Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-07
G E R A L D | N E .
A ROMANCE OF A FEMALE
DETECTIVE.
WRITTEN FOB THE EVENING STAR BY
oUIDA.
tCopyrightedI
CHAPTER I.

~ teman stood at a door on which
was small brass plate engraved, George
Msrsden, private detective Office" To open
this outer door and enter the passage and office
was the work Of a moment. and the clerk be
hind the rallied desk looked up with start as
musical voice, with q clear, crisp accent, said:
is Mr.. Narsden imp
mo, sir, but his chief agent is,'' was the re-
ply.
THAT will do" said the stranger.
He was a tail, handsome fellow about thirty,
with dark mustachs and thick wavy hair q
triie longer than men usually wear it, but was
perfectly in keeping with the mans fine face
and whole appearance.
The clerk conducted the gentleman to a back
room Of good size, well furnished and warmed
by splendid fire. The visitor put his nat and
gloves on a side table and went at once to the
freside. The entrance of some one made him
turn and start with surprise and quick look of
admiration a lady came forwards tall slen-
der woman, young-perhaps four-and-twenty,
graceful, with a face at once handsome and in
teresting. "What picture :" flashed unbidden
across the artist, and perhaps something else
deeper still across the man.
The woman met his look with one straight.
fearless. but in no way bold or unwomanly, as
she said in a mellow contralto that somehow he
had expected: ''What can do for you, sir-you
wished to see mel'
Il beg pardon. madam was told that Mr..
Marsden's chief agent"
'Yes-that is right. am his chief agent,
Geraldine Laval" said the other quietly, seat
ing herself at the desk. and the visitor took
one at the side of il. Il am at your service"
'.Geraldiner' the visitor exclaimed. as he
started back in the surprise OF recognition
AT your service" she answered. without
-
admit that she remembered him.
1T can't be that you have forgotten me-"
and now he became reserved in his turn. ''Our
friendship-our intimacy-our-"
Pray do not say our love-" the calm Young
woman interposed. You said yourself when
we parted in Russia, that did not love you.
and you convinced me fully that you did not
love me. Let us not talk about anything else
than the business upon which you have called"
Thank you." he said simply: ''then will be
as brief as possible. NY business"-he paused
a second as If to get himself together-''is-
murder! Do You remember the Ronaine muir
der?''
she did not start nor move a muscle. as many
women might have done. She lifted those pene-
trating, secretive gray eyes to his and said
coolly: Perfectly; and you are the artist, Mr..
Wilfred Romaine."
Il anon WHOM" he said bitterly. 'wise
official and public suspicion rested and still
rests, and doubtless amongst others, in your
mind. too"
No. said the detective. in the self-possessed
resolute way that seemed habitual to her, both
by nature and training. Il read all the evidence
and i never for a moment thought you guilty"
Two months prior TO Wilfred Romaines visit
to the detective Office the city was Mortified by
mysterious murder at villa the rivers
bank A widow lady named Romaine was the
victim and her body had been found in the
river with handkerchief tied tight over the
mouth The terrible discovery had been made
by the victims own stepson. Wilfred ROmaine
aIr1sls 10 Al
lady finger and the murderer had apparently
been disturbed before he could rifle watch or
purse or get into the house by the open window
of the drawing ROOM Two or three DAYS later
at the inquest, more particulars came out. Ii
appeared that the stepson himself was the only
person who benefited by Mrs Romaine's
death, since his father, who had died some
year or more back, had left n, 900 year to his
widow for life and q, 600 TO his son. Tho
widows death would make the son master of
the whole invested capital The son was by
profession an artist, was eight and twenty, and
on leaving college had gone TO Italy to study
further and travel His parents had been most
generous to him and he had more
than approved Of the above dis
position of the property. He was deeply
attached to his stepmother; he said she was
Ike an elder sister. She rented the villa for
this autumn He had returned home late
about IL. missed her from the drawing room
and gone up TO her dressing room to ask if he
should close the shutters below. The servants
had just retired. Whilst upstairs he thought
he heard a faint cry from down the lawn close to
the river. and ran down stairs out TO the garden
calling Margaret Ii was ten minutes before
he discovered the body. submerged and
caught IN the roots and weeds of the bank be-
low the boundaries of the garden. No help
was near. He had got the body out and carried
it back, called the household up and sent for
doctor and police He had not heard or seen
any one. No, he had never seen the handker-
chief before 1t was not his. 1t a white
at.aA -
Of a faded pale pinky hue sewn on in one cor
ner, doubtless q mere rough .'laundress mark -
An unmistakable bent of suspicion was evident
throughout against Wilfred Romaine. But for
all that the verdict could scarcely be other than
wilful murder by person or persons I'M
KNOWN with a kind OF rider, .'there not being
sufficient evidence to incriminate any indi-
Sldual, all of which left the general impress
sion in and outside the coroner's court that
the guilt lay close to the stepson.
You wish Mr. Marsden to undertake the
ease! said Geraldine Laval.
Il wish you personally to take il in hand"
returned Romano, deeisively, If you possibly
can"
She half smiled II cannot dictate to nv
employer, but your wish will have weight. As
lac - just now much engaged, should most
probably take this case What are the police
about2''
''Oh. believe following some trace of dia-
mond ring apparently like the one my step
mother wore, but il matters little. shall take
my own course now independent of them. /
have had the lawn searched. the banks and the
riyer bed, too. for the ring, but uselessly, SO
suppose II must have been n robber. Nv
mother. his lips qulvered. must have strolled
out IN the gardens to look for my coming and
been attacked. There seems no other possible
motive. She had no enemies. he said with an
anguish that went to the woman's heart.
After pause she said slowly: And vet a
robber or burglar would scarcely have wasted
time and rlsAed a murder. when he could have
surely easily escaped with the ring before help
came TO his victims cry. nor would he have de-
layed TO use that handkerchief with a red mark
dangerous Identification in my opinion. To
my mind, Mr. Romaine, the balance is against
the mere robbery theory-the ring was taken
20 throw the police on the wrong scent and
was probably hurled into the river to tell no
tales Murder was the crime intended, not rob
berry, and the motive
by heaven" Wilfred broke in passionatelv.
You cannot. do not suspect or suggest that my
mother-Margarst-
Hush no, no. interposed the woman pity
ingiy, and IL grieves me TO pain you with
questions which you may misconstrue. but
unless i may so ask and probe am hand
tle,l."
Forgive me-" he said. turning aside q
moment, lit Is all such bitter misery that
that feel half maddened sometimes. Cues
uon as You will Miss Laval"
mans you, Will spare you all i can, be-
Then she cuestioaed hin, frst ~, close aet.il