau. If you ask me If l be-
lieve now that NJ. Darzac is the muir
derer l must say do not. 1 do not
think l ever quite thought that. At the
time could not really think seriously
of anything, had so little evidence to
go ON, but needed to have at once the
proof that he had not been wounded in
the hand.
when we were alone together told
him how l had CHANGED to overhear a
part of his conversation with Mile.
Stangerson in the garden of the Elysee,
and when repeated to him the words,
Must l commit crime, then, to win
you? he was greatly troubled, though
much less so than he had been by hear
ing me repeat the phrase about the
presbytery. What threw him into =
state Of real CONSERVATION was to
learn from me that the day on which
he had gone to meet Mile. Stangerson
at the Elysee was the very day on
which she had gone to the postoffice
for the letter. 1t was that letter per-
haps which ended with the words,
The presbytery has lost nothing Of its
oh hn nd re serh hty,a
My surmise was confirmed by my find
ing, If you remember, in the ashes Of
the laboratory the fragment Of paper
dated Oct. %. The letter had been
written and withdrawn from the post
Office on the same day.
"There can be no doubt that on re-
turning from the Elysee that night
Mile. Stangerson had tried to destroy
that compromising paper. 1t was in
vain that NJ. Darzac denied that that
letter had anything whatever to do
with the crime. I told him that in an
affair so filed with mystery as this he
had no right to hide this letter; that
was persuaded 1t was of considerable
! importance that the desperate tone in
which Mile. Stangerson had pronounc-
ed the phrase; that his own tears and
| the threat Of a crime which he had
professed after the letter was read
all these facts tended to leave no room
for me to doubt. NJ. Darzac became
more and more agitated, and I deter
mined to take advantage of the effect
| I had produced on him. You were on
the point Of being married, monsieur
I said negligently and without looking
at him, and suddenly your marriage
becomes impossible because Of the
| writer of that letter-because as soon
as his fetter was read you spoke Of the
necessity for crime to win Mile
stangerson. Therefore there is some
one between you and her-some one
who is preventing your marriage
with her; some one who has at
| tempted to kill her so that she
should not be able to marry And
l concluded with these words: Now,
monsieur, you have only to tell me in
confidence the name Of the murderer.
The words | had uttered must have
| struck him ominously, for when
turned my eyes on him saw that his
face was haggard, the perspiration
standing on his forehead and terror
showing in his eyes.
Monsieur he said to me, I am
going to ask Of you something which
may appear insane, but in exchange
for which l place my life in your
hands. You must not tell the magis.
trates Of what you saw and heard In
the garden Of the Elysee; neither to
them nor to anybody. swear to you
that l am innocent and know, feel
that you believe me. but l would rath
er be taken for the guilty man than
see justice go astray on that phrase
"The presbytery has lost nothing OF
its charm nor the garden Its bright
ness" The judges must know moth
ing about that phrase. All this mat
ter is in your hands. Monsieur,
leave 1t there, but forget the evening
at the Elysee. A hundred other roads
are open to you in your search fol
the criminal. 1 will open them fol-
you myself. / will help you. VII
you take up your quarters here? Yor
may remain here to do as you please
Eat, sleep here, watch my actions, ths
actions of all here. You shall be mas
ter of the Chandler, monsieur, but for
get the evening at the Elysee.'"
Rouletabille here paused to taxi
breath. | now understood what hat
appeared so unexplainable in the de
meanor of NJ. Robert Darzac towart
my friend and the facility with whicl
the young reporter had been able t.
install himself on the scene Of tn,
crime.
Everything seems to be pointing
against him." continued my friend
"and the situation is becoming ex
ceedingly grave. NJ. Darzac appear
not to mind 1t much, but In that he I
wrong. / was interested only In tn
health OF Mile. Stangerson. which wa
daily improving, when something oc
Cured that Is even more mysteriou
than-than the mystery of the yellow
room"
Tmpossiblew / cried. what coul,
be more mysterious than that?'
"Let us first go back to NJ. Rober
DarZac." said Rouletabille. calming
me. II have said that everythin
/ I. IN.