The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-12-02
THE JEWELED HAIRPN;
The Strange Tragedy Of the
Grand Hotel.
BY ARTHUR GRIFFITHa
CHAPTER vIII-Continued.

CHAPTER VII~I-Continued.
Il was now dinner-time, the usual
sable d'hote gathering Which brought all
the guests Of the hotel together. Iheard
the second gong sound as I still sat il the
managers room, which had a large plate
glass window looking into the outer
office, and through it into the hall. From
my place here I could see the guests
fling into the big dining-room, and
my eyes fell upon the Sarsield party as
they passed.
mo, not the Sars6eld party; the express
sion was incorrect. There were Miss
Bertram, Captain Fawcett, MI. Sarsfe:d;
that was all. Where was Mrs. Sarsfeld?
Late? Her friends in that case would
have waited for her. Unable to appear
at dinner? That was the more plausible
explanation of her absence.
/ went out and gained q point in the
hall whence I could command the dining
room and the approaches to 1t. l waited
here patiently for ten minutes or o quar-.
ter Of an hour, resolved to establish 1t
beyond question that Mrs. Sarsield was
not coming to dinner: Satisfied at length
ON this point, I left the rest Of the party
busy with their fish, and went up stairs
to the floor occupied by the Sars6elds,
"oouAnS " nnu 10y "oy soeAA P"S
sitting-room.
In the corridor I ran up against a ser.
yant with a tray; 1t was the man who
waited upon the private rooms. I knew
him slightly and he knew me.
Not at che table dhote to-day, Gustav
] said, to try him.
.No, sir; the lady is dining in her "
1oom-No. l03-Mrs. Sars1eld.
Here was the chance I sought.
See, Gustaf" land I showed the man
halt q sovereignty, would you like to earn
this? Yes? Take in q message for me to
Mrs. Sarsfield?"
Fear struggled with cupidity in his fat,
phlegmatic German face.
Suppose Mrs. Sarsfeld is angry, sir,
and complains; the manager would dis
miss me-"
Never fear; she will probably give you
smother half-sovereign. Stay! Take this
card; put it there on your tray"
I produced q card, on which I hastily
scrubbed q few words:
Il must see you privately-at once. 1t
IS most urgent-a matter Of life and
death"
she will see that for herself; only tell
her that ! am waiting outside"
The strange message succeeded as !
had hardly dared to hope. I was shown
into where Mrs. Sarstield sat listlessly
before an untasted meal.
Really, sir, I must insist" she stam-
mered out; this Intrusion
Gould only be justified by what I have
30 tell you'll quickly explained. Your
sister is in very great danger"
sDanger-from whom?"
There are people who misjudge her, I
am sure; draw wrong conclusions from
her conduct.
What conduct"
Her visit to No. &c."
She started violently.
when? Who says she went there?"
Il myself found her at the door. But
shat is not what I mean. There are strong
grounds for ~presuming that she had been
there before-quite esrly-and this i'm
prudence has set people to question her
conduct"
sssst4s1s you referring to Captain Fawcetta
II SO, it is all q mistake. I have quite
satisfied him ON that point"
-Scsis6ed him?"
-Yes," she continued with feminine
earrulity, now that she was once started.
He was naturally very much put out,
seriously angry, and would have broken
Oh everything with q girl h would
CONFESS to such q thing"
Who admitted she had gone to-No.
s97"
Yes; but it was all a mistake. She
never went there"
Mrs. Sarsfeld stopped dead short and
looked at me white and speechless,
aghast, as it seemed, at some unguarded
indiscreet expression.
- y~-~ - - NJ 90 MT ~ tho onr1u
morning, I mean? Oh, Mrs. Sarsfeld, it
Nill save her, save all OK you much mis-
cry, unhsppiness, if that point can be
clearly proved"
But who requires to know? I have
told Captain Fawcett; he nc longer
doubts her. Does any n else believe
her capable Of such conduct"
Yes; the police do" said it abruptly,
point-blank.
.And they accuse her."
Don't you see what the superstition
implies? It lays Miss Bertram open to a
most awful charge. At present We can
make out for certain that only one person
visited the room between night and the
discovery Of the corpse, and that person
a the one who dropped the hair-pin-"
"A hair-pin was dropped in No. 99?"
49, 0uC d1uQOSC oa44Oh0e ~ uy
arm conYulsively, and awaited in breath
less anxiety my reply.
Yes, q hair-pin, identified by the
police as the property of Miss Bertram."
MY God! how awful" She sunk back
horror. stricken.
you see what this means. 1t would be
most cruel, most unjust to accuse her Of
the murder"
CLARA? That sweet, innocent girl
guilty of such u crime! No, indeed"
sBut she might be taxed with guilty
knowledge. See the construction that
NAV be put on that early visit-she would
be the first to find the body, yet she never
gave the alarm. Why not? The fair in
ference Is that she sought to shield the
perpetrator Of the crime"
~To shield herself rather. To have
kayen the alarm would have been to &C.
! knowledge her visit-alone, and at such
nm hour-to this mans ROOM
THAT Is closely reasoned. You are
right. Still, the reason OF the visit re.
mains unexplained. What took her there?
That is what makes the people suspect
her.
~sThey do suspect her, then?"
aYey, indeed, and are prepared to press
3 The case to the utmost against her. A
warrant has been issued for Miss Ber-
trans arrest"
Arrest! They want to take her up?"
she cried, with anguish that was quite
hysterical. mo, no; that must never be.
The danger 10 imminent, I assure You.
The warrant is only laid over for o day
or two"
EFT is not worth the paper on which il
u written. went On Mrs. Sars6eld, rising
from her seat and walking excitedly up
and down the room. Poor child Pool