The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-06-24
The Mystery Of
The Yellow Room
By GASTONLEROUx 0o'T 81 s@E:s 'HSs;
(Continusd)

were going to the Chandler for the
purpose Of shaking hands with an "oid
and intimate friend" NJ. Robert Oar
zac-a man whom Rouletabille had
perhaps seen once In bis life.
"Poor Robert continued the young
reporter. "this dreadful affair may be
his death-he Is so deeply in love with
Mile. StangersOn. 1t Is to be hoped
that Mile. Stangerson's life viii be
saved"
LET us hope So Her father told me
yesterday that If she does not recover
II will not be long before he joins her
In the grave What an incalculable
loss to science his death would beF
"The wound on her temple is serious,
h it notT'
evidently, but by a wonderful
chance 1t has not proved mortal. The
blow was given with great force"
''Then it was not with the revolver
she was wounded" said Rouletabille,
glancing at me In triumph.
M. de Marquet appeared greatly en-
barrassed
81 didn't say anything, / don't want
to say anything, I will not say any
thing" he said. And he turned toward
his registrar as II he no longer knew
u.s.
But Rouletabille was not to be so
easily shaken of. He moved nearer to
the examining magistrate and, draw
ing a copy of the Matin from his pock-
ct, he showed 1t to him and said:
'There is one thing, monsieur, which
may inquire Of you without commit
ting an indiscretion. You have, OF
course seen the account given In the
Matin? 1t Is absurd. is 1t notT
"Not In the slightest, monsieur"
"What! The yellow room has but
one barred window. the bars Of which
have not been moved, and only one
door, which had to be broken open.
and the assassin was not foundT
'That's 80, monsieur; that's %.
That's how the matter stands"
Rouletabnle said no more, but plung-
ed into thought. A quarter of an hour
thus passed.
Coming back to himself again, he
said, addressing the magistrate:
"How did Mile. Stangerson wear her
hair on that evening"
II don't know" replied M. de Mar
4uet.
'"That's very important point" said
Rouletabille. "Her hair was done up
in bands, wasn't It? I feel sure that
on that evening, the evening Of the
crime, she had her hair arranged IN
bands"
'Then you are mistaken. M. Roule-
tabille," replied the ma gistrate. Mile
Stangerson that evening had her hair
drawn up l.. a knot on the top of her
head her usual wa of arranging
her forehead completely uncovered.
can assure You, for we have carefully
examined the wound. There was no
blood on the hair, and the arrangement
of il has not been disturbed since the
crime was committed!
.'You are sure? You are sure that
on the night of the crime she had not
her hair in bandsT
"Ouite sure" the magistrate cont1n-
ued smiling, because remember the
doctor saying to me while he was ex-
amining the wound: 1t is a great pity
Mile. Stangerson was in the habat Oh
drawing her hair back from her tore-
head. II she had worn 1t in bands
the blow she received on the temple
would have been weakened 1t seems
strange to me that you should attach
no much Importance to this point"
"Oh, If she had not her hair In bands
7 give 1t up." said Rouletabille. with
despairing gesture.
"And was the wound on her temple
a bad one?'' he asked presently.
Terrible"
"With what weapon was 1t nader
.4That is a secret Of the investiga-
ton"
"Have you found the weapon-what-
ever 1t WASP"
The magistrate did not answer.
Sand the wound In the throatT
Here the examining magistrate read
ilv confirmed the decision OF the doc
tor that II the murderer had pressed
her throat a few seconds longer, Mile.
gtangerson would have died OF stran'
gulation> ;,
"The affair as reported in the Matin,"
aaid Rouletabille eagerly, seems to me
more and more inexplicable. Can you
tell me, monsieur, how many openings
there are In the pavilionP ! mean
doors and windows"
'There are fve," replied Monsieur
de Marouet, after having COACHED once
or twice. but no longer resisting the
desire he felt to talk of the whole OF
the incredible mystery Of the affair he
was investigating. There are FIVE, OF
which the door Of tho vestibule is the
only entrance to the pavilion-a door
always automatically closed. which
cannot be opened, either from the out
or or inside, except with the two spe-
cial KEYS which are never out OF the
possession Of either Daddy jacques or
M. stangerson. Mile, Stangerson had
no need for me, since Daddy jacques