The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-28
suggestions, ano all that only put me or

suggestions, ana Oil that only put me or
my business.
Work alone, if you like, with all my
heart. Only don't prevent me from work.
ing. too. Let each 60 on our own way,
until, at least. YOU wish it otherwise"
That's fair enough" said Hasnip,
more cordially Anyhow, come in"
We entered the bedroom.
Il think it will be the best to lock the
door inside" went on the detective.
I'VE shall be safe from all interruption
then"
To be locked in room with the corpse
of murdered man, even when that room
was frightened by the full rays of Sep
tenn Der sun, and filled with the sounds Of
life in progress upon the beach below.
was enough TO maze one snuddeF. could
not prevent myself from looking at the
bed. 1t was there-the body-a white
mass, covered decently with a clean
sheet, motionless but not shapeless, tell
Ing its story of death and horror only too
plainly.
Nv COMPANION meanwhile had Set to
work in a business-like manner. He had
evidently been taught to conduct search
IS part of his professions; and while I was
lingering, sentimentally gazing at the
bed, he had gone straight to the dead
mans portmanteau, which he had opened
without difficulty.
There were q few shirts, a suit Of
slothes, pair of thin shoes, a collar-bo1
of cardboard, and that was literally all.
Not scrap of paper. nothing whatever.
written or prluted, to help us in our in
quiry. The liaen was not marked. The
only referenc ce t. the owner was an ad-
dress label-a piece of coarse yellow
paper-pasted on the top.
This label bore the name, Joseph
Cooch," with the words, Passenger to
London" undern cath. the whole written
in large, struggling hand.
He has foreign look, rather; 80 has
his handwriting. This name under which
he was registered at the hotel was proba-
bly, false" said.
I'VE shall know where he halls from
when we know what brought him here;
and I expect We shall have to wait till
then before we lay hands on his murder
or, replied Hasnip.
He bundled the clothes back into the
portmanteau and dropped on to his knee.
At this moment he was near the dressing
table, with his back to the light. In this
attitude he crawled slowly along the car
pet, inch by inch, circling round the hide
Gus spot in the center where the half dried
pool Of blood still stained the floor, and
ending at the bed. He searched the whole
room in this way, and last of all lifted the
valance of the bed and disappeared un-
derneath.
I, on the other hand, having thus
watched the detective for time, began
to work on my own account. l stood
erect where was, and made slow, care
full survey of the room, its furniture, and
it's fittings throughout, from the door to
the window. As my eye rested on the
latter meditatively, remembered that it
gave upon balcony. It was an ordinary
window, but the panes were of plate
glass, and the lower sash reached to the
floor.
With the idea of further investigating
the balcony I approached the window,
and found to my surprise that it was open
few inches from the ground. How long
had this been the case? From the early
morning? It was impossible to fix this
with any certainty at the moment, but
knew that if the window had been open
at the time Of our first irruption into No.
SO, the fact had escaped my observation,
and, so far as knew, that Of every one
else. The point of the open window was
one to note for future consideration,
closely affecting as it did the question Of
access to the death chamber. Se-. =
Meanwhile, as Hasnip was still under
the bed, I lifted the sash and stepped out
on to the balcony. AS the manager had
said, it did not serve No. 99 alone. That
room was at the end o. q corridor; 1t was
really corner room in the northern flank
of the building. The Grand Hotel, By
thesea, consisted Of a central block, with
two square fanks slightly in advance OF
the center. The balcony now stood on
encircled one Of these squares, and was
apparently an external means Of COM
munication with all the rooms belonging
to this part Of the building, an important
fact, bearing closely on this same ques-
tion of access to No. SO.
I did not think it fair to pursue this
fresh scent alone. and turned to re-en-
ter the bedroom. AS my foot was on the
window sill, something lying amid the
long hair of the wool-mat below, and gilt
tering in the sunlight, caught my eye. I
stopped at once and picked up tortoise
shell hairpin.