The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-10-13
THE TORN GLOVE.

THE TORN GLOVE.
1t was almost II o'clock as l left my
friend Alport's law Office and hurried up
town. l had delayed longer than knew,
interested deeply in his account of an in
tricate will case, in which he was just at
that time engaged. AS l now remember
a property Of some two millions, held by
a lesiduary legatee, had suddenly been
claimed by one who announced himself
as the direct heir and devisee, nephew
of the testator who had not been heard
from for several years.
Airport deemed the fellow an imposter,
and although his story had been well
told, and his plan of action we'll laid
throughout, my friend thought he had
secured proofs of its falsity. In fact, he
had bundle of papers containing the
positive proof that Neil Harcourt was
n 1t Neil Harcourt, nephew Of old Dun
cln Harcourt, testator; and it was his
explanation of this case that had render
Q 4 me so late on my up town journey.
AS hurried onward, mechanically my
hand sought my pocket for cigar, and
finding none-a most unusual condition
of things-I glanced about for some
place where could purchase some.
Just down side street a light struck
my eye, and moving toward it, found a
small but neat cigar store, waited upon
by little girl.
| entered, threw down my money, and
called for cigars. The waitress, or shop
girl, was evidently on the point of clos
ing, for one light was already out, and
she wore her hat and shawl; more than
that, as she placed handful of regalias
before me, | noticed that she had also
drawn on her gloves, and that one, that
upon her left hand, had been partly torn
across the palm, and neatly mended by
the insertion of another piece of kid.
This tritling incident would doubtless
have escaped me, had it not been that
the glove was a pale orange in color,
| whereas the inserted kid was black.
selected my cigars, lit one and walked
out. An hour later l was at home and
in bed.
The next morning after, read at my
breakfast table that Lawyer Airport had
been murdered the night before.
To say that | was shocked would be
but ieebly to express my horror. Airport
was warm personal friend, my attor-
ney, and man without stain.
His death in the most natural way
would have been sad loss to me; to
hear of his end by murder simply para
lyzed me.
Leaving the table as soon as l could
collect my thoughts sufficiently to do SO,
| at once threw on hat and overcoat and
hurried down town.
My friends Office was ON Blank street,
a little off from the main current of travel;
but this morning l found a number of
persons gathered about it-neighbors,
storekeepers and brother lawyers-pass-
ing whom confronted an officer stand
ing guard at the Office door.
He would have stayed my entrance,
but as l handed him my card his face
changed.
''Major Minton, of the detectives 81
he said, inquiringly.
l bowed.
The man at once opened the door.
You'll find Captain Ross and another
gentleman inside. presume they'll be
glad to see yeu."
entered.
AS the policeman had said, found two
detectives-men whom l knew-within
Their story was soon mine.
1t seemed that Airport had been in his
office late; that lady had called in the
evening and remained an hour or more
that after she had left, his light contin
ued to burn long time-until morning
probably-and that it was not until some
important client opened the unlocked
door, at about A. NJ, that the death O.
the attorney was known.
He lay dead in his office chair, wher
found, thin foreign looking knife stick
ing in his heart. Evidently he had beer
struck unawares; there had been nc
struggle, but little blood, and no robbery
that the officers could discover.
Nor was there any clew remaining
Evidently the woman had killed him
though why was as yet unanswered. NJ
one knew the woman.
"But the reason-the motive ~ sale
|. "Surely there must have been one
If we can find that. we may have clue
to the criminal. Without it everything
is in the dark
True" replied Ross; "but the mo-
tive is just what puzzles us. 1t evidently
was not robbery, as his watch and money
were on his person when found.'
"Holdy' said I, with a sudden thought
"Might not he have been robbed OF
papers ?"
Eyes; but what ones? How do we
know what documents he had ~
A new idea had come to me. | began
at once to search for the papers which
Airport had read to me two days before
the proofs in the Harcourt case.
They were gone, but found N their
stead, lying among letters and legal lit
ter in his waste basket, a torn glove,
bloody and mended across the palm with
a black kid
drew it out with shout.
lie was robbed of some important
papers that he showed to me only night
before last" said l, exctedly, "and the
person who killed him Wore this glove"