The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-04-22

Natacha absents herself during the prom
comes interested In hat pins. He Is conii-
lent of a plot against the General sadr by
IN unused entrance to the room where the
General sleeps.
e~HE dinner, where Matrena, Natacha and
Rouletabille were together again, was
lively. The young man having declared
that he was more and more convinced that
the mystery of the bomb in the bouquet was
simply a play Of the police. Natacha rein
forced his opinion, and following that they
found themselves in agreement on ABOUT
everything else. For himself, the reporter
during that conversation hid a real horror
which had seized him at the cynical and
jnappropriate tranquility with which the
Young lady received all suggestions that
accused the police or that assumed the gen.
eral no longer ran any immediate danger.
In short. he worked. or at least beiieved
no worked. to clear Natacha as he had
cleared Matrena, so that there would develop
the absolute necessity Of assuming a third
persons intervention in the facts disclosed
so clearly by Koupriane where Matrena or
Natacha seemed alone to be possible agents.
AZ he listened to Natacha Rouletabile COM
repced to doubt and quake Just as he had
seen Matrena do, The more he looked INTO
the nature of Natacha the dizzier he grew.
What abysmal obscurities were there In
her nature!
Nothing interesting happened during din
ner. Several times, in spite OF Rouieta-
bille's obvious Impotence with her FOR DO
ing It, Matrena went up to the general she
returned saying, He Is quiet. he ooesht
sleep. He doesn't wish anything. lie mas
asked me to prepare his narcotic. 1t is too
bad. He has tried in vain, he cannot get
along without IT."
"you. too, mamma, ought to take some
thing to make you sleep. They say NOR
phine is very good"
"As for me" said Rouletabille, whose
head for some few minutes had been drop
ming now toward one shoulder and now
toward another, II have no need of any
narcotic 20 make me sleep. II you VIII
permit me, i will get to bed at once"
En-, my little domovoi doukh, am going
to carry you there in my arms.
Matrena extended her large round arms
ready to take R~ouletabilfe as though he
had been a baby.
"No. no. 1 will get up there all right
slone," said Rouletabille, rising stupidity
and appearing ashamed of his excessive
sleepiness.
his chambers" said Natacha, "and ! VIII
wish papa good night. I'm eager for bed
myself. We VIII all make a good night
Of 1t. Ermolai and GDiagnia will watch
with the schwitZar in the lodge. Things
are reasonably arranged now"
They all assembled the stairs. Roufeta-
billie did not even go to see the general
but threw himself on his bed. Natacha got
onto the bed beside her father, embraced
him q dozen times. and went downstairs
again. Matrena followed behind her. closed
doors and windows, went upstairs again TO
close the door Of the landing place and
found Rouletabille seated on his bed, his
arms crossed, not appearing to have any
desire for sleep at all His face was so
strangely pensive also that the anxiety OF
Matrena, who had been able to make moth
ing out of his acts and looks all day, came
back upon her instantly in greater force
than ever. She touched his arm in order
to he sure that he knew she was there.
my little friend" she said, will you
tell me nowT
ayes. madame" he replied at once. "Sit
In that chair and listen to me. There are
things YOU must know at once, because we
have reached a dangerous hour
The hstpins first. The hatpins!'
Rouietabille rose lightly from the bed
and, facing her, but watching something
besides her. said:
1T is necessary you should know that
someone almost Immediately Is going to
renew the attempt OF the bouquet
Matrena sprang to her feet as quickly as
though she had been told there was a bomb
in the seat of her chair. She made herself
sit down again, however. in obedience to
Rouletabille's urgent look commanding
absolute quiet.
Renew the attempt of the bouquetf' she
murmured in a stifled voice. But there is
not O. flower In the generals chamber"
BE calm, madame. Understand me and
answer me: You heard the tick-tack from
the bouquet while YOU were In your own
chamber"
yes, with the doors open, naturally
You told me the persons who came 10