Charlevoix county herald., 1915-04-03

yet the whole idea seemed too fan
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 i'm upon people like this ?"
Don't be an utter fool, Jack!'
snapped Darlington, irritably. If you
have the emotions of a wooden image
haven't! l have news, man, newsw
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
grin. Il can remember fixtures like
Dodson."
well, he's no longer fixture-he's
fixed" said Darlington. "The Inspec-
tors went TO 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
strangled by 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 stiff
drink.
Don't start that Darlington
warned him. You'll need your head
if you have one"
Harcourt paused for moment
then drained the. glass. eco on" he
said.
"ln 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 it 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 it
as last evening was warm and the
windows all through the club were
open. What is more, it is reported
that card bearing your name was
still i'm 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-
| y.
But surely Jack you see that these
things go a great way toward remov-
ing suspicion from YOU" 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 it TO anyone, and I'm not sure
that MacBee noticed it, although one
can never tell what he observes"
We'll ?" Harcourt said impatiently,
his calmness quite gone.
Il examined the sheath carefully
and it is undoubtedly the case of the
knife Fergus found in your pocket.
Burned into the leather just at the
top are the initials az. X" They are
oddly entwined, and don't believe
one person in a hundred would ever
notice them, but somehow ! caught
them right away"
Then, perhaps my suspicious were
not so far wrong after ALL" Harcourt
observed quietly.
"Kandwahr was in the room when
Hartford and talked with the inspec-
tor MacBee had taken him up for
the same reason he took you, l
imagine. and | watched the fellows
face carefully.
Eyes ?"