The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-07-29

compliment you II we do rot know
Jet how the murdsrer succseded d
getting away we can az any rate sc.
how he came IN and committed "a.
robbery. But what aid be stealY'
-Something very valuable" replied
the young reporter.
At that moment we heard & cry from
the laboratory. We rushed In and
found NJ. Stangerson, bis eyes hag.
gard. his limbs trembling, pointing q
q sort Of bookcase which be had open
ed and which we saw was empty. Al
the same instant be sank into the
large armchair that was placed before
the desk and groaned. the tears rolling
down his cheeks: II have been robbed
again. For Gods sake, do not say a
word Of this to my daughter! She
would be more panied than | am" He
heaved a deep sigh and added, In a
tone | shall never forget, After all,
Fhat does 1t matter-so long as she
nvesP'
"she will i've" said NJ. Darzac In
voice strangely touching.
"And we Will find the stolen arti-
cles." said NJ. OAK. But what was In
the cabinetT'
Twenty years of my life," replied
the illustrious professor sadly, cor,
rather, of our lives-the lives of myself
and my daughter. Yes, our most pre-.
cious documents, the records of our
secret experiments and our labors Of
twenty years, we're In that cabinet II
Is an irreparable loss to us and, ! ven
ture to say, to science. All the proc
esses by which | had been able to
arrive at the precious proof Of the de-
structibility OF matter were there-all
The man who came wished to take all
from me-my daughter and my work.
my heart and my soul"
And the great scientist wept like
child.
Rouletabille entered into explana-
lions for which there was no need as
to why he had been led to believe that
a robbery had been committed, which
included the simultaneous discovery
he had made In the lavatory and the
empty precious cabinet in the labora-
tory.
The first thing that had struck
him, he said, was the unusual form
of that piece Of furniture 1t was very
strongly built of fire proof iron, clearly |
showing that 1t was intended for the !
keeping of most valuable objects.
Then be noticed that the key had been
left In the lock. lone does not ordi- |
narily have safe and leave 1t open"
he had said to himself
This little key, with its brass head
and complicated wards, had strongly |
limits presence had sug-
gested robbery.
You will do well, NJ. de Marquet, to
ask M. Stangerson who usually kept
that key" said Rouletabille. 4
"My daughter" replied NJ. Stanger-
son. "She was never without it, II
"Ah, then that changes the aspect of
hings which no longer corresponds
With NJ Rouletabille's ideasr' cried
v. de Marquet. IF that key never
eft Mile. Stangerson the murderer
must have waited for her In her room
or the purpose of stealing it. and the
obbery could not have been commit
ed until after the attack had been
made on her, But after the attack
our persons were in the laboratory! \
can't make 1t outr' A
1.-THE robbery" said the reporter, Il
could only--have been committed be- n
ore the attack upon Mile. Stangerson
! her room. When the murderer en-
,red the pavilion he already possessed :,
he brass headed key"
"That is impossible" said M. STAN :
erson In a low voice. =
"It is quite possible, monsieur. as :,
IFS proves" ~
And the young man drew a copy of b;
Ie Epoque from his pocket dated the CT
st of October q recall the fact that v;
e crime was committed on the night D
,tween the oath and 25th) and, show IL
8 us an advertisement, he read: =
Yesterday a black satin reticule III
as lost in the Louvre department % o.
ore. 1t contained. among other ~
ings, a small key with brass head. -
handsome reward will be given to ~
e person who has found 1t. This
rson must write, poste restante, bu-
au 40, to this address: NJ A. T. a.
NJ Do not these letters suggest ~
lie. StangersonT continued the re-
rtsr. sTha hay with brass head
not this the key? This advertise
mt interested me specially; the wo- HI
In of the key surrounded it with
I'd Of mystery. Evidently she valued
, key since she promised big re-
I'D for its restoration. And thought
these six letters: M. A. T. 81. s. N.
e first four at once pointed to a Sp
ristian name, evidently, said. 7
til is-Mathilde. But l could make do,
hing Of the two last letters. So !,
ew the journal aside and occupied wy
self with other matters. -Four days at
er when the evening paper appear by
with enormous headline announc- ell
the attack on Mile. Stangerson the will
ORC I'm tha advertisement mpchan.