Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-10-25

SELF, but dangerous game when the
stake was life or death.
The detective, comfortably ensconced
in a seat of the train for Chicago, was
reading over the notes that he had
made In regard to the case and now and
again glancing at one or other of the
relics of the murder as he wished to
confirm point, whistling through his
teeth the while chorus from the latest
comic opera.
1t was not that Herbert Darrent was
in himself callous of death or of muir
der, but when ones daily life is given
to the constant handling Of relics of
crime they cease to be objects of awe,
lose their grewsome associations and
simply become clews that shall assist
the chase
The stained knife with which the
deed was committed would doubtless
freeze the blood of any favored visitor
when it was added to detective bu-
reau's collection of criminal weapons,
but to Darrent it formed only one i'm
portant item in the complicated puzzle
that he was putting together. He put
1t together piece by piece. 1t seemed to
him to fit too easily. Everything point
ed too much in one direction. What to
an ordinarily constituted mind would
have looked SO exceedingly simple be-
came to Darrent all the more difficult
because Of that very simplicity.
Every bit of evidence that he had col
lected pointed directly to Astray Mars
den as the murderer. There was no get
ting away from it, for already the knife
had been recognized. Astray was con-
demned by every circumstance and,
more strongly than all, by the letter of
the murdered man, the stained and
crumpled letter that Dobson had tried to
conceal.
Darrent could hardly keep from half
wishing that old Marsden had not left
the paper. He felt little annoyed that
what promised to be big mystery,
upon which he could exercise his tai
ents should turn out to be none and
that he, the American Lecoq, should be
sent down to discover the murderer, to
trace him inch by inch, when casual
acquaintance on the ice had told him
at once who had done the deed and
dunder headed fraud of policeman had
tried to conceal the actual paper that
accused the murderer.
70 clever detective who had hoped
for tangled skein to unnravel, which
would add yet another laurel to the
many which he Wore, it was annoying,
and when Darrent arrived in Chicago
and took cab to headquarters he was
not in the very best frame of mind and
really regarded himself as little i'll
used.
At 10 o'clock next morning Darrent
alighted from hanson at corner
near the Royal hotel, and as he started
to cross the street tall bootblack ac-
costed him.
''Shine, boss?"
The detective halted and slowly took
of his glove.
It's all right, the bootblack rapidly
continued in an undertone. "He's still
there. Theater last night; not out
SINGS And he accepted with becoming
humility the coin which Darrent drop
ped, ut respectful distance, into a
very dirty palm.
"Send my card up to Mr.. Marsden, -
was Dafrent's instruction to the clerk
at the Royal hotel. "and say that
must see him at once on important
African business. "
Astray Marsden, who sat idling over
his breakfast and skimming the morn
ing paper, glanced at the card which
the smart page boy brought him and
listened to the message. The Honor
able Rupert Grey .Huml Don't know
from honorables. especially in this
country. Very WE'LL show the gentle
man up"
'.The Honorable Rupert Grey" he
repeated. "Well, it doesn't matter, aft
er all. suppose I shall soon learn his
business; bought claim out there.
perhaps. But how in the world does he
know me or that Pm staying here2"
Rising from the table, he stood by
the fire, with his elbow on the mantel-
piece and his chin resting in his hand,
awaiting the arrival of his visitor.
Astray Marsden was fine, well built
and tolerably good looking, half Amer
icanized young Englishman, with the
figure Of a Hercules, hut Dame Nature,
in one Of the many tricks she is SO fond
Of playing upon her children, had given
him an utterly weak disposition, which
was betrayed by glance at his face
form Of strength, mind of weak
ness; good fellow, but no backbone;
ever ready to procrastinate, never ready
! to act. He was man people would
turn and look back on in the streets, as
he lowered above the passersby. The
embodiment of strength without, they
could not know how weak and vacillat-
ing he was within. He was simply the
outcome Of one of NATURES little hui
mors that prevent monotony in the hu-
man race.
Herbert Darrent could scarcely re-
press start as he entered the room.
Ast1ay Marsden was as he had himself
described, as he had pictured him to
the life even to the position in which
he stood. the very position that the de-
,tective had conjured up as he stood in
the library at The Grange
It was only another proof of the
wonderful accuracy of his deductions.
IL XodAy 6cc11cu Ullut VIC Lluu udu pOSGu
to complete the case which the detect
i've from such tiny clews had woven SO
skillfully around him.
1.-THE Honorable Rupert Greya" said
Astray interrogatively.
Darrent shrugged his shoulders and,
taking the card from Astray's hand,
quietly tossed it behind the fire as he
replied: Herbert Darrent of the Chi
cago detective bureau. One is obliged
to use an alias sometimes. The enemies
Of the force usually do, so we're level
on that"
The effect of his words certainly sur
prised Darrent, used as he was to sur
prises under similar situations, for the
man seemed to utterly collapse before
his eyes and fell back into chair by
the Preside, the very picture of abject
terror and despair.
Herbert Darrent. the detectiveq''