The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-07-19
THE FEECER'S MARK
toriGnall

AAuA NAg aAAAANos etNffNN a4 a Nsa" NN fore returning to America, with a view Co seeing some French fencing. One evening a party of us visited the cele' brated school of NJ. Brisson. While we were watching the pupils fence man entered and after looking on for awhile proposed Co take the foils with the principal Brisson consented and was astonished, 0s we an were, at the stran' gers skin. After disarming his adyer' sary be took up a piece of chalk, rub bed lt on the foil. and. calling to Bris- son Co place himself on guard, made one brilliant stroke after another and at last left a chalk mark of a figure S on the fencing masters waistcost d. rectly over tho heart
 victor Morrclw exclaimed several who were present with the same breath.
 "Who is Victor MorrelT' asked
 "The most noted swordsman n France"
 "A duellstT'
 "No; slngularly enough, he has not the courage Co fight a duel"
 "Whnt is his OccupationT
 My informant a Frcnchman, shrug ced his shoulders after the French fashion and walked out of the school without replying to my question. Bris son nt once doffcd his wire mnsk and put up his foil In doing SO he turned his back upon his former antagonist and took care Co keep it turned till MorreI had left the academy. Evident ly the man who had shown his skill was not a favorltc with him or, for the matter of that. with any one present The Frcnchmen an departed, leaving the room to our party. Morrel also de parted. and as he passed me l noticed the most rcpulslye face l had ever seen on a man. did not wonder at the dis favor in which he wns held. I should have been afraid Co pass him in a lone Iy road had he cause to prick me in the back.
 Three years later, in company with my friend Walter Douglas, again vls lied Europe. sailing from New York Co ChcrbOurg and going from there to Ncntonc. a winter resort in the south of France. one evening Douglas went Co walk with a little French girl who had captlyatcd him by her smart np pcarancc. He failed Co return Co tho hotel. and toward morning, becoming anxious for his safety, l went Co search for him. I found him lying In his blood In che gardens stabbed through the heart. His coat hnd been cut by the polnt of knife or sword so as Co mako whnt looked like the letter &. The blade had cntcrrd the heart nt the polnt where the tuclng ceased.
 In agony at the murder of my friend, | called gcndOrmc, and the body was removed. I made every effort Co find the murderer. but without success. The mvstcrlous letter cut in his coat would not bc dropped from my mind It seemed to partly awaken some menu ory. At last | remembered Morrcl and tho figure s he had chalkcd on the waistcoat of NJ. Brlsson. Then it oc' currcd Co me that the letter $ was an incomplete figure 8.
 Going at once to the police office. l rcqucstcd them Co arrest the little French girl whom Douglas had been with on the night of his murder and when she arrived at thc police odicc ] questioned her myself She came in charge of a gendarmc. frightened and weeping, but. fanclcd, on her guard.
 "IIavc you a lovcrT l asked.
 "No. m'sicu."
 Do you know any one export witl thc swordY
 "No, m'sicu."
 She preserved her equanlmlty, but ! saw that the question startled her
 Did you ever sec a man cut or mark the figure 8 upon an advcrsary's brcnstT'
 She turned pale and did not reply.
 "Whcrc Is Victor MorrclT
 This broke her down. q had nothing Co do with it." she cried. "Tle was jeal' ous of-tho American. Do not bring one to the gulllotinc. besecch you"
 I turned Co the prefcct of police. "The case is In your hands," l said. Find Victor Morrcl."
 "Whcre is NJ. Morrelr' he asked of the girl
 "Oh. do not know! Spare mel"
 "Tako her away" said the officer to The gendarme. "she will finish her ca- rccr on the guillotinc."
 This was too much for her fidelity to her lover. "I do not know where ho s." she said "Ycstcrdny be wps in MarSclllcs."
 That evening Morrel was arrested In Marsclllcs and brought to Mentone for ,rial. He put on a bold front, feeling surc that there were no witnesses Of lhe murder.
 "M. Morrcl." asked the prosecuting attorney, "why were you SO foolhardy ls Co leave the figure 8 on the heart of he man you killedT
 'I did not" the prisoner exclaimed pollng.
 "It looked llko the letter & but had you completed 1t you would have made in & of it"
 The prosecutor held up the murdered man's cont. on which had been cut tho cttcr s. The prisoner fell back, clutch