Evening journal., 1905-05-23
JAMES HOPE,
INSPECTOR

his fame when he was given the case
OF '"Fhe Brown Eyes" to work up. The
beginning Of the case was murder
committed in London omnibus.
While the vehicle was rolling along
with only two passengers in it-one
banker and the other a lady-the bank
er was stabbed to Sse heart. and the
lady swung herself or the step aod dis
appeared among the crowd. The bank
er lived long enough to say that she
was a young and handsome woman,
richly attired, and that she had large
brown eyes. She had not robbed him.
nor could he tell why she had sought
his death. She sat near him. but they
had not spoken a word when she sud
denly drew dagger and plunged lt
into his side. Fifty different people
saw the young woman leave the omni-
bus, but five minutes later, when the
alarm was given. no one could say in
which direction she had disappeared
Even in his dying hour, as was after
ward ascerained the banker had lied
Many years previously and In another
city he had wronged a trusting girl
and left her TO die in shame and dis
grace That girl had a sister, and the
murderess Of the omnibus was un-
doubtedly she The banker had two
sons, both Of them young men. One
held a responsible position in a large
jewelry house, and the other was Just
setting up as n bnrrister The police
thought Il would be an easy matter to
pick up the woman with the brown
eyes. but they found TO the contrary.
She did not have half an hours start
Of them. and yet they failed TO dis
cover a trace For weeks and weeks
they were looking for brown eyed wo-
men and keeping them under surveil-
lance. but nothing came Of IT,
One day three months later a young
woman who spoke French fairly well.
but who was undoubtedly English, call
ed at a jewelry house in Bond street
and looked at a lot Of valuable gems
and asked that they be sent to her
rooms at certain hotel at certain
hour She would then pay for what she
finally selected. 1t was the house in
which the bankers son was employed
and he was selected TO go with the val
uables. He reached the hotel was con
Quoted to the lady's rooms and two
hours later was found dead there. He
had also been stabbed. As none Of the
gems had been taken and as the WON
an had mysteriously disappeared Il
was set down as case Of revenge
According to the clerk and the servants
Of the hotel, the murderess had large
brown eyes. and her general descrip
tion fitted that Of the woman OF the
cab.
At this time two events happened II
the life of Inspector Hope. He wal
given the case OF the brown eyed WON
an to work out. and his wife had q par
tial stroke of paralysis and engaged I
young woman 10 act as nurse and com
panion She had advertised. and In an
swer came a stranger who knew a goo,
deal about nursing and who brough
the very best of characters. Inspecto
Hope saw and talked with her himsel
and was pleased to find her intelligen
and anxious 10 please She freely an
swered all questions and took the plac
on probation. The inspector was t
write 10 certain parties in regard TO he
recommends. When two weeks haS
passed she asked if he had written. H'
had not His wife was so well pleaseC
with her nurse that he decided to taxi
chances.
For FIVE weeks the nurse never lef
the house, and for five weeks Inspect
or Hope brought all his luck, logic
and acumen TO bear on the last mur
der case. but he made no progress. HI
was in despair, but still at work, feel
ing that his reputation was at stake
when a third mysterious murder wa
committed. The son OF the banke
who was in law had received as
client one afternoon a young an'
handsome woman wearing a half veil
She was in his Office an hour. Durinl
the first half hour two people saw he
there. No one knew when she de
parted, but when a caller opened tn
door the young lawyer was foun'
breathing his last. lie had been stab
bed as his father and brother ha'
been. and by the same dagger and th
same hand. Again the murderess hat
disappeared and left no trace.
As a member Of the family, almost
the nurse heard a great deal Of tall
about the strange murders and seem
ed interested TO an extent She knew
how fervently the inspector desired {
make capture and was kind enoug
to hope that he would succeed. Tw
days after the murder OF the lawye
Mrs. Hope and the nurse went to tn
country for a two months stay, AM
the inspector set to work as he neve
had before. Spurred by the reward
offered. a thousand detectives AM
constables were on the lookout for tn
woman with brown eyes. When ST.
weeks had passed and their ardor hai
begun to cool Inspector Hope receives
word that his wifes nurse wa
strangely missing He went down t
the farmhouse and found that sue
was the case. She had simply wallze
out of the house in the evening ant
been swallowed up in the darkness.
The inspector sat down and though
for an hour. Then be rose up an
made search of the baggage tn
woman had left behind. One simpl
thing betrayed the whole case to hin
On a blotting pad found in her trun
he found the address Of the lawyer a
she had blotted the envelope. She ha
written to make an appointment. an
she was the murderess. Her ham