The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-03-19
AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL.

poetic French for her album. 1t is
hard to account for what they do now
adays, to our misery"
She ceased, for just then they heard
the floor creak under step down
stairs. Rouletabille stopped Matrena
short and drew his revolver. He wished
to creep down alone, but he had not
time AS the door creaked a second
time, Matrenas anguished voice called
down the staircase in Russian, who is
there" and Immediately the calm
voice of Natacha answered something
In the same language. Then Matrena,
trembling more and more, and very
much excited. keeping steadily to the
same place as though she had been
nailed to the step of the stairway. said
in French, Yes, all Is we'll; your father
is resting. Good night. Natacha." They
heard Natacha's step cross the draw
ing-room and the sitting-room. Then
the door Of her chamber closed. Ma
trena and Rouletabille descended, hold
ing their breath. They reached the
dinins-room and Matrena played her
dark-lantern on the sofa where the
General always reclined. The sofa was
in its usual place on the carpet. She
pushed it back and raised the carpet,
{.
onto her knees and examined the floor
minutely. She rose. wiping the per-
spiration from her brow, put the car
pet back in place, adjusted the sofa
and dropped upon it with a great sigh.
'Well?' demanded RouletabilIe.
Nothing at ALL" said she.
why did you call so openly"
Because there was no doubt that ii
could only be my stepdaughter on the
ground floor at that huur."
And why this anxiety to examine
the floor again?"
Il entreat you, my dear little child
do not see in my acts anything mys-
terious, anything hard to explain, That
anxiety you speak of never leaves me.
Whenever / have the chance i examine
the flooring"
Madame" demanded the yeung man.
what was your daughter doing in this
room?'
She came for glass of mineral
water the bottle is still on the table" +"
Madame, it is necessary that you
tell me precisely what Koupriane has
| only hinted to me. unless 1 am entirely
mistaken The first time that you
thought to examine the floor. was It
after you heard noise on the ground
floor such as has just happened?'
yes. l will tell you all that is nee
essary. 1t was the night after the at
tempt with the bouquet, my dear little
monsieur. my dear little domovoi; it
seemed to me I heard a noise on the
ground floor 1 hurried downstairs
| and saw nothing suspicious at first.
Everything was shut tight. ! opened
the door of Natacha's chamber softly.
/ wished to ask her il she had heard
anything. But she was so fast asleep
that had not the heart to awaken
| her l opened the door of the veranda,
| and all the police-all, you understand
Slept soundly. took another turn
around the furniture, and. with my
lantern in my hand, was Just going
out Of the dining room when ! noticed
| that the carpet on the floor was dis
arranged at one corner. / got down
and my hand struck great fold Of
carpet near the Generals sofa. You
would have said that the sofa had been
rolled carelessly, trying to replace 1t
| in the position it usually occupied.
Prompted by sinister presentiment I
pushed away the sofa and I lifted the
carpet. At first glance I saw nothing.
| but when / examined things closer I
saw that strip of wood did not lie
| well with the others on the floor. With
knife ] was able to lift that strip
and l found that two nails which had
| fastened it to the beam below had
been freshly pulled out It was just
so could raise the end Of the board a
little without being able to slip my
hand under. To lift it any more would