The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-08-02
Copyright Ist, BY Louis Joseph vanc>
CHAPTER xxxII.


FOR several minutes O'Rourke re-
manned beside the body, making two
notable discoveries. For he was quick
10 note the fact that one of the dead
mans hands was tightly clenched.
while the other lay half-open and
limp. The former was closed upon q
leather thong 30 stout as to resist any
attempt to break It by main strength,
20 firmly held that the murderer had
found it necessary to sever IT with
a knife. The knife itself was there,
for proof of this; the sheen OF light
upon its mother pearl handle caught
the lrishmap's eye.
Picking it up, he subjected 1t to q
close examination that, however,
CLEANED no information. It was sim
ply a small pocket penknife, little
worn, with blades of German steel. 1t
carried NO identifying marks and told
him but one thing-that the assassin
had been a European; native would
never have bothered with so ineffec-
tual q thing when sturdy weapon,
serviceable alike for oifense and de-
Tense, would have served its purpose
equally well.
i From this he turned to the dagger
which he had taken from the body;
q stiletto with b plain ebony handle,
unmarked, unscratched, apparently
fresh from the dealers showcase. 1t
meant nothing, save that It indicated
stfl more strongly that the murderer
was most probably not q native. A
Greek or an Italian, a Genoese sailor
or . native Of Southern France-say
. ssafaring man out Of Marseilles-
might have carried it.
''Oho!" said O'Rourke. speculative.
~ Frenchman, mayhap!"
He got up. satisfied that he would
Aeas1 nothing more BY continuing his
ooarch of the solicitors body. The
@e1tal link between the fact Of the
crime and its perpetrator was inevita-
b.; O'Rourke believed implicitly that
Bypher had been murdered by Des
Tfsbss naaquerading a. DE Hyeres."
And he could have done himself an
INJURY in the impotent fury aroused by
Ssalisation that he had permitted him
Asaf to be 70 childishly HOODWINKED.
despite the suspicious he had enter
AAined Of the soi-disant DE Hyeres."
1Ss felt himself responsible, since he
AAA -Aegaected to warn 6ypher. 1t had
Assa on his tongues tip that after
,Asea, when 6ypher himself had divert
- the warning by his request that the
ORourke could more comfortably spin
Ais yarn after they had dined.
Poor divvle!" said the adventurer
,ASain. He stopped to spread his
0andkerchief over the staring, pitiful
aaco. "And poor, poor young woman!"
- He was startled by the thought of
Aer; for the FIRST time It entered into
mis- comprehension, until then bounded
by the hard and fast fact Of. the MUIR
Asr. Now instantly his concern about
the crime was resolved into solicitude
1qr The girl: What could have hap
psned to her? What had become Of
the servants. whose sudden desertion
had left the house 30 sinisterly quiet?
Swept on by a fervor of anxiety on
4he girls behalf, O'Rourke glanced
quickly about the study to assure him.
Self that he had overlooked nothing of
Importance, then passed out into the
main hall or reception-room. Here the
most searching inspection revealed
nothing amiss. He moved on to the
other room on the main floor and
found himself IN the dining-room; here
>asain all was In perfect order.
The kitchen Offices in the rear of
the house next received his attention;
he found them completely untenanted.
having apparently been abandoned in
desperate haste. Everything was In
disorder; the meal ne had been in
Nited to partake OF was cooking to Gin
ders In pots and ovens; a heavy Of
Tense OF burning food thickened the
atmosphere. Half-stified, he left the
place as quickly as possible, returned
to the main hall ami ascended to the
upper story.
Here he found three bed-chambers
and bath. He first entered Sypher's,
then the room evidently occupied by
Miss Pynsent, finally what was un-
QuestiOnably a guest-chamber, discov-
ering nothing noteworthy until he
reached the latter. And here he re-
ceived a shock. Thrown carelessly
across the foot of the bed was a wom-
ans evening wrap, while on the bureau
were gloves, long, white and fresh, but
wrinkled from recent wear. and a silk
sn veil. Plainly these were the prop
srty Of the fourth guest, whose place
Asd been set at the table below, but
OF whose identity he had not been ap-
pstsed. Presumably. he reflected. she
whoever she was) had been intended
- the fulnllmsnt Of sypher's hinted
surprise.
A gusss formed vaguely in his brain.
aal suddenly curdled into suspicion.
He took the gloves In his hand; ss.
omining them for marks Of idsnunes-
tiaa. bat found none. But In one cor
49, NJ the vail he dincoverod an ann