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pam 5 ee -- : Sere tgip reiones Ei TE ea IN -- PAGE TEN OSHAWA, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, A PRIL 6, 1922 LY HR A CA MC 3.03 At the "Villa Rose" BY A. E. W. MASON CHAPTER XI The Unopened Letter' The hall of the hotel had been {lodied of people. At the entrance on the corridor a porter barred tha way. "No one oan pass," said he, "I think I can," said Hanaud, and he produced his card. 'From the Surete of Paris." He was aliowea (0 enter, with Rictrdo at his heels. On the ground lay Marthe Gobin; the manager of the hotel stood at her side; a doctor wis on bis knees, Hanaud gave his card to the manager. "You have sent police?" "Yes," sald the manager. "And the wound?" asked Hanaud, kneeling on the ground beside the doctor. It was a very small wound, round and neat and clean, and there was very little blood. "It was made by a bullet," sald Hanaud--'some tiay bullet from an air-pistol." "No," answered the doctor. "No knife made it," Hanaud as- sorted. "That is true," said the doctor. "T,0pk!" and he took up from the floor by his knees the weapon which had caused Marthe Gobin's death, It| was nothing but an ordinary skewer with a ring at one end and a sharp point at the other, and a piece o! common white firewood for a h: ndle. The wood had been split, the ring 'nsertd and spliced in position with worde to tha Lat rong twine, It was a rough enough w on, but an effective one. The proof of ita effectiveness lay stretoh- ad upon the floor héaide them, Hanaund gave it to the manager of the hotel. "You must ba very care- ful of this, and give it as it is (0 the poliee." Then he Marthe Qobin "Did she suffer?' low voleo "No; death must have been stantaneous," said the doctor. . "T am glad of that," said Hanaud, as he rose again to his feet. In the doorway the driver of the cab was standing. "What has he to say?" asked, bent once more over he asked in a in- Hanaud Nothing to Know The man stepped forward instant. 1: He was an old, red-faced man, with a shiny white tall hat, like a thousand drivers of cabs "What have I to say, monsieur?" he grumbled in a husky voice. "I take up-the poor woman at the sta- tion and 1 drive her where she bids me, and I find her dead, and my day is lost. Who will pay my fare, monsieur?"' "I will," said Hanaud. "There it is," and he handed the man a five- franc plece. "Now answer me! Do you tell me that this woman was murdered in your cab and that you knew nothing about it?" "But what should I know? I take her up at the station, and all the way a ------ ' a SA ARAN TL a = SA Fresh air, sleep and food as blood; Phosphorus for Sodium and Pot: Convalescence Requires Wincarnis In a state of convalescence, while the crisis is over, the danger of relapse may not be over. 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DRIP: .| lessness. up the hill her head is evory moment ont of the window, crying, "Faster, faster!" Oh, the good woman was In a hurry! But for me 1 take no notice. The more she shouts, the leas 1 hear; I bury my head hetween my shoulders, and 1 look ahead of me and | take no notice. One cannot expect oab-horgses to run up these Lille, it Is not reasonable." Now, a Necond Orime "So you went at a walk," said Hanaud, He beckoned to Ricardo, and sald to the manager: '"M. Bes- nard will, no doubt, be here In a few minutes, and he will send for the Juge d'Instruction, There is noth- ing that wo can do." He went back to Ricardo's sitting- room and flung himself into a chair, He had been calm wcnough down- stairs in the presence of the doctor and the body of the victim, Now, with only Ricardo for a witness, he gave way to distress. "It is terrible," he said. "The poor woman! It was I who brought her to Aix. It was through my care- But who would have thought?---He snatched his hands from his face and stood up. "I should have thought," he said solemnly. "Extraordinary daring-- that was one of the qualities of my | criminal. I knew it, and 1 disre-| garded it. Now we have a second | crime." "The skewer may lead you to the criminal," said Mr, Ricardo. 'They skewer!' cried Hanaud. "How will that help us? A knife, yes--perhaps. But a skewer!" "At the shops---there will be so many in Aix at which you can buy A skewers--they may remember to Ricardo turned to the end of the] whom they sold one within the last | letter, day oF Wo. x . . . "Marthe Gobin."" "How do you know it wae bought; ushg speaks then! After all she in the last Say or hg oad Buel cpaake! Hanaud whispered in a Haug, Scorplw) Y io WORKS oe i | voice of awe, He ran to the door of and buys a single skewer to commit the. yoom, Shened 2b Zuddenyy, and, a murder with, and 80 hands himself | cannot bring that poor woman over to the police. ck to lite; but we may still--" I say it! He did not finish his sentence. He| The violence of his contempt net-|1,,,1 tha Jetter unceremoniously tled Ricardo. : from Ricardo's hand and seated him- If the murderer did not buy it, | oie at the table. Over his shoulder how did he obtain it?" he asked vy, Ricardo, too, read Marthe Gobin's obstinately. letter. : "Oh, my friend, could he not have I stolen it? From this hotel or from t was just the sort of letter, any hotel in Aix? Would the loss of | Which in Ricardo's view, Marthe a skewer be noticed, do you think? Gobin would have written--a 'long, | How many people in Aix to-day have |Straggling letter which never kept | had rognons a la brochette for their |t0 the point, which exasperated them | luncheon! Besides, it is merely the|One moment by its folly and fired death of this poor woman which them to excitement the next. troubles me. We have lost the evi- All Important dence which she was going to bring It was dated from a small suburb! to us. She had something to tell to|of Geneva, on the western side of the us about Celia Harland which now | jake, and it ran as follows: we shall never hear. We have to be- : "The suburb is but a street close Sin 8)) aver agai, 984 J wl Jou wiite the lake-side, and a tram runs| F | t ity. over again. No, we have not | obo Bs. monsieur, He buried his face again in his '} 000) at the end of it hands and groaned aloud. His grief |. 0 vary good houses. was 80 violent and so sincere. that| . wih "+0 deceive vo! Ricardo, shocked as he was by the ona) position of murder of Marthe Gobin, set him- |p. cp0.4 self to console him. bes . a "But you could not have foreseen Our house is on the wrong side that at three o'clock in the afternoon |©f the street--definitely--yes. It is at Aix"-- a small house, and we do not see the! Hanaud brushed the excuse aside. water from any of the windows be- "It is no extenuation. I ought to |cause of the better houses opposite. have foreseen. Oh, but I will have | M- Gobin, my 'husband, who was a : w." he eried, and as he | clerk in one of the great banks in no pity mo b d Geneva, broke down in health in the ended the words abruptly his face] changed. He lifted a trembling fore- Spring, and for the last three months finger and pointed. There came a has been compelled to keep indoors, sudden look of life into his dull and "Of course, money has not been | despairing eyes. plentiful, and 1 could not afford a| He was pointing to a side-table on (nurse. Consequently I myself have | which were piled Mr. Ricardo's been conpelled to nurse him. Mon-| letters. | sieur, if you were a woman you would | "You have not opened them this|know what men are when they are morning?" he asked. ill--how fretful, how difficult. "No. You came while I was still in bed, I have not thought of them till now." A Gleam Of Hope Hanaud crossed to the table, and, looking down at the letters, uttered a cry. '"Dhere's one, the big envelope," he said, his voice shaking like his hand. "It has a Swiss stamp." He swallowed to moisten his throat. Ricardo sprang across the room and tore open the envelope. There was a long letter enclosed in a handwriting unknown to him. He read aloud the first lines of the! letter: "l write what I saw and post it to-night. so that no one will be be-| fore me with the news. I will come | over to-morrow for the money.' A low exclamation from Hanaud interrupted the words. "The signature! Quick!" S-------- -y y- Try a Different BREAKFAST Try Roman Meal -- the delicious whole grain cereal, nut-like in flavor. You'll find it far more nourishing than any other breakfast food---and it's more economical, Appetizing Satisfying AT YOUR GROCERS 12 {shutting it again How often must | with and really But I do you about the myself or the woman who nurses them. I am in the house most of the day, I find what amusement [ can You will not blame me. "A month ago the house directly opposite to us Rossignol. ing the last fortnight a young gentle- On The Trail "Monsieur is a young man of per- haps thirty, with smooth black hair.! He wears a moustache, a little black mustache, and is altogether capti- vating. Mme, Rossignol is five or six years older, I should think--a tall woman, with red hair and a bold sort of coarse beauty. tracted by her. She seemed not quite of the same world as that A full-size, full-weight, solid bar of good soap is "SURPRISE." Best for any and all household use. For use in washing machines shave or slice a portion of the "SURPRISE" bar direct to the machine. --Tt will do fine work. be going to marry her. No: not attracted by Adele Rossignol." And when he had come to that "So whispered. "Yes," said Ricardo. quier spoke the truth." Hanaud nodded with a queer smile upon his lips. "Yes, there she spoke the truth. I thought she did." the name was Adele," "Helene Vau- black," interposed Mr. Ricardo. "Yes, there she didn't," again to the paper. ing her so, and without any 'Madame' in front of the mame. That is str- ange, is it not, to hear an elderly servant-woman calling after her mis- tress, 'Adele,' just simple 'Adele'? It was that which made me think monsieur and madame were mot of that they are goipg to be married. I have an instinct about it. ) "Of course, one never knows with whiat extraordinary women tht nicest men will fall in love. So that after all these two may get married. But if they do, I do mot think they will be happy. "Besides the old woman there was another servant, @ man, Hippolyte, who served in the house and drove the carriage when it was wanted-- a le man. He always respectab! touched his hat when Mme. Rossig- nol came out of the house. He slept in the house at night, although the stable was at the end of the street, I thought he was probably the son of Jeanne, the servant-woman. He was young, and his hair was plas- tered down upon his forehead, and he was altogether satisfied with him- )|gelf and a great favorite amongst the servants in the street. The car- It is quite respectable, | my | "There is not much distraction for' So, as' in| watching the doings of my neighbors. | almost was taken | furnished for the summer by a Mme. ' She is a widow, but dur- man has come several times in the! afternoon to see her, and it is said' in the street that he is going to marry! her. But I cannot believe it myself. charming monsieur who was said to! 1 was] point Hanaud looked up with a start. | he | the same world. But I do not believe | riage and the horse were hired from Geneva. That is the household of Mme. Rossignol." So far Mr. Ricardo read in silence. Then he broke out again: TIL WH fm lll ll | | "But we have them! The red {haired woman called Adele; the man with the little black moustache. 1t was he who drove the motor-car!' Hanaud held up his hand tq check the flow of words, and both read on again: i "At three o'ciock on Tuesday afternoon madame was driven away {in the carriage, and I did not see. it return till that eveining. Of course, {it may have returned to the stables {by another road. But it was not un- (usual for the carriage to take her to Geneva and wait a long time. | "I went to bed at eleven, but In ithe night M. Gobin was restless, and I rose to get him some medicine, We Islept in the front of the house, mon- sleur, and while I was searching for ithe matches upon the table in the middle of the room I heard the sound |. {nf ecarringe wheels in the silent {street, R Pa ¥ As OY arom TMENT FRY'S C C0 0A 0CO oy 14s LL FRY & ONS, Bhisro, & S OTREAL ! Mth il | Wl has be | "I went to the window, and, raising a corner of the curtains, looked out. M. Gobin called to me fretfully from the hed to know why I did not light ithe candle and get him what he wanted. | "I have already told you how fret- ful sick men can he, always com- plaining if just for a minute one dis- tracts oneself hy looking out of the (window. But there! One can do | nothing to please them. | "Yet how right was I to raise the " {blind and look out of the window! For if 1 had oheyed my hushand I ! might, have Jost Tour thousand {franes. And four thousand francs are not to be sneezed at hy a poor {woman whose husband lies in bed. "I saw the carriage | Rossignol's house Almost at once the house door was opened by the old servant, although the hall of the {house and all the windows in the front were dark. That was the first thing that surprised me. For when madame came home late and the {house was dark, she used to let her- self in with a latchkey. Now, in the dark house, in the early morning, a Ri TR % ify ili I TLL stop at Mme, NT Ti % if Since 1728 --the secret of FRY'S world wide success delicious flavor Remember -- Nothing will do but FRY"S 0 0 Hi | h, fie If i i {je pr iil fil ft f 7 ' yl, / wi) A li Wh | | Ij en its € al I i - ql foe 7, i | servant was watching for them [It was sirange. the young lady for | searching. whom you are "As soon as the door of the house was opened the door of the ¢ arriage | opened too, and a young lady stepped quickly out on to the pavement. The | |train of her dress caught in the door, B {and she turned round, stooped, and! ,. ome in front of the house. And {freed it with her hand, and help it off | \{ Gobin was so fretful that I drop- the ground. The night was clear, | | ped the corner of the blind, lit the and there was a lamp in the street | oandle, and gave him his cooling close by the door of Mme. Rossignol's | drink r ; house. { "His watch was on the table at the bedside, and 1 saw that it was five minutes to three I will send you a telegram to-morrow sure bnd my "I waited for a féw moments and | | saw the carriage drive off towards | the stable at the end of the street. jut no light went up in any of the] "As she turned I saw her face un- {der the big green hat It was very {pretty and young, and the hair was | fair. She wore a white coat, but it | was open in the front and showed her evening frock of pale green "When she lifted her skirt I saw She buckles shining, on her matin shoes. It was the young lady for whom you are advertising, I am | gure. She remainded standing just | for a moment without moving, while Mme, Rossignol got out. I was sur- (prised to see a young lady of such | distinction in Mme. Rossignol"s com- any. "Then still {ehe ran very at what hour I ean leave my Accept, monsieur, I beg you, most distinguished salutatins. 'MARTHE GOBIN" Hanaud leant back with an extra- ordinary look of perplexity upon his face, But to Ricardo the was now clear Here dependent witness, without Ousy or rancors of Helene Nothing could be mor than her statement; those footmarks front of the glass There was nothing to set about a» once. "The facets work with your theory, M. Hanaud The young man with the black moustache did not return was an Vauquier. damning upon the door of the to he done Mlle soil in holding up her skirt, salon. lightly and quickly across the pavement and into the dark house. [1 thought, monsieur, that she was very anxious not to be {seen. So when I saw your adver- {tisment I was certain that this was esting Celie at as soon as I am | hus- | whole story | in-| the jeal- | it corroborated | except | to the house at Geneva, For some- where on the road close to Geneva he met the carriage, He was driving the car hack to Aix' '--And then an- | other thought struck him: "But no!" | he cried. We are altogether wrong. See! They did not reach home until five minutes to three." Five minutes to three! But this demolished the whole of Hanaud's theory about the motor-car, The murderers had left the villa between | eleven and twelve, probably before half-past , eleven. The car wag a machine of sixty horse-power, and the roads were certain to be clear. Yet the travellers only reached their home at three. Moreover, the car was back in Aix at four. It was evident they did not travel by the 'Geneva time is an hour later than French time," said Hanaud shortly. It seemed as if the corroboration of {this letter disappointed him. "A | quarte .r to three in Mme. Gobin's house would be a quarter to two by {our watches here." Hanraud folded up the letter and {rose to his feet. | 'We will go now, this letter with us." about the room and (Continued on and we will take Hanaud looked picked up a page twelve) i I was not at-| { "But she sald Adele's hair was! said Ha-| paud drily, and his eyes [dropped | "I knew her name was Adele, for | often have I heard her servant call- The Easter Breakfast-- ROOKFIELD Eggs served with tender slices Bf Premise Bacon--irica siowiy. so that not a bit of its wonderful flavor is lost! of all thedeli- cacies that Wake Easer iy especially delight- ful in all parts of world, nothing is more appetiz- ing, more satisfyi , than this distinctively Canadian : Swift's Premium Bacon Order from your Butcher or Grocer Swift Camadian Co. Limited (Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton Premium Bacon'and Eggs