The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-07-15
The Mystery Of
The Yellow Room
By GASTONLEROUx oopY ~ .sEs4 sos
(continued)


That's where the murderer cams
from to get into the pavilion"
AS there were other patches OF trees
Of the same sort between the great
oaks. asked why the murderer had
chosen that one rather than any Of the
others. ROuletabille answered me by
pointing to the path which ran quite
close to the thicket TO the door OF the
pavilion.
THAT path Is, as you see, topped
with gravel" he said. The man must
have passed along it going to the pa
vilion, since no traces Of his steps have
been found on the soft ground. The
man didn't have wings; he walked,
but he walked on the gravel, which
left no impression of his tread. The
gravel has, In fact, been trodden by
many other feet, since the path Is the
most direct way between the pavilion
and the chateau. AS TO the thicket,
made Of the sort Of shrubs that don't
flourish In the rough season-laurels
and fuchsias-it offered the murderer
q sufficient hiding place until It was
time for him to make his way to the
pavilion. It was while hiding IN that
c1ump of trees that he saw M. and
Nile. Stangerson and then Daddy
jacques leave the pavilion. Gravel
has been spread nearly, very nearly,
M to the windows Of the pavilion. The
footprints of a man parallel with the
wall, marks which we win examine
presently and which / have already
seen, prove that he only needed 10
make one stride to find himself IN
front of the vestfbu1e window, left
open by Daddy jacques. The man
drew himself up by his hands and en-
tered the vestibule."
'tAfteT all, 1t IL very possible" ! said.
Elf I did not reason as / do IN re-
gard to this gravel" Rouletabille went
on, II should have to assume bal
loon. SO don't say a thing Is possible
when It could not be otherwise. We |
know now how the man entered by |
the window, and we also know the |
moment at which he entered during /
the 8 O'Clock walk Of the professor
and his daughter. The fact of the
presence Of the chamberma4d, who had
come to clean up the yellow room, IN
the laboratory when M. Stangerson
and his daughter returned from their
walk at half past permits us to af-
firm that at half past the murderer
was not in the chamber under the bed
unless he was in collision with the
What do you say, M.
Darzac? ?"
NJ. DarZac shook his head and said
be was sure of the chambermaid's
adelity and that she was thorough
y honest and devoted servant.
Besides" he added, Eat 3 o'clock
VI. Stangerson went into the room to
.etch his daughters hat"
'aThere is that also" said Rouleta-
bile.
low at the time you say, l admit"
aid, ''but why did he shut the win
low? 1t was an act which would nee
draw the attention of those
Who had left 1t open"
sit may be the window was not shut 9
t once" replied the young reporter.
But If he did shut the window 1t was
ecause of the bend In the gravel path Q
dozen yards from the pavilion and l
n account of the three oaks that are D
rowing at that spot"
what do you mean by that?" asked D
T. Darzac, who had followed us and o
Stoned with almost breathless atten- 0
on to all that Rouletabille had said.
"Il explain all to you later on, mon
eur, when think the moment to be q
pc for doing so. But / don't think d
have anything Of more Importance b
} say on this affair II my hypothesis n
justified"
"And what is your hypothesisY'
"You will never know If 1t does not n
I'm out to be the truth 1t is of much
o grave a nature to speak Of it so 81
ng as it continues to be only by
'thesis." q
Have You ~ least some idea as to hi
|