The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-08-12

WEEK after the occurrence OF
"a the events / have just recount.
h ed-on the I'd OF November, to
be exact II received at my
home in Paris the following telegraph
&c message:
Come to the Chandler by the earliest
train. Bring .revolvers. Friendly greet
tngs. RoULETABILLE.
had not heard from him for a
week, nor Of the progress made with
that mysterious case, except by the m.
Vulnerable paragraphs In the newspa-
pers and by the very brief notes Of
Rouletabille in the Epoque. Those
notes had divulged the fact that traces
of human blood had been found on
the mutton bone as well as fresh
traces of the blood Of Nile. Stanger-
son. The old stains belonged to other
crimes, probably dating years back.
1t may be easily imagined that the
crime engaged the attention of the
Rress throughout the world. No crime
Known had more absorbed the minds
BIZ people. 1t appeared to me, how
ever, that the judicial inquiry was
making but very little progress, and /
should have been very glad II. on the
receipt Of my friends invitation to re
join him at the Chandler, the dispatch
had not contained the words, Bring
r-~olvers."
That puzzled me greatly. Rouleta-
bile telsSraphing for revolvers meant
mat there might be occasion to use
them. Now, confess 1t without
Shame, l am not a hero. But here
was friend evidently in danger call
ing ON me to go to his aid. / did not
hesitate long, and after assuring my
self that the only revolver possessed
was properly loaded hurried toward
the Orleans station. On the way
remembered that Rouletabille had
asked for two revolvers. / therefore
entered gunsmith's shop and bought
an excellent weapon for my friend.
| had hoped to find him at the sta
tion at Bpinay. but he was not there.
However, cab was waiting for me .
and I was soon at the Chandler. No
body was at the gate, and it was only
on the threshold Of the chateau that
/ met the young man. lie s0luted me
with friendly gesture and threw bis
arms about ma, inquiring warmly as
to the state Of my health.
When we were In the little sitting
room Of which / have spoken Roule-
-tabille made me sit down.
tits going badly" be said.
''What's going badlyT" asked.
Everything"
He came nearer to me and whis-
pered:
Frederic Larsan Is working with
might and main against Darzac."
This did not astonish me. had seen
the poor show Mile. StRngerson's f1ance
had made at the time of the examina-
ton of the footprints. However, Inn
msdiately asked:
"What about that canef"
"It is still In the hands of Frederic
Larsan. He never lets go Of It."
'But doesn't 1t prove the alibi for
n. DarzacT'
'Not at all. Gently questioned by
me, Darzac denied having on that
evening or on any other purchased q
cane at Oassette's. However" said
"I'll not swear to any
hing. M. Darzac has such strange
Its of silence that one does not know a
lxactly what to think Of what he 9
'ays." !
ITO Frederic Laasan this cane must
mean piece Of very damaging evil =
lence. But In what way? The time :
when 1t was bought shows 1t could :.
lot have been in the murdeser's pos :
ession."
1.-THE time doesn't worry Larsan. he Z
] not obliged to adopt my theory, =
vhich assumes that the murderer got \ I.
re the yellow room between 5 and y
clock. There's nothing to prevent :. u
I'm assuming that the murderer got in :.
stween 10 and II o'clock at night. At =,
hat hour M. and Mile. StAngsrson. as :.
stsd by Daddy Jacques. were engag- -
{ In making an interesting chemical :.
periment In the part of the labora- :,
,ry taken I'D by the furnaces. Larsan g.
sys, unlikely as that may seem, that ~ -
% murderer may have slipped behind -,
lem. He has already got the examin-
q magistrate to listen to him. When -,
10 looks closely into It the reasoning ss
absurd. seeing that the intimate -
there As one--must have known that <
le professor would shortly leave the $40
.yilion and that the friend had only
put of operating till after the pro
ssor's departure. Why should he
i've risked crossing the laboratory wr
bile the professor was in itf And err,
en- when he had got into the yellow fri
ON ed
'There are many points to be cleared ma
before Larsan's theory can be ad- An
tted. shan't waste my time over sol
for my theory won't allow me to WI
cupy myself with mere imagination. w. w.
lily, as l am obliged for the moment -
y al