The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-07-25
CHAPTER V.
ANOTHER VICTIM.

Harcourt, with the aid OF his valet,
was dressing when Darlington was
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 il 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 il on the
dagger hilt. it made but little impress
ion upon him, yet IL was sufficiently
unusual to impress itself upon him
when he saw IL again in the smoke
room of the Grill club. Its third
appearance in the Marston library
had set him thinking almost impossi-
bic 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 fan.
tastic TO be credited and he had been
at the point of telephoning TO Grace
half 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 irrltably If you
have the emotions OF a wooden image
/ haven't! ! have news, man. newsl"
Really" said Harcourt, smiling in
diligently. Why don't you get out an
extra?'
Darlington gave him glance of ut.
ter contempt You remember bod
son. the doorman at the club?" he
said
Yes" Harcourt admitted with a
grin. II can remember fixtures like
Dodson."
We'll he's no longer fixture-he's
fixed" said Darlington. THE Inspect
ors went 10 his house this morning
but could not find him. No one there
knew anything OF his whereabouts
and search of the city failed TO give
any trace of him. Late this afternoon,
however, he was found-in his uni
form, in the areaway at the bottom of
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 a person of tremendous
strength"
Harcourt stood stunned as Caring
ton spoke The thing seemed TO him
the last straw, and walking over to
the buffet, he poured himself a stif
drink
Don't start that, Darlington
warned him. you'll need your head
If you have onel"
Harcourt paused for a moment
then drained the glass Go on" he
said.
"In Dodson's hand" Darlington con.
tinued they found, clutched quite
tightly, a long leather case or sheath.
Inspector MacBee showed it to me,
and the markings on il are exactly
similar to"
Harcourt started. ITO the one"
Darlington nodded Exactly" he
said. And another thing has been dis
covered Perkins. the club servant
who found Towney, says that the win
dow directly behind the body and
leading onto the fire escape, was open.
He naturally thought nothing of II
as last evening was warm and the
windows all through the club were
open. What is more, il is reported
that card bearing your name was
still in the rack at the club door this
morning, showing that Dodson was
evidently not there when you left the
building"
The thing grows more mysterious
every minute" said Harcourt musing-
ly
But surely Jack you see that these
things go a great way toward remov-
ing suspicion from your" Darlington
said enthusiastically.
$50 they do" Harcourt drawled. 81
hadn't thought Of that. Have a cigar
cite. Dicky?"
And there is something else"
Darlington went on. Perhaps the
most important OF all. haven't men
toned IL TO anyone. and I'm not sure
that MacBee noticed IL. although one
can never tell what he observes"
"Wellg" Harcourt said impatiently.
his calmness quite gone.
Il examined the sheath carefully
and Il is undoubtedly the case OF the
knife Fergus found in your pocket
nurnaH into tho f0afhar fuof NJ Tho