The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-03-26
Continued from last week. }

Receiving no reply to his letter. he
determined, since Mile. Stangerson
would not come to him, that he would
go 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
a walk and while Daddy Jacques was
away he entered the latter by the
being in no hurry, he began examining
the furniture. One of the pieces, re-
scmbling a safe, had very small key
hole. That interested him! He had
with him the little key with the brass
head and, associating 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 a safe the key
to which he knew to be Of so much i'm
portance. Perhaps a thought Of black
mail occurred to him as a useful posi-
bility 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 time of his first examination Of
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 compro-
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 incumbrance."
Rouletabille cOughed. 1t was evil
dent to me that he was embarrassed.
He had arrived at a point where he
had to keep back his knowledge of
Lafsan's true motive. The explana-
ton he had given had evidently been
unsatisfactory. Rouletabille 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 room"
A movement Of chairs in the court,
with a rustling Of dresses and an en-
ergetic whispering of "Hush!" showed
the curiosity that had been aroused.
1T seems to me-" said the president,
chat the mystery of the yellow room.
M. Rouletabille, is wholly explained by
your hypothesis. Frederic Larsan is
the explanation. We have merely to
substitute him for M. 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"
mo, NJ. President" protested the
young man. 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
M. Stangerson has sworn that the door
was not open"
"That. however, Is the only way in
which it can be explained. The yell
low room was as closely shut as an
iron safe To use your own express
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"
"That does not follow"
What do you mean?"
'Thcre was no need for him to es-
sape-if he was not therew
mot there
Evidently not. He could not have
been there II he were not found there"
"But what about the evidences Of his
yresenceT asked the president.
"That, M. President, Is where we
lave taken hold of the wrong end.
From the time Mile. standerson shut
herself In her room to the time her
door was burst open it was impossible
for the murderer to escape. He was
not found because he was not there
during that time"
"But the evidences?"
''They have led us astray. in rea-
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 room! 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 IL they DO not point to my con-
clusion.
"After the publication Of the article
in the Matin and my conversation with
the examining magistrate on the Jour.
ney from Paris to Epinay-sur-O rge l
was certain that the yellow room had
been Theoretically sealed, so to speak,
and that consequently the murderer
had escaped before Mile. Stangerson
had gone into Der chamber at mid
night.
"At the time was much puzzled
Mile. Stangerson could not have been
her own murderer, since the evidences
pointed to some other person. The as
sassin, then, bad come before. II that
were so, how was II that mademoi-
selle had been attacked after, or, rath-