Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1909-07-15


for it. He was very nearly OF the same
height as M. Darzac and had almost
the same sized feet. It would not be
difficult to take an impression Of M.
Darzacs footprints and have similar
boots made for himself Such tricks
were mere child's play for Larsan or
Ba1lmeyer.
"Receiying no reply to his letter, he
determined, since Mile. Stangerson
would not come to him, that he would
20 to her. His plan had long been
formed He had made himself master
Of the plans Of the chateau and the
pavilion, so that one afternoon while
M. and Mile. stangerson were out for
walk and while Daddy Jacques was
away he entered the latter by the
vestfbule window. He was alone and,
being In no hurry, he began examining
the furniture One Of the pieces, re-
sembling safe, had very small key
hole. That interested himl He had
with him the little key with the brass
head and, associatfng one with the
other, he tried the key in the lock.
The door opened. He saw nothing but
| papers. They must be very valuable to
have been put away In safe the key
to which he knew to be Of SO much I'M
portance. Perhaps thought Of black
mail occurred to him as a useful posi-
bi1fty in helping him In his designs on
| Mile. Stangerson. He quickly made
a parcel Of the papers and took it to
the lavatory in the vestibule. Between
the pavilion and the night OF the MUIR
der Of the keeper Larsan had had time
to find out what those papers con-
tanned He could do nothing with
| them, and they were rather eompro-
missing That night he took them back
to the chateau. Perhaps he hoped
that by returning the papers he might
obtain some gratitude from Mile. Stan
gerson. But whatever may have been
his reasons, he took the papers back
and SO rid himself Of an incumbrances"
Rouletabille coughed. It was evil
dent to me that he was embarrassed.
He had arrived at point where he
had to keep back his knowledge OF
| Larsan's true motive The explana-
| ton he had given had evidently been
unsatisfactory. Rouletabil1e was quick
| enough to note the bad impression he
| had made, for, turning TO the presi-
dent, he said, "And now we come TO
the explanation Of the mystery Of the
| yellow roomi'
: y
A movement of chairs in the court,
with a rustling Of dresses and an en-
ergetic whispering OF "Hushp showed
the curiosity that had been aroused.
''It seems to me-" said the president,
| that the mystery Of the yellow room,
NJ Rouletabille, is wholly explained by
your hypothesis. Frederic Larsan il
the explanation We have merely TO
substitute him for NJ. Robert Darzac.
Evidently the door OF the yellow room
was open at the time M. stangerson
was alone and that he allowed the
man who was coming out of his daugh-
ter's chamber to pass without arrest
ing him-perhaps at her entreaty to
avoid all scandal"
''No, NJ. President" protested the
young man t'You forget that, stunned
BY the attack made on her, Mile. Stan
gerson was not IN condition TO have
made such an appeal. Nor could she
have locked and bolted herself In her
room You must also remember that
i NJ. Stangerson has sworn that the door
was not OPEN
ssThat, however, Is the only way In
which 1t can be explained. The yel-
low room was as closely shut as an
H iron safe. To use your own expces-
sion, 1t was impossible for the MUIR
derer to make his escape either natu-
rally or supernaturally. When the room
was broken into he was not there! He
must, therefore, have escaped"
ssThat does not follow"
H What do you mean2"
"There was no need for him to es-
cape-if he was not therel''
II "Not therey'
Evidently not. He could not have
been there Il he were not found there. %
tBut what about the evidences Of his
presenter asked the president.
Il "That, NJ. President, IS where we
have taken hold OF the wrong end.
From the time Nile standerson shut
herself II her room to the time her
door was burst open 1t was Impossible
for the murderer to escape. He was
| not found because he was not there
during that time
"But the eyidencesY
tThey have led us astray. In req
soning on this mystery we must not
take them to mean what they appar-
emily mean. Why do We conclude the
murderer was there? Because he left
his tracks in the rooml Good! But
may he not have been there before
the room was locked? Nay; he must
have been there before. Let US look
into the matter Of these traces and
see L they do not point to my con
Iclusion.
After the publication Of the article
SyS Ia Of ri