The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-11-25
THE JEWELED HAIRPIN;
The Strange Tragedy Of the
Grand Hotel.
By ARTHUR GR1FFITHa
CHAPTER VI.
4 SPANISH KNIFE

CdAfxLh We
4 SPANISH KNRE
The Grand Hotel was very quiet that
evening. Very properly there was nc
music, no dancing in the big ballroom.
The horror of death, violent, mysterious
death, was OF the house. People went
about sadly, speaking in grave. hushed
tones, and long before the usual hour the
whole place was silent and shut for the
night.
It could not have been much more than
six next morning when I went down.
stairs, and there was no n about but
the sweepers and h~ousemaids at their
customary work. On my way to the
around staircase I passed within a dozen
wards of No. SO, and for the life of me ]
could not resist going to the door-it was
still securely l~ocked-and beyond it to
the window of the fre-escape.
Il wonder whether the police nave
searched the ground below?"
r And with this idea I went down-stalrs
and out Of the front door Of the hotel.
Very few people we're about, and | had
the esplanade all to myself as l had
passed along the front Of the house
fhere was q short terrace of them-and,
turning the corner, entered the back
alley which I had noticed from above.
As I thus unused, my eyes were busy
searching the place, while I turned oves
the grass with the end Of my foot.
Suddenly it came in contact with ahard
substance, and at the same moment j
caught sight Of something glitterine
among the green luxuriant growth.
!, -Ha! this is luck. What have We here?'
And I stopped to pick up my treasure
trove.
It was q knife, a strange, uncoutb
weapon, Of peculiar shape and curious
workmanship, such a. I had never seer
before. The long, curved handle Of
brass, rudely chased with an arabesque
pattern, the blade as long, having the
same curve as the handle, but t~wo-edgeG
for the last six inches of its length.
I now sew, on looking more closely at
the blade, that it bore certain words en-.
erayed near the haft. The name and ad.
dress of the maker, probably, or-mJ
heart beat at the thought-the name Of
the man who had owned the knife
which?
Both. On the haft, in the usual place,
were the words:
J. NoMDED1oU. AIBAcETE.
a The makers name. Evidently this was
q Spanish cuchillo, an Albacete knife. ]
had heard Of them before; but what wae
the other name inscribed more roughly
lengthways on the blade?
XAVIER DE YR1ARTE.
Tho name, unless all logic was false.
OF the murdered man. His knife, pool
creature, stolen, snatched up, who shall
say? and turned against himself to drinA
his life's blood.
As I turned it over, absorbed and en-.
crossed in the contemplation of the hor'
. Tible thing, I was struck suddenly with
the peculiar formation of. the handle OF
the knife. This wat fat through eight
inches Of it's length; after that it became
cylindrical and tapered away. The enc
was as slender ae the point of q little fin.
ger, and this end, I observed, was denudec
Of brass, and showed the inner sheath OF
lining on which the handle was con.
structed.
Something has fallen off here. Wha,
"A ring?"
Almost as quickly as the thought fash
cd across my mind, I extracted the ring
from my waistcoat pocket and tried it or
the end OF the knife. 1t fitted exactly; itf
arabesque ornament harmonized with the
rest OF the handle. This evidently was
the place from which it had fallen, and te
Uh1ch IL rl8htly DelonSeu.
I was very eager to communicate with
the police. 1t was right that they should
know exactly what I had discovered, anc
the conclusions to which the new facts
pointed Enthusiastically. Accordingly, al
neither Mr.. Smart nor HasMip came to the
hotel that morning, I went round to the
Sessions House in search of them.
MI. Smart sent out with many apollo.
- 80. 49, L. oo,1l ,,ot m NJ Gov hall
an hour, as he was engaged with the
Watch Committee; but perhaps l would
not mind waiting.
nip came in, his usually stolid, impassivt
face beaming with satisfaction.
ANY one with the chief2" he asked
eagerly; and then, catching sight Of me
he went on: -Oh, Mr.. Leslie, glad to SCI
me to Mr.. Smart, and I will tell you bott
ct the same time"
He was so exultant at this news tina
he seemed to have lost any ill-feeling to
ward me.
well, Hasnip," said''Mr. Smart, whel
We we're introduced and had exchanged
greetings, you seem pleased"
Great news, sir; I have traced the pin.
mo; impossible!" we both cried: but
however doubling my exclamation, 1t wa
uttered, I confess, with a sinking heart.
Traced beyond question. 1 took you
sdvice, sir, and went around to all thu
Jewellers in town Just to ask # any o:
them had seen anything of the kind be-
FORE"
well, had they?"
.Linklaw & Stray have had this yer,
min through their hands. Nh. IinklaV
can swear to it."
Does he remember when and how?"
Perfectly, he can swear to the person
Who brought it into the shop. A stone
had got loose and had to be reset"
''Who brought it?"
"Mr. Linklaw did not know the name
but he described the person exactly, ant
70 oblice me he went as far rs the Grhn'
Hotel, where he identified her beyont
doubt"
"Her? A woman then?"
"Of course. Miss Clara Bertram: no
one else" And when Hasnip said this he
turned triumphsntly on me.
Admitting so much even that she had
entered No. SO, you must have more tc
convict her, or even accuse her of the
murder. Now, I have much better evi.
dence than that against another person.
"You have? Since when2" shouted both
the police officers. in almost q breath.
I need not repeat here all that 1 hao
found out against Captain Fswcet;; to dc
{ so would be to weary the reader by going
over ground already Travelled.
I told them all I had heard. 1remindeo
them Of his conduct, and laid particular
stress on his confusion when l showed
him the little bras ring, recointlng here