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OLD BROADBRIM WEEKLY... - oak
“Why are you here?” the detective demanded, as he scrutinized
the face of the man, and he saw before the other answered his’
question that he had something important to communicate.
“T have been searching all over for you,” the assistant replied.
“When you left the office you didn’t tell me where you were
going.” .
“I forgot.”
“When I could not find you I came here and decided to wait
until you, turned up.”
“Well?”
“The superintendent of police desires to see you... All day long
he has been inquiring for you over the telephone every five min-
utes, and he asked me to tell you as soon as I saw you that he
desired you to come to headquarters immediately.”
oho that all?”
“What else have you to communicate?”
“The police have made no progress in the murder case.” *
“I didn’t expect they would.”
“That is what he desires to see you about.”
“Did jhe tell you so?”
“Ves. ‘
“Does he know that the woman had an interview with me 2?
“No. I told you that his men had made no progress. The
murder of the woman has created a great deal of excitement and
the police have been severcly criticised.
“A.curious communication in typewriting was received by the
coroner early this morning. .
“In it was given the woman’s name and address, and the cor-
oner was directed to have the body conveyed to her home in
Brooklyn.
“Inclosed in the letter was a hundred-dollar bill, which, the
writer stated, was to cover expenses.
“There was no name signed to the letter.”
“What did the coroner do?”
“He turned the letter over to the police, and kept the informa-
tion from the reporters.
“A detective went to the woman’s home in Brooklyn:
“There he found a young woman in charge.
“Her name is Marie Campbell.
“She is an orphan and has lived with Mrs. Kynett for a number
of years.
“She was prostrated when she heard of her mistress’ death.
“The detectives learned ‘nothing from her.
“All that she could tell them was that Mrs. Kynett’s son was
away from home, and that he worked for a Mr. Hill, whose place
of business was on John Street.”
“Did the detectiv es call at Hill’s office ”
“They did.”
“What did they learn there?”
“Nothing. The office was closed up. A notice was on the door
to the effect that Mr. Hil! was out of town.”
“Did they call at Hill’s house?” |
“They d did.” ~
‘Did they see any one?”
“Only a servant. She said that Mr. Hill and his daughter had
left the city, without telling her w here they -were going:
“Then what did they do?”
“Nothing. They were stumped.”
“How did you learn all this?”
“T-kept track of what the police were doing.” a
“Did you make any investigations on your own account?”
“You may bet I di
The assistant’s eyes “ sparkle d.
‘His face was flushed and brightened t up with an animated
expression.
He was a young man named Thad Leonard, but he was thor-
oughly trained in his business.
Old Broadbrim considered him one of the smartest of his aids.
“You made a discovery?” the detective queried.
“T did,’ Leonard replied.
“T found the dagger with which the woman was murdered.”
“Where?”
“In the toilet-room on the ground floor of our building.”
“How did you come to make the discovery?”
“After the police had made a search of the building and had
departed, I decided to hunt for the Weapon.
“Something told me that I should find it. -
Q “T commenced my , search in the toilet-room on the ground
oor.
“Upon the towel I found several bloody streaks.
“Instantly I concluded that the murderer had washed his
hands in the basin and had wiped them with the towel. I looked
into the closet under the w: ashbasin. ,
At first I saw nothing.
“I struck a match.
ween I beheld, away back in a corner, a dagger anda crumpled
“aAty heart gave a bound.
“I picked up the dagger and the cuff.
“I was afraid that some one would come in and see them, so I
shoved them into my coat pocket, notwithstanding the fact that
the weapon was smeared all over with blood.
“T continued the search,
“Being unable to find anything else, I retired to our office and
examined the dagger and cuff.
“Here they are.’
The young man handed Broadbrim a package
The detective opened it. ~
Before him lay the weapon and cuff.
Thad Leonard said nothing, but watched his chief anxiously.
Broadbrim picked up the dagger.
The handle was inlaid.with pearl, and the blade was made of
the finest steel.
- The detective examined the weapon critically,
Suddenly he gave a start.
Thad smiled.
“You have discovered something,” he remarked.
“Yes, ” Old Broadbrim answered, and he looked at. the young,
man. “There is a name engraved upon the plate on the hilt.”
“Did you read it?”
“Yes. It is P. Hill.”
“Now look at the cuff.”
“Tt is a man’s cuff.”
“Read the name inside.”
“Kynett.”
“Strange, isn’t it?”
“Ves.”
“What do you make of it?” |
“Let me hear thg rest of your report.”
“JT was dumfounded when I read the name of P. Hill on the
dagger and the name of Kynett on the cuff.
“T was aware,that Peter Hill was the name of the man who had
called on you and that Kynett was the name of the woman.
“T examined the indexes in your office and I found that there
was a Peter Hill who was a jeweler on John Street and that he
had i in his employ a clerk by the name of Alfred Kynett.
“I disguised myself and went to the John Street office.
“T found it°closed and the notice was on the door.
“Then I hunted up the janitor and got him to give me a de-
scription of Hill.
“As soon as I heard it I knew that h@ was the man who had
called on you.
“I also got a description of Kynett.
“T went over to the house in Brooklyn.
“This was ahead of the police.
“IT saw Marie Campbell and asked her where Alfred Kynett
was.
“She said that he had gone out of town on business.
“From her I secured a description of Kynett’s mother and I +
then knew. that she was the murdered woman.
I returned to New York.
“T thought that you would return to the office before night.
“T was undecided whether to go ahead with the investigation
or not.
“I did not know witit you were doing and I was afraid that if
I went too far I might interfere with your plans.
“For a long time I was in a quandary.
“At Jast©1 concluded-to wait until you returned, and in the
meantime to keep track of what progress the police were making.”
“You did well, my boy, Now listen attentively and I will give
you an account of what I have been doing.’ Then we can decide
upon some plan of action.”
Old Broadbrim gave. Leonard a full account of the mysterious
case and the investigation which he had made.
‘If Laura’s companion is Kynett, as you surmise, then he was
,
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