The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-08-12
The Mystery Of
The Yellow Room
By GASTONLEROUX eorT ~ ssEs ,gos
(contInued.l


vincing than the cane which remain
.tncomprehensible. TO me. all the more
so as Larsan does not in the least hest
tate to let Darzac see him with It ]
understand many things In Larsans
theory, but / can't make anything OF
that cane"
ais he still at the chateaur
~Yes. He hardly ever quits It. he
sleeps there, as do. at the request of
II. stangerson, who has done for him
what M. Robert Darzac has done for
me. In spite of the accusation made
/ by Larsan that NJ. Stangerson knows
who the murderer is, he yet affords
him every facility for arriving at the
truth, just as Darzac is doing for me"
But you are convinced of Darzac's
! innocenceT
"At one time I did believe In the pos
sibility of his guilt. That was when
we arrived here for the first time. The
time has come for me to tell you what
has passed between M. Darzac and
myself"
Here Rouletabille interrupted himself
and asked me If had brought the re-
volvers. l showed him them Having
examined both, he pronounced them
excellent and handed them back to me.
"Shall we have any use for themT /
asked.
EMO doubt; this evening. We shall
pass the night here II that won't tire
your
"on the contrary" / said, with an
expression that made Rouletabille
laugh.
mo. no." he seid. "This is no time
FOR laughing. You remember the
phrase which was the open sesame Of
this chateau full Of mystery?"
"Yes," l said, perfectly, The pres
bytery has lost nothing of its charm
nor the garden its brightness 1t was
the phrase which you found on the
half burned piece Of paper among the
ashes in the laboratory"
Yes. At the bottom OF the paper,
where the fame had not reached, was
this date, 23d of October. Remember
this date; 1t is highly important ! am
now going to tell you about that curl
GUS phrase. On the evening before the
crfmethat is to say, on the 23d-M.
and Mile. Stangerson were at recep-
tion at the Elysee. | know that, be-
cause / was there on duty, having to
Interview one of the servants of the
Academy Of Philadelphia who was be-
ing feted there had never before
seen either NJ. or Mile. Stangerson.
was seated In the room which precedes
the Salon DIES Ambassadors, and, tired
OF being jostled by so many noble per-
uonages, I had fallen into vague
reverie, when / scented near me the I
perfume of the lady In black.
'Do you ask me what is the perfume ,
Df the lady In blackT 1t must suffice
you to know that 1t is a perfume Of
which / am very fond, because it was
that Of lady who had been very kind
10 me In my childhood, q lady whom | J
had always seen dressed in black. The
adv who that evening was scented '
With the perfume Of the lady In black !
vas dressed In white. She waSAwon- !,
lerfully beautiful could not help /,
Using and following her. An old man !
ave her his arm, and as they passed :
heard voices say, Professor Stanger- !
on and his daughter 1t was in that :
Vay learned who 1t was I was fol- :
owing. :
'"They met NJ. Robert Darzac, whom :
knew by sight. Professor Stanger- !
on, accosted by Mr.. Arthur William '
.ance, one of the American savants, ),
Gated himself In the great gallery,
nd M. Robert Darzac led Mile. Stan =
erson into the conservatory. / fol- i
wed. The weather was very mild =
lat evening. The garden doors were .,
pen. Mile. Stangerson threw fichu i
lawi over her shoulders, and plain
saw that 1t was she who was beg .
ng NJ Darzac to go with her into the OF
lrden. I continued to follow, inter "
ted by the agitation plainly exhibited W
! the bearing of NJ. Darzac. They e
owly passed along the wall abutting 81
| the Avenue Marigny. / took the
ntral alley, walking parallel with IN
EN-, and then crossed over for the c.
lrpose of getting nearer to them. ~
he night was dark, and the grass 81
adened the sound of my steps. They tu
d stopped under the vacillating light "a
a gas jet and appeared to be both &c
nding over paper held by Mile. 90
angerson, reading something which
eply interested them. | stopped In. &c
: darkness and silence. m
Neither Of them saw me, and / dis -
city heard Mile. Stangerson repeat
sha woe rafo1dino tha naDnr THE