The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-30
THE FENCER'S I
MARK I

|8 MARK :
After leaving college l determined
to take q course at one of the Ger
man universities. l chose Heidelberg,
which In those days was the best
known and took three years course.
I 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 before returning to America.
with . view to seeing some French
fencing. One evening q party Of us
visited the celebrated school Of NJ.
Brisson. While we were watching
the pupils fence Q man entered, and.
after looking on for awhile, proposed
to take the foils with the principal.
Brisson consented and was aston
ished, a. we all were, at the strangers
skill. After disarming his adversary
he took up a piece of chalk, rubbed
1t on the foil, and, calling to Brisson
to place himself ON guard, made one
brilliant stroke after another and at
last left . chalk mark Of Q figure
on the fencing masters waistcoat d.
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?"
mo: singularly enough he has not
the courage to fight q duel"
What is his occupation?"
| My informant, . Frenchman, shrug-
ged his shoulders after the French
fashion and walked out Of the school
without replying to my question. Bris-
son at once do6ed his wire mask and
put up his foil. In doing 30 he turned
his back upon his former antagonist
and took care to keep 1t 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 pres
ent. The Frenchmen all departed,
leaving the room to our party. Nor
rel also departed, and as he passed
me noticed the most repulsive face
had ever seen on q man. l did not
wonder at the disfavor in which he
was held. l should have been afraid
! to pass him In lonesome road had
he cause to prick me In the back
| 1n%4 t.,
my friend Walter Douglas, again
visited Europe. sailing from New
York to Cherbourg and going from
there to Mentone, q winter resort in
the south of France. One evening
Douglas went to walk with a little
French girl who had captivated him
by her smart appearance. 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
garden stabbed through the heart.
His coat had been cut by the point of
a knife or sword so as to make what
looked like the letter 9. The blade
had entered the heart at the point
where the tracing ceased.
In agony at the murder of my friend
I called gendarme, and the body was
| removed. I made every effort to find
the murderer. but without success.
The mysterious letter cut in his
| coat would not be dropped from my
mind. It seemed to partly awaken
some memory. At last l remembered
Morrel and the figure he had
chalked on the waistcoat of M. Bris-
son. Then 1t occurred to me that the
Letter was an incomplete figure 8.
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
questioned her myself. She came in
charge of gendarme, frightened and
weeping, but, l fancied, on her guard.
Have you a lover?" l asked.
"No, m'sieu."
do you know any one expert with
the sword?"
"No, m'sieu."
She preserved her equanimity, but /
saw that the question startled her.
did you ever see a man cut or
mark the figure upon an adversary's
breast?"
| She turned pale and did not reply.
Where is Victor Morrel?"
This broke her down. Il had
nothing to do with it," she cried.
HE was Jealous of-the American.