Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-05-15
CHAPTER v.
ANOTHER VICTIM.

announced. All the way home and
every moment that he was changing.
Harcourt had been the prey of
strange, haunting doubts. The wierd
monogram seemed craven upon his
brain-he saw it upon every object he
looked at-and the thing give him a
sense of uneasiness and fear that he
could not be rid of, try as he might.
When he had first seen it on the
dagger hilt, it made but little Impress
ion upon him, yet it was sufficiently
unusual to impress itself upon him
when he saw it again in the smoke
room of the Grill club. Its third
appearance in the Marston library
had set him thinking almost impossi-
BILE thoughts. How could it have got
ten there, and what did Grace know
of it?
The thought that she did know
that the strange murder symbol
should be lying there upon her library
table completely unerved him. If she,
too, were mixed up in this horrible
nightmare in some uneXplainable way,
he felt that he could trust no one
yet the whole idea seemed too fam
tastic to be credited, and he had been
at the point of telephoning to Grace
half a dozen times since his return
home.
In evening clothes, Darlington hur-
ried into the room, tossing his hat
and stick to Fergus who discreetly re-
tired at once.
"Dick" said Harcourt reprovingly,
as he pulled himself together with an
effort. "Will you never learn not to
rush in upon people like this?"
Don't be an utter fool, Jack!"
snapped Darlington irritably. If you
have the emotions of wooden image
haven't! l have news, man, news!"
Really" said Harcourt, smiling in
diligently. 'Why don't you get out an
extra?"
Darlington gave him a glance of ut
ter contempt. "You remember Dod-
son, the doorman at the club?" he
said.
"Yes," Harcourt admitted with a
grin. 81 can remember fixtures like
Dodson."
well he's no longer a fixture-he's
fixed." said Darlington. "The Inspect
ors went to his house this morning
but could not find him. No one ther,
knew anything of his whereabouts
and search of the city failed to givt
any trace of him. Late this afternoon
however, he was found-in his uni
form, in the areaway at the bottom o
the fire escape at the back of the
club"
"Not-?"
Dead" said Darlington. "His face
was horribly distorted, and there were
marks upon his throat which show
clearly that he must have been strang
led by person OF tremendou!
strength"
Harcourt stood stunned as Caring
ton spoke. The thing seemed to hin
the last straw, and walking over Il
the buffet, he poured himself stiff
drink.
Don't start that" Carringtol
warned him. You'll need your hea,
II you have one!"
Harcourt paused for moment
then drained the glass. GO on" h.
said.
"In Dodson's hand" Darlington con
tinued, they found, clutched quit
tightly long leather case or sheath
Inspector MacBee showed it to me
and the markings on it are eXactl,
similar to"
Harcourt started. "To the one?
Darlington nodded. Exactly" h
said. And another thing has been dis
covered. Perkins, the club servan
who found Towney. says that the wiI
dow directly behind the body an
leading onto the fire escape, was ope1
He naturally thought nothing of
as last evening was warm and tn
windows all through the club wer
open. What is more, it is reporte
that a card bearing your name wa
morning, showing that Dodson wa
evidently not there when you left tn
building"
"The thing grows more mysteriou
every minute" said Harcourt musinl
ly.
"But surely Jack you see that thes
things go great way toward reno,
ing suspicion from your" Carringto
said enthusiastically.
$50 they do" Harcourt drawled. "
hadn't thought of that Have ciga
cite, Dicky"
"And there is something else,
Darlington went on. Perhaps tn
most important of all haven't mel
toned it to anyone, and Pm not sur
that MacBee noticed it, although on
can never tell what he observes"
"Well?" Harcourt said impatientl
his calmness quite gone.
81 examined the sheath CAREFUL
and 1t is undoubtedly the case of tn
knife Fergus found in your pocke
Burned into the leather just at tn
top are the initials tx. K" They al
oddly entwined, and don't beliey
one person in a hundred would eve
notice them, but somehow l caugl
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