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Here'the superintendent l ked at me Inquiringly, as ii he half expected me "WeU* good afternoon, Captain Brett," to say something, but as I remained silent te con tilt ned, still locking keenly at me from time to time, as though ?watering the eifeet o : his words. **. Weill/ tis I said, about I o'clock we received most important information. A hali porter of the Metropole called at om? station and stabed that last hight Sse heard a remark m . the hall of the hotel which: might have a very impor tant bearing on the case. It appears there were shree or four gentlemen smoking and lounging in the entrance itali and talking loud enough to bo overheard by the porter or any one else in their vicinity. "The conversation happened to turn opon weapons, and one of the gentle men; who seemed to have traveled a great deal, described some curions arti oles of warfare he had come across in .Africa, whereupon another visitor, a Mr. Keighley Gates, casually mentici ed a peculiar white glass dagger he had j seen the day before in a friend's rooms. X have made it my business to see Mr. Crates and get what information I ^ o d. Mr. Gates seemed rather com municative yesterday, judging from what the port sr said, but since a glass dagger has come so prominently for ward in today's paper it is wonderful how reticent he has become. He most reluctantly substantiated what he had said, sud at length admitted he had seen such a dagger in the room of a friend. Still more reluctantly did he give me. the name and address of this friend. It appears"-and hens the offi cer meed his eyes keonly upon me-"it appears this ciagger is the property of a certain Mr. George Fenton." . This was the first time George's name had been mentioned in connection with the murder.. I felt tais was the begin ning of the end, but my face did not betray my feelings. After a short pause Jewell continued, **3 believe you told me last nigh!;, Captain Brett, that yon had spent the evening at a Mr. Fenton 3s house?" "That is six " "You gave the address as De Yere Gardens?" "Yes.'\ "That is precise]:'' the address I ex tracted from Mr. Keighley Gates rather a curious coincidence, Captain Brett?" "It is certainly a coincidence, " I re plied. "'Then you will probably have seen this remarkable gla&s dagger which ais ~ tracted the attention of Mr. Gates? I believe it was hanging on the wall of Mtv George Penton's room?" * * Yes, I remember seeing such a weap on there," I answered, "but I don't quite see tho connection between that particular dagger and thia murder. There are doubtless plenty of similar weapons in London at this moment. They used to be common in the old days of the Venetian republic, and they are manufactured now in quantity, to supply the demands of the modern cu rio collector." i': "Oh, no doubt,,r said the officer, .'but.it just happens I'm rather wishful to see this articular curiosity at this moment. By the way, you seem to be coming from that direction yourself. Can you tell me if I shall find Mr. George Fenton at home?" "I did sst see him. He was not in when I was there, but of course he may he there novr. " "I hope he may," said the officer, dryly. "I fancy he will be able to give me une valuable information. Oh, by the bye, I don't think I told you the mane of the gentleman who was paying attentions to the murdered woman. It's another of these extraordinary coinci dences. It is the sams Mr. George Fen ton." Here the superintendent seemed busi ly engaged flicking some imaginary dust from his coat sleeve But I felt that my tace was still well within range of his penetrating eyes. Still, I could not keep the surging blood from my face, It was too horrible to hear the toils being woven closer and closer round the un happy lad. The merciless voice went on in cool, even tones: "You are doubtless aware of this last fact, Captain Brett?" "Yes, I know something of it." "This would scarcely please his fam ily, captain?" "Probably not" "And it might cause little unpleas ant family jars. It's a sad thing when eves is of this sort occur. Young men don't Dioofeinterference in suco " att -makes 'em kick over the traces-g bit "wild-eh, captain?" Superintendent Jewell was a Iii too obviously trying to draw me, E replied: "In this particular instance th was nothing of the ind, Mr. Jew* Mr. George Fenton is a friend of mi and is as straight as a die-certa ii not at all wild. But I must be movix 1 nave an engagement. " "Well, good afternoon, Capti Brett. I am on my way to your frien< house just now. I only hope I may tl him in. Ke teems lo be just the ve man we want Good afternoon, sir. As I left the lynx eyed officer i f* .tbe net was indeed being slowly drai round George Fenton. It was ovide that when ali the circumstantial e1 dence was collected and George Fent found to be missing from home a"wt rant for his arrest would only too sm ly bo issued. The news could not long kept back from his father ai j motlier that their son was suspected this fearful crime, and I pictured tl effect of the terrible news upon h parents. But amid all this trouble my cour was clear. While the officers of the la were gathering evidences of his guilt, must to the best of my ability strive hud grounds for his innocence. Mabel belief in him was firm and unshaken Mine must be the same, and no stoi would I leave unturned to attain 01 end. _ CHAPTER VT A SURPRISE OB A CLEW? I left Superintendent Jewell with sinking heart, f or I knew only too we what would happen at De Vere Ga dens. Once, indeed, I turned back 1 follow him there ; but, after all, whi good could I dor I could not ward o. even fer an hour the storm of troubl that was about to break over that ur happy household. Some time afterward, when the edg of the agony had been dulled, Mane told me of what occurred. Of cours George was not; at home, nor could hi whereabouts be gi ven. A Venetian glas dagger was admitted to have rang un ti recently on the wall of his room. Th superintendent asked to see George' photograph nd this tallied with tb descriptions of him given by the bu conductor and by those of the pnrsuinj crowd who bac. given information. I was further admitted that George hat left the house the previous evening ii dress clothes. His friendship with th< unhappy woman was not denied. The chain of circumstantial evidence seemed complete, and a warrant was is sued that same night for the arrest ol George Fenton for the murder of r Har riet Staples. ISariier in the day a ver dict of willful murder had been brought in by the coron er's jury. . The suspense and agony of the next few days for Mabel and her paren ti were simply awful The father and mother were t>owed down in terrible grief. Mr. Fenton entertained no doubt of his son's guilt, his connection with the murdered woman having fully pre pared him for believing the worst, and it was pitiable to see the old man crushed by the awful blow. Mrs. Fen ton was utterly prostrated, but her anx iety was all :.'or her boy. She never spoke of the murder, but sat all day in her room piteously asking each new comer whether there was any news of George. Mabel alone in that house pre served an appearance of calm. Her pale drawn cheeks, her anxious eyes, told of her inward suffering, but she moved about seemingly unconscious of the blow that had fallen, busy with her household duties. At last there arrived the news of George's capture, and it came almost as a relief to us. Better this than the dreadful uncertainty which had hung over us like an awful nightmare, The moment Mabel heard of his illness she announced her determination of going to nurse him, and, accompanied by a maid, she set off for Yorkshire to the wilds of Craven. She would not hear of my going with her on her journey. I must stay in town to look after her fa ther and mother and arrange for the de fen se. In a week's time George was fit to be moved. He was brought up to London and formally charged before the police magistrate with the murder of Harriet Staples. Chiefly on the strength of my reluctant evidence he was committed for trial at the Old Bailey. All the while the unhappy lad stout ly maintained his innocence, but his solicitor and counsel were in despair. Against his own improbable account of what actually had taken place there was arrayed a mass of overwhelming evidence, from the conclusions of which it seemed impossible to escape, It could be proved that he had been in the habit of waiting for Harriet Staples, and that ! they had often been seen together. There was evidence that on the night in question they had been out for a walk, and that in Back Saville street, on their return, high words had passed between them, while the very presence of the dagger pointed to premedita tion. A clearer case there could not be made, and it seemed certain that unless other important evidence was forthcom ing the prisoner's life hung by a very slender thread. At the earliest moment possible I obtained an interview with him. He had indeed altered in the last few weeks, and it was scarcely possible to recognize in ti is broken down wreck, with worn face and haggard eyes, the serong, bright, active man of a few short weeks ago. For one moment a trace of his old look crossed his face when he saw who was his visitor. "Ah, you have come, Brett! I knew you woold. Gocd God, isn't it awful?" And he buried his face iu his hands thin, wasted hands. ' I had determined to find out at this interview whether there was a possible chance of his being innocent, so after a few minutes I asked the brutal ques tion: "What on earth possessed you to kill her, Fenton?" He drew back as if I had struck bini. Then he looked at me steadily, and re plied : "Brett, I thought you knew me! I murder Harriet? I would have given my life willingly for hers at any mo ment Brett, hy all that is holy, I swear I have nothing to do with her death." "Tell me all that happened that aw ful night," I rejoined. "We are mov ing heaven and earth for evidence. Per haps you may fjive me a clew." "It's weary work going over it all again, Brett Harriet and I had been out for a walk together, and as we turn ed toward Spiegeleisen's I again urged her to give some reason for refusing to marry me. She would not do so, and told me she wished I would leave her forever, as I was only making us both unhappy by my persistence. There was just enough in her words, or, rather, her tones, to make me hope, and I caught hold of her hand and begged her to pity ma She tried to withdraw it from my grasp, but I would not yield it And this I suppose some passerby took for a quarrel I could not make her alter her determination, and so I left her. I had not gone far away-certainly not more than a score of yards-when I heard a smothered cry and a dull th nd. I look ed back to see Harriet on the ground and a man running away. I rushed to her assistance, and the first thing I saw was that cruel weapon in her breast In the agony of my despair I "tried to with draw the daggmr, but the hilt broke off, and at that moment you caine up. You know the rest " "And the man?" I asked. "Could not you describe him?" "Impossible It was dark at the time and my thought was all for my poor love. He left absolutelyno impression on my mind. " My heart sank as I heard him speak. If this was all he could say, I felt there was indeed no hope for him, for what jury would believe such a statement unsupported by a tittle of proof, in face of all the evidence against him? was eager to know him to be innocent, not only for his sister's sake, and because my marriage depended upon it, but be cause I liked the lad, yet I will honest ly confess, when he told me what had occurred, I did not believe him. I am afraid my face must have shown what I felt, for he looked at me in a pained, troubled way, as much as to say, "If you, my friend, doubt me, what can I expect from those who do not know me?" But such thoughts were unprofit able.. I came in search of a clew, and as yet he had given me none. "Can you tell me anything about her people?" I asked. "The police seem ut terly at fault, and according to them she was quite alone in the world. " Fenton shook bis head. "She could not have been without relatives and friends, but she would never speak about them. " "But why?" I asked. " What was the mystery anon :; her, George?" "I do not imow. I felt there was a mystery all along, but I did not think I had any right to find out more than she chose to tell me, and that was little enough. She never mentioned her fa ther or mother, or, in fact, anything'of her past life. Sometimes I tried to lead her on to the subject, but she always seemed to sci nt danger and kept clear of all personal matters. This thing I know at any rate-she was of gentle birth and certainly had never been brought up with the idea of being a servant Not only did I leam it by her many accomplishments-painting, mu sic, singing, languages-which she went out of her way to hide from me, but which, nevertheless, would keep cropping up-but from lier manner of looking at everything, one could see she spoke from a standpoint far above the position in which she was placed. "I pictured her, Duncan, brought up in a refined English home, in easy cir cumstances, with every social and in Fenton stoked and once more covered his eyes wearily with his hands. tellectual advantage. Then, perhaps, her father died und his affairs were found to be embarrassed. Grief and anxiety hurried her mother to a prema ture grave, and the daughter, their only child, too independent to owe any thing to relatives, too proud to let her friends know what she was doing, set about to earn her own living, at first by the exercise of her talents, and, that failing, by accepting the situation in which I found her. At other times I thought it possible that an unhappy home had driven her out into the world, there to make her way as best she could. Of course, neither of these solutions of the enigma may be right, and yet it seems to me that either one or the other of them would account for all. I am -tier]y incapable of solving the mystery that surrounds her death. Without any special circumstances, mere robbery would hardly be sufficient reason for the murder ; for I was so near that it would have been all but impossible for the murderous thief to have rifled her body, and then what likelihood was there of sufficient spoil to compensate him for the awful risk haran?" Fenton stopped and once more cov ered his eyes wearily with his hands. I felt it would be useless to dwell longer on the details of the murder. Ha had told me all he knew, and further dis cussion seemed needless cruelty to my friend. Besides, my time had expired. So I rose. "By the bye, " I asked, "have you no photograph of her you could let me have? I feel confident that we c^uld throw some light on this awful mys tery if we could only trace her ante cedents. If you have her picture, it %7ou!d no doubt help us." " Yes," he replied, "I have one pho tograph of her which she gave me after much pressing and reluctantly enough in all conscience. I left it at home thai; awful night You will fin d^ it in a leather case in the top left hand drawer of my dressing table, in which I keep my ties, under the paper afc the bottom of the drawer. Ask Mabel to give it you." I said goodby to my friend as cheerily as possible and assured him that we were doing everything that could be done in his interests and that no stone would be left unturned to prove his in nocence, but I left him with a heavy heart, for I felt the all but utter hope lessness cf the task before us. , I got the photograph that same day. It was a cabinet vignette of a remark ably handsome girl, and for the mo ment I could not believe this was the poor woman, the Memory cf whom, huddled in the gutter as I had first seen her, would forever remain with me, but a second glance showed me that it was indeed the same woman before the storms and blasts of life had furrowed her cheeks and dulled her eyea Here I saw a face breathing inward happiness and contentment-the face of a woman I to be remembered. Beneath a wealth of dark hair were a broad forehead and eyes of marvelous depth and beauty. The chin betokened unusual decision, and it was evident she was not a woman to be lightly dealt with. On the other hand, her nostrils and lins gave the im pression that she sought some one to care for and even lean upon and on whom the wealth of no ordinary love would be lavished in return. Altogether it was an exceptional face-one of a woman whose influence for good should have reached far and wide. What ter rible fatality had warped her path so that it led through trouble to such a piteous end? The photographer's name had been erased and I turned the card round, hop ing to find some clew on the back, but it was blank. I say the name had been erased, but it had not been completely scratched away, and there were still in dications of print, but so trivial that it seemed hopeless to expect any clew therefrom. My next business was at Scotland Yard. There was just a hope that Har riet Staples had been advertised fer as missing by her friends, and if sober photograph would probably be there. I explained my business to an official, and we soon had before us the albums of some years back. We went carefully through them, comparing each one with the photograph I had with me, but of the many thousands I saw not one bore any resemblance to it, and at last we gave up the search as hopeless. A young detective helped me in my search, and as I was about to place the picture in my pocket he pointed to the nearly obliterated letters at the foot "There's the clew, sir, take my word for it. If you could only restore the whole word from those fragments, you would have it at once." "That's all very well," said I, "but I'm afraid it's an impossible feat. " "I wouldn't be too sure of that, " he replied. "I've known a good deal come from a slenderer hint Why not have a few facsimiles made of them and send them to experts?" I left the place with this suggestion ringing in my ears, and as I turned it over in my mind it bore unexpected fruit Capital ! It should be as he sug gested, but instead of a few facsimiles I wouid have hundreds of thousands struck off and carried the length and breadth of the land. How? By enlisting the popular press in my cause. The next day I managed to obtain a letter of introduction to the editor of one of those weeklies which have so hit the public taste &iat there is scarcely one household in the country which does not buy its weekly copy. Tc him I broached my plan, which was nothing less than securing the services of his readers to aid me in my search. I asked him to print a facsimile of the almost erased letters in his next issue, with a prize of 50 for the first correct addi tion of the missing portions. The ex citement which the murder had aroused was still great, and the public w?re following with scarcely abated interest every fresh development of the case. The editor scented a big increase in his circulation if his paper became in any way identified with the mystery that surrounded the case. But I shrank from exposing this last move to the gaze of the idle and curious, so I stipu lated that for the present, at any rate, the connection between the murder and the problem offered to the public should ba kent a secret. TO BE CONTINUED i-retty uirln. These! "The Houtzdale(Penn. ) Journal says: "The of the Houtzdale girls are slender and delicately tinted, their i i i are like ***, and they are without - in this or any other 4. Their frowns are like ttt, and their 123430 excite !!! of pleasure and a desire tom-'- them. Read this If closely, and do not ? its veracity." If yoa want j oar machine made new bring it to Randie. * STRAIT ATTACKS JUNIOR SENATOR. The Retiring Congressman Issues an Address-Calls McLaurin a Trickster. To the People of South Carolina : Since manifestos, addresses aod es poses are in order in South Carolina, I have decided to have a word to say. The star player in the recent perform ance has beeo writing bis owo plays, criticising and damning all others while painting his own part ic glowing colors without regard to truth or the interests of aoy save himself. I have decided it to be my duty to keep quiet no longer while he is allowed weekly to exploit himself aod his actions through the leading newspapers of oar State. I shall confine myself to a statement of facts that can be fully substantiated by the entire- delegation io COD g ress, aod, io fact, ali who had ao opportunity from the inside to observe closely the treod of matters during the last six years The people of Sooth Carolioa bave a right to know what is cow and what bas beeo goiog oo behind the curtain. Aod wheo they bave learned ali the facts they will not be slow to make op their minds. The address recently issued by Mr. W. A. Neal, it is well koowo, as not writteo by him. He was sick at the time and could not judge for himself what the effects would be, nor how despicable it made him appear io the eyes of beth friends aod foes, lt is weil koowo that it was written by John L McLaurin. who hastened dowe to Columbia from Washington and as hurriedly came away after he bad peened this iofamoos slander, ao iiostru ! ment of apostacy, aod induced Neal, poor, sick fellow, to sigo iii. Along with other members of the South Carolioa delegation io congress, I have beeo subjected to the treachery and undermining tactics of the junior j senator from our State so long that I ' had almost become used to it aod did ! not expect to have anything more to I say doriog the short period io which I I will remain io public life. Bot there i is such an outrageously false aoousation ! against the entire delegation in the , Neal-MoLaorio address that I cannot I looger remaio silent, i McLaurin has his commission as senator until 1903, and he may feel that he ean slander os with impunity, bot I, at least, will not submit io silence ' McLaurin makes Neal charge : "Io 1894 I was iovited to go to Wash ington to attend a conference. I was present in Ir by's committee room when it was agreed to make Jobo Gary Evans governor of Sooth Carolina. There was ooly one man who raised his voice against it in protest I was a witne.^ to the scene wheo be withdrew io aoger from the conference." There was no need for bim to go back foor years to make an accusation of there beiog a ring in Washington at the time which was running South Carolina's polities. He made poor Neal sign a rai se h ooo, knowiog at the time himself that it was a falsehood, and his only purpose could be to injure the d l gation here io the eyes of the people. Now, the fasts are these, and will be sustained io my statement by C7ery member who parti cipated, as well as by Senator Tillman, who was at the meeting mentioned he being governor theo : irby called a melting of the dele gation without letting us koow what be waoted with us. Tillman, Neal aod Evans were present. As sooo as the meetiog opeoed McLaurin mentioned that Koester, theo editiog The Register, and .Bowden, two prcrn ioent South Carolinians, then io Washington, ought to be admitted to oar council. Irby aod McLaurin were theo oot OD good terms oo account of a scaodal iovolviog McLaurin, of which I will oot speak here, because it is tco nauseating, and they begao to quarrel, Irby deolariog that he would not have anything to do with a Popu list, aod before anything was dooe, or the purpose for which we bad beeo brought together mentioned, McLaurin angrily left the room, saying he would "stand by his friends." Matters having assumed this shape, Latiner, Talbert and myself, members of the house, also left, and there was oot one word said about ruoniog Jobo Gary Evaos for goveroor. McLaorio bas become so notorious himself for holdiog conferences and planning polit ical deals, and is by nature suoh a trickster aod conspirator, that I pre sume he feels called opoo to charge such things to others He was io the "Forty movement," which has for its object the destruction of the Reform party. He begged Lattimer, Talbert and myself to join him io a Populist manifesto to the people of the State io 1894, saying that tbe State was ripe and that the people would rally behind that baooer if we would join him. He denied this when be was ruooiog for the senate, bot I cao prove it by both the gentlemen referred to He cursed and damned the dispensary law here daring the Darlington riot, and wrote the "Dear Appelt letter" giviDg Sena tor Tillman the "Joab stab;" yet when Tillman came on here afterwards be went to bim and begged him not to fight him in bis congressional district for congress and disclaimed intending anything but friendship for him. He promised Bewden that he would run for governor in 1896 and encouraged Bowdeo to ruo for congress. He made Tom Reed believe he was in sympathy with the Republican party and thus ob tained his position os the ways sou means committee aboye cider and abler members of the house He has been in a way, tryicg to deliver the goods, and his tariff speech was a part deliv ery. His fawning around the prc s ^ dent last summer and declaration that McKinley was the "most popular pres ident rince Lincoln and ought to he re Dominated by acclamation" is another part. AH these things go to prove his utter unreliability and bis unscrupu lous ambition. He is a Democrat ooly because be believes that is the way to gratify his ambition.. would goon and give instance after instance of his treachery to bis col leagues, and of his trickery, but this i's enough tor one installment. Let bica cispnt ? what I have said thus far and 1 will give him some more, and what Is more to the purpose, let the people know more fully what manner of maa it is they have sent to the United States senate in the place of the noble Joseph H. Earle. Very respectfully, T. J. Strait. Washington, D. C., Feb. 1, '99. The Slander of Women. Mr. McCullough, a member of tbe South Carolina legislature, bas intro duced a bill to make it a crime to Blander a woman. Bot Editor Wil liams, of tbe Greenville News, who bas an Anglo-Saxon style of acting as well as writing, thinks there are obstacle in the way of the bill in spite of the fact that it is well meant. "What we need in that direction," says he, "is a revival of the good, old fashioned southern habit of lodging eighteen buckshot-that, we believe, is the regulation dose pre scribed by time honored custom-in the person of the man who from malice or folly assails the character of a good woman. That is the best, quickest and most satisfactory and conclusive way of settling such mat ters It prevents litigation, saves expense and annoyance and serves as a warning. We have observed that whenever an affair of this kind occurs in a community slander be comes tongae tied there for a term of years and almost anybody's repu tation is safe. As a mle women do not talk scandal against each other unless they are instigated or encour aged by men and even the worst gossips of that ses are subdued by the knowledge that their male repre sentatives will be held responsible in case a scandal is traced to tbe family. The old rule was that respectable men should not use the name of a respect able woman in any way except ic the presence of 6ome of her ciose friends or of other women-in such company as to make sure that the use should be respectful. A man who used a wom an's name lightly or in improper places or on inappropriate occasions was stamped as a blackguard immedi ately. Scandal cannot be prevented by law. It can be prevented only by the aroused decency of public senti ment and by the conscientious oppo sition of good people." Senators Daniel and Money Speak on Imperialism. Washington,. Feb. 3 -For more than five hours to day the senate listened to arguments in opposition to expansion and in opposition to the ratiScation of the treaty of peace. The speakers were Mr. Money of Mississippi and Mr. Daniel of Vir ginia. The former's address was comparatively brief, as he did not enter into the constitutional phases of the question. Mr. Daniel made an exhaustive argument, in which he covered all the points in controversy. His speech was a brilliant oratorical effort Throughout he received the careful attention of senators and many auditors in the galleries, and at its conclusion he was applauded warmly. The Charlotte Observer is urging the abolishment cf the State farms in North Carolina and the hiring out of the convicts to the various counties that they may be pot to work at building good roads. The Greenville News is urging the same reform ic South Carolina The argument of our contemporaries is strengthened by the conditions at present of the highways, many farmers being road bound, * un able to travel any distance on business or pleasure. The Greenville News says on thia snbject : We have had in South Carolina a century aod a half of government sup posed to be civilized, twenty-two years of white man's government and eight years of "radical" government. Yet our reports from everywhere say that the roads are to-day wor e than they have ever beeo. Millions of dollars of money of the taxpayers bas been spent on them, and yet the taxpayer can not use them without serious danger to his neck, bis horses and his running gear. How long will we continue this folly ? Why should we continue it? We have got to come down to rock, and rook placed on scientific road build ing principles. The work must be done some time. 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