The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-08-09
THE BUST OF CLYTlE

Ol4r august udgs dbouA three Jtdi
=. ago. 1 was summoned to Boston by
telegram for consultation in a case
that had bothered the police official:
Of that city TO such an extent thai
they were obliged to call in outside
help. Three o'clock in the afternoon
found me seated in the smoking COM
partment of a coach on the flyer.
had lighted a cigar, when the door
opened. and a tall. Observation-Disclosures
gentleman entered and sat down OPP
pOsIte to me. At first I felt annoyed.
for 1 wished to mediate upon the
case 20 which 1 was going; but. after
another glance at the newcomer. re-
signed myself to a possible CONVERSE
ton with him.
Minute after minute passed by and
my companion did not speak. Pres
emily he started. as II from an unpleas-
ant revere. and took from his inner
coat pocket a handsome cigar case
with gold monogram upon II. Opening
IL, his eyes dwelt dreamily upon the
photograph OF "A woman, as he slowly
drew out a perfectO.
When he raised his hand I noticed
a peculiar ring on the third finger. 1t
was a snakes head looking out from
between the arms OF a letter W. made
of small diamonds. while the eyes OF
the snake were BEAUTIFULLY clear emer-
aids.
Then I recolIected that had seen a
vsimilar ring at a fencing exhibition OF
the Manhattan Club the previous win
ter. This man had won a final against
Alexander Van Cruger, a rising young
sculptor, and I remembered the cir
cumstance the more easily because IL
had been said there was i'll feeling be-
tween the men.
Van Cruger had won The hand of a
society belle at whose shrine my pres
ent companion had worshipped with
hopes of success. But Van Cruger,
young. handsome. rich. bearing home
the laurels of European triumphs. ap-
peared in social circles and bore off one
more of the worlds prizes, the love of
Helen Maitland.
The ring had attracted my attention
at the fencing match by its peculiar
design. 1 had some curious Jewels my
self, and had read what literature I
could find upon the subject.
1t seemed to me, as 1 looked at the
ring, that I had read of such a de-
ton. / longed to question Mr.. Hamil-
ton, for such was the name of the
gentleman who now sat opposite me.
During a ride of about three hours
my companion did not speak to me.
but sat gazing modify out of the
window. There was something about
the man that 1 did not like-not the
signs of stern resolution and an indo-
mitable will that his features bore, but
q
occasionally crept into his eyes.
At the Newport Junction he left the
coach and boarded the waiting New
!. port train. i remembered having read
in the fashionable items of late daily
that Miss Maitland's people were at
their Newport residence, and also that
! Van Cruger had been called to Paris |
by an order from the French Govern
ment. 1 thought to myself
Now that the field is clear, my
friend Will have his innings over again. |
and it will be well played, if my study
OF his face is a correct one"
Time passed and all thought of my
afternoon trip and my silent compan- |
ion had long since fed, when one day |
my chief sent for me. On the way |
from my rooms uptown / bought a
paper and read the notice of the death, |
by heart failure, of the young sculp- |
been found dead upon his studio floor |
that morning by the janitor OF the !
building where his rooms We're
When I entered the office OF the chief |,
he asked me IL I had head OF Van 1
Cruger's death. Upon my reply that |
had Just been reading about 1t in the /
papers. he said:
Carroll. Miss Maitland is almost /
frantic with grief. and insists that Van
Cruger was murdered Now, that Is /
all nonsense. for DR.. Everett says there |
never was a palmer case Of apparent /
heart failure. Still you may as well
go up to the studio and look around
Poor fellow! he had just been model
ling a beautiful bust of Miss Maitland, 1
and was found lying almost beneath
it."
When I reached Van Cruger's rooms
/ was admitted without difficulty. Up
on a working table stood clay model
OF Miss Maitland as Clytie. still I'M
finished and uncovered
Drawing the curtains turned on the
lights and began my search Nothing
seemed in disorder except for the usual
lack OF orderly arrangement in the stu
do, of artists and sculptors.
The hurried examination OF the phys
ician who had been called disclosed no
wounds or abrasions. The sculptor
had fallen, evidently standing before
the bust
I looked at his hands. Upon the
very tips of the fingers were faint,
hardly discernible traces Of clay. That
drew my attention TO the bust itself.
1t bore marks OF fingers and mo1el-
ling tools As I looked at 1t closely
Just where the beautiful curves OF the
bust emerged from the flower petals.
/ saw a faint CLEAN OF light, ami bend
ing over discovered. to my surprise
small diamond lying in the clay.
I did not at first remove II. put
Razed earnestly at the surface OF The
surrounding clay. I remembered see
ing a large reading lens near a port
folio of European photographs Tax
ing IL I'D I returned to the Dust
As stopped. bending over TO stuoy