Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-01-22
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
The Fencer's Mark.
1Original.1


took three years course. 1 Joined
one of the corps and in time became
involved in several student duels.
When / left Heidelberg, where had
taken more interest in the small sword
than my studies, stopped in Paris be-
fore returning to America, with a view
to seeing some French fencing. One
evening a party of us visited the cele-
brated school of NJ. Brisson. While we
We're watching the pupils fence man
entered and after looking on for awhile
proposed to take the fOils with the
principal. BrissOn consented and was
astonished, as we all were. ut the strain
gers skill. After disarming his adver-
sary he took up Il piece of chalk, rub
bed it OH the foil. and, calling to Bris-
son to place himself on guard. made
one brilliant stroke after another and
at last left n chalk mark of n figure
on the fencing masters waistcoat di-
rectly over the heart.
''VIctor MOrrel"' exclaimed several
who were present with the same
breath.
"Who is Victor Morrel?" asked.
"The most noted swordsman in
France"
"A duelist?"
':No; singularly enough, he has not
the courage to fight duel"
What is his occupations"
NV informant. n Frenchman, shrug-
ged his shoulders after the French
fashion and walked out of the school
without replying to my question. Bris-
son at once DOTTED his wire mask and
put up his foil. In doing so he turned
his back upon his former antagonist
and took care to keep it turned till
Morrel had left the academy. Evident
" the man who had shown his skill
was not favorite with him or, for the
matter of that. with any one present
The Frenchmen all departed. leaving
the room to our party. Morrel also de-
parted, and as he passed me l noticed
the most repulsive face had ever seen
on man. l did not wonder at the dis
favor in which he was held. l should
have been afraid to pass him in lone
" road had he cause to prick me in the
back.
Three years later, in company with
my friend Walter Douglas, l again Wis
tied Europe, sailing from New York to
Cherbourg and going from there to
Mentone. n winter resort in the south
of France. One evening Douglas went
to walk with n little French girl who
had captivated him by her smart ap-
pearance. He failed to return to the
hotel, and toward morning, becoming
anxious for his safety. l went to search
for him. / found him lying in his blood
in the gardens stabbed through the
heart His coat had been cut by the
point of knife or sword so as to make
what looked like the letter $. The
blade had entered the heart at the
point where the tracing ceased.
In agony at the murder of my friend,
1 called a gendarme, and the body was
removed. l made every effort TO find
the murderer, but without success. The
mysterious letter S cut in his coat
would not be dropped from my mind.
1t seemed to partly awaken some menl-
DRY. At last l remembered MOrrel and
the figure he had chalked on the
waistcoat of NJ. Brisson. Then it oc-
CURED to me that the letter S was an
incomplete figure s.
Going at once to the police office,
requested them to arrest the little
French girl whom Douglas had been
with on the night of his murder, and
when she arrived at the police office l
her myself. She came in
charge of n gendarme. frightened and
weeping. but, fancied, on her guard.
"Have you lover?" l asked.
"No, m'sieu."
do you know any one expert with
the swordY'
mo, m'sieu."
She preserved her equanimity, but :
saw that the question startled her.
Ibid you ever see man cut or mark
the figure s upon an adversary's
breast?"
She turned pale and did. not reply.
where is Victor Morrel?'
This broke her down. II had nothing |
to do with it." she cried. "He was jeal- |
Gus Of-the American. Do not bring |
me to the guillotine. beseech you"
1 turned to the project of police. |
"The case is in your hands," 1 said. |
Find Victor Morrel."
where is NJ. Morrel2' he asked of |
the girl.
"Oh, do not knowi Spare mer'
"Take her away" said the officer to |
the gendarme. "She will finish her ca
reer on the guillotine."
This was too much for her fidelity to
her lover. 81 do not know where he |
u.s." she said. Yesterday he was in
That evening Morrel was arrested in
Marseilles and brought to MentOne for
trial. Re put on a bold front. feeling
sure that there were no witnesses of
the murder.
an. Morrel," asked the prosecuting
attorney, ''why were you so foolhardy
Is to leave the figure 8 on the heart of
he man you killedT
ct did not" the prisoner exclaimed,
Daling.
cit looked like the letter S. but had
Tou completed it you would have made
In s of it"
The prosecutor held up the murdered