The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-03

CHAPTER l.

CHAPTER l.
THE SOUTH AUD1iEY STREET MURDER.
!, Duncan Brett. commander r. ~,
nnwillingly confess that the oomplioa.
lions which arose out Of the Mayfair
murder were all caused In the first In.
Itanoe by my pitiable lack Of nerve. ]
believe I am fairly plucky under or
binary circumstances. Once they gave
me the V. O., and though should not
have mentioned this except a. last
resort, I think 1t is due to myself here
to bring forward some sort Of certif-
cate Of character to you who are stran.
gers to me. II was, say, in large meas
ure my fault, because if I had not lost
nv head the greater part Of the trouble
need never have happened, but my
nerves were upset by seeing the wretch
ed woman as she lay huddled dead
upon the pavement, and the sight OF
Fenton standing orouched, like man
horror struck, above her, made up q
shock under which I think few would
have remained unmoved.
For a full minute I stood there
watching him in silent horror, he the
while eying me with frightened side
long glances, but without speech. Then
words came from me like torrent
20 God!" l blurted out. "You
have murdered her! You devil, you
have killed the woman! What have you
done 1t for?"
George Fenton rose from the body,
facing me.
"Great heavens!" he cried. "You
here, Duncan? You saw me?''
How could I help it? What unluoky
fate brought me here to look at your
CHASTITY work do not know, but here
I am, and there is no getting over it. {"
Fenton stared at me heavily without
speaking, and then his eyes wandered
off my face to something he held in his
hand-a something Of metal with the
glitter of glass at the end of 1t. In q
dim way seemed to remember having
seen the thing before myself, but could
not recolleot when or where. Twill own
that was too confused to think clearly,
and while my mind was still hunt
ing duly for some memory Of the object
in Georges hand he Strengthened him
self with sobbing gasp, and then, cry.
ing like frightened child, he ran away
into the night.
watched him go along the wet mir
ror Of the pavement under the yellow
glow Of the gas lamps until he doubled
round the corner, and then turned to
the woman who was lying huddled on
the ground and lifted her hand. There
was no trace Of a pulse. ! placed my
fingers over her heart. There was not
flicker of movement, but instead I found
something else. 1t cut me like glass. 1t
was glass. stopped down and saw the
glimmer Of it with my eyes, and then
with a start I recalled what George
Fenton was olutching in his hand when
he ran away from me. 1t was the metal
hilt Of a Venetian dagger, with the
blade half broken off. The rest Of that
missing white glass blade was sheathed
in the life center of the unhappy woman
who lay at my feet. / knew the dagger
we'll. Il was rare ourio which had
hung on the wall Of Fenton's room.
I stopped down and again passed my
hand over the place Of that CHASTITY
death thrust The falling rain was be.
ginning to drench the woman's clothes,
but round the projecting end Of the dag
ger all was dry. Not drop Of the poor
creatures lifeblood had oozed from the
wound. She had been stabbed with
single blow, and the hilt had been bro.
ken off with u snap. The Venetian dag
ger had done it's work.
was go utterly overcome by the hor-
ror of my discovery that for some mo-
ments I knelt there absolutely dazed.
staring at the murdered woman, whose
face was surely not winter than my
own. So dazed was that I did not hear
footsteps approaching me down the
pavement and did not know that any
one had come along this secluded back
street until heard voice speaking be.
hind my elbow. ! looked up and saw a
long, lean, dissipated looking individual
clad from head to foot in seedy black.
He held an umbrella over bis head,
which let the lamplight through many
Of its seams, and bunch of dirty gray
cotton showed through the toe of one Of
his boots. He spoke in jerks.
LADY fainted?" l heard him say.
"Bless 'em, they will do these things!
Intense heat, intense cold, moderate
temperature-equal result all around.
Sometimes other things excessive
moisture this time, I should think, sir.
A most interesting case. Allow me,
Mr.. 49,, l forget your name. though
can sec you are gentleman-present
myself, q medical man, sir. DR.. Fitz-
gerald of T. @. D. and County Water
ford. Although I say it, sir, a we'll
known practitioner in London, although
I've given up my practice in Harley
street."
BY this time he had doubled up his
great length beside me like some I'M
couth six foot rule of humanity and was
passing his long, lean fingers rapidly
over tho woman's body. / saw the fin.
gers closing over her watch and chain.
Gown ticker left at home on grand
piano." he said in an explanatory jerk.
"Lady's ticker no doubt in perfect CON
dition. No use feeling pulse without
technical appliance.
He was proceeding to put the watoh
in his pocket when Igripped him by the
wrist and wrenched it from his hand.
The coarse knavishness Of the man acted
upon me like drink Of spirits. My
furry and excitement passed away like
a FASH and I saw the facts Of the case
clearly and dispassionately. I hit the
fellow an upward blow in the chest that
sent him staggering and gasping against
the wall
"You sooundrell' said I. "Get out
Of this or III break your thievish neck"
"Ho!" said the man, glowering at
me. "Open for more business? One
murder per noctem not enough for your"
"I'll give you in charge to the first
policeman that comes, as q thief" /
said to him.