The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-02-26

dered Mile Stangerson great service
by stopping, at the peril of his owr
life, the runaway horses Of her car
riage. The immediate result OF tina.
could. however. have been no NOR,
than mere friendly association with
the Stangcrsons. certainly not love
affair.
Frederic Larsan did not tell me
where he had picked up this informa-
ton, but he appeared to be quite sure
Of what he said.
The American must have, been az
least forty-fve years old. He spoke il,
perfectly natural tone in reply tc.
Rouletabille's question.
1T put off my return to America
when | heard of the attack, on Mile
Stangerson. l wanted to be certain
the lady had not been killed. and
shall not go away until she is perfectly
recovered"
Like Larsan, Rance thought that
Robert Darzac had something to dc
with the matter. He did not mention
him by name, but there was no room to
doubt whom he meant He told us h.
was aware Of the efforts young Roule
tabille was making to unrayel the
tangled skein Of the yellow room mys
terry. He explained that M, Stanger
son bad related to him all that hac
taken place in the inexplicable gallery
He several times expressed his regret
at M. Darzac's absence from the cha
teau on all these occasions and thought
that M. Darzac had done cleverly iE
allying himself with M. Joseph Roule
tabille. who could not fail sooner or
later to discover the murderer. He
spoke the last sentence with uncon,
cealed irony. Then he rose, bowed t.
us and left the inn.
Rouletabille watched him through.
the window.
"An odd fish, THAR he said
do you think he'll pass the night a,
the Glandier?" asked.
To my amazement the young report
er answered that 1t was a matter OF
did or not
AS to how we spent our time during
the afternoon, all l need say is that
Rouletabillc led me to the grotto of
Sainte Genevieve and all the time
talked of every subject but the one
with which we were most interested.
Toward evening I was surprised to
find Rouletabille making none Of the
preparations I had expected him to
make. / spoke to him about il when
night had come on and we were once
more In his room. He replied that all
his arrangements had already been
made, and this time the murderer
would not get away from him.
] expressed some doubt on this, re-
minding him of his disappearance in
the gallery. and suggested that the
same phenomenon might occur again.
He answered that he shoped it would
He desired nothing more. i did not
insist, knowing by experience how use
less that would have been. lie told
me that, with the help of the con-
cierges, the chateau had since early
dawn been watched in such way
that nobody could approach it without
his knowing 1t and that he had no COM
Germ for those who might have left it
and remained without.
1t was then @ o'clock by his watch.
Rising, he made sign TO me to follow
him, and, without in the least trying
to conceal his movements or the sound
of his footsteps, he led me through the
gallery. We reached the right" gai-
lery and came TO the landing place,
which we crossed We then continued
our way in the gallery Of the left wing,
passing Professor Stangerson's apart
ment
At the far end of the gallery, before
coming To the donjon, is the room Oc-
cupied by Arthur Rance. We knew
that, because we had seen him at the
window looking on to the court The
door OF the room opens on to the END
of the gallery, exactly facing the east
window. at the extremity of the
right gallery. where Rouletabille had
placed Daddy Jacques. and commands
an uninterrupted view of the gallery
from end to end of the chateau.
"That off turning gallery" sail.
Rouletabille, II reserve for myself.
when tell you you'll come and take
your place here"
And he made me enter little dark,
triangular closet built in n bend of the
wall to the left Of the door Of Arthur
RANGES room. From this recess
could see all that occurred i'm the gal
iery as well as IL had been standing
In front of Arthur RANGES door, and
,ould watch that door too. The door
Of the closet, which was to be my
place of observation, was fitted with
panels Of transparent glass. In the
gallery, where all the lamps had been
lit, It was quite light. In the closet,
however, It was quite dark. 1t was
splendid place from which to observe
md remain unobserved.
We returned along the gallery. On
the door of Mile. Stangerson's
apartment 1t opened from push
given by the steward who was waiting
1t the dinner table. On. StangersoD
had for the last three days dined
With his daughter in the drawing room
IN the first foor.) AS the door remain
ID open. we distinctly saw Mile. stan
yerson, taking advantage Of the stew
n f.