The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-10-28
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Mystery Of nademOiseiie Stan
eersOn.

hau seNeTdl opportunities 4
III question RouletabIne as to hi
IL reason for his voyage to Amer
tca, but obtained no more precise an
SWers than he had given me on tn.
evening Of the adjournment Of tn,
TRIAL when we were on the train fol
Paris. One day. however, on my still
pressing him. he said:
Can't you understand that had "a
know Larsan's true personality"
mo doubt" I said, but why did
yon 60 to America to find that QUIT"
He sat smoking his pipe and made
No further reply. began to see that
was touching ON the secret that con.
earned Mile. Stangerson. Rouletabille
evidently had found 1t necessary to go
10 America to find out what the mys-
teriOus tie was that bound her to Lar
Ean by 90 strange and terrible a bond
In America he had learned who Lar
an was and had obtained information
which closed his mouth. He had been
b Philadelphia
And now what was this mystery
which held Mile. Stangerson and M.
Robert Darzac In so inexplicable ST
encei After so many years and the
PublIclty given the case by curious
and shameless press, now that M.
Htangerson knows all and has forgiven
al. all may be told In every phase
II this remarkable story Mile. Stan
soEson had always been the suf1erer.
no. Rwxn be
when. as a young girl, she was living
With her father in Philadelphia. A
VISITOR at the house. Frenchman, had
succeeded by his wit. grace and per-
aastent attention In gaining her affec-
tons He was said to be rich and had
asked her of her father. M. Stranger
son, on making inquiries as to M.
Jean Roussel found that the man was
q swindler and an adventurer Jean
Roussel was but another of the many
names under which the notorious Ball
meyer a fugitive from France, tried
30 hide himself M. Stangerson did
not know of his identity with Ball
meyer. He learned that the man was
simply undesirable for his daughter.
He not only refused to give his consent
20 the marriage, but denied him ad-
mission into the house. Mathilde
Stangerson. however. had fallen in
love. To her Jean Roussel was every
thing that her love painted him. She
was Indignant at her fathers attitude
and did not conceal her feelings. Her i
father sent her to stay with an aunt
In Cincinnati There she was joined
BY Jean ROussel and in spite of the
reverence she felt for her father, ran
away with him to get married.
They went to Louisville and lived
there for some time. One morning how
over. a knock came at the door of the
louse in which they were, and the po-
ice entered to arrest Jean Roussei II
was then that Mathilde Stangerson, or
Roussel, learned that her husband was
DO other than the notorious Ballmeyeri
The young woman IN her despair
Iried to commit suicide. She failed in
this, and was forced to rejoin her aunt
It Cincinnati. The old lady was over !.
Dyed to see her again. She had been
lnxiously searching for her and had !
lot dared to tell NJ. Stangerson of her =
Mathilde swore her to :,
ecrecy, so that her father should not :
now she had been away. A month !.
lter Mile. Stangerson returned to her :
ather, repentant her heart dead with :
her. hoping only one thing-that she :
vould never again see her husband. :
he horrible BaNmeyer A report was ;,
pread few weeks later that he was =
cad, and she now determined to atone -
" her disobedience by life Of labor n
I'D devotion for her father. And she q
opt her word. a,
All this she had confessed to Robert Il
arEac, and, believing Ballmeyer dead, ct
Id given herself to the joy Of q union ri
18th him. But fate had resuscitated vi
ian Roussel, the Ballmeyer Of her pl
ruth. He had\ taken steps to let her st
low that he would never allow her to OF
AIRY Darzac-that he still loved her. p,
Mile Stangerson never for one mo- he
emit hesltated to confide In NJ. Darzac. 70
lie showed him the letter in which fr
an Roussel asked her to recall the WI
st Aurs Of their union in their beau ed
u aud charming Louisville home. fiy
he presbytery has lost nothing Of its wi
arm nor the garden its brightness to
had written. The scoundrel pre- he
lded to be rich and claimed the right
taking her back to Louisville. She ha
. told Darzac that If her father sol
luld know of her dishonor she would Th
herself NJ. Darzac had sworn to no
nee her prosecutor, even II he had ha,
kill him. He was outwitted and ev,
uld have succumbed had It not been '
the genius Of Rouletabille. an,
Ille. Stangerson was herself help per
J in the hands of such a villain.
! had tried 10 kin him when he had
I threatened and then attacked her :"
the yellow room. She had, unfor- II