Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1901 — THE IVORY QUEEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE IVORY QUEEN

A Detective Story Of a Chicago Suburb. The i Murder at The Grange and How ♦ Its Mystery Vl’sc Solved by Darrent. the American Lecoq.

BY NORMAN HURST.

[continued.] Again Darrent waited until she had become calmer “Can you.” he asked as he took his notebook from his pocket, “give me any reason why old Marsden was so bitter against the marriage of yourself and Astray ?” “I only know that many years ago, while I was away at school, my father, a widower, quarreled with Josiah Marsden—what about I never learned, but from that day until my father died the two were deadly enemies, and old Mr. Marsden forbade Astray to ever see or speak tome.” “Do yon know anything of the real relationship between Astray and the old man ?’ ’ “I only know what Astray told me, and that was that Mr. Marsden adopted him when he was quite a child and that he had no recollection of his parents. ” “You do not think that Josiah might have been his father?” “I do not know, Mr. Darrent: indeed I do not know.” “Never mind.” answered Darrent soothingly. “Now, tell me, did you see Astray Marsden between his return to Norcombe from Africa and the murder at The Grange? Remember. I am asking now to try to save him. Tell me ah. you know. ’ ’ “No: I had not seen him for two years until I saw him after the murder. ” “But he had written to you?” “Repeatedly.” Darrent paused again. He seemed to be able to get no further in this problem. Nothing was different from what he had built up all along. This woman could give him no further information, and yet there was still the aching doubt that had been with him all day. His mind reviewed the clews from which he had put together the evidence. Those clews had all passed out of his possession now into the hands of the district attorney", at except the chessman and the broken piece of ivory. They had seemed subsidiary to the main crime that had fitted so well to Astray Marsden that he had kept them to himself, kept them with perhaps the idea that one of these days he might run across the remainder of the set and find out what part, if any, they played in the drama upon which the curtain would J&en have long since been rung down. He recollected that he had placed the pawn in his pocket before he left Norcombe that morning, and almost unconsciously he took the little carved piece out and gazed at it Rising suddenly from the table, the girl crossed the room and, taking from the sideboard a sandal w’ood box inlaid with mother of pearl and ivory, opened it and displayed to Darrent’s astonished gaze a set of chessmen of which that pawn evidently formed a part. “These.” she said, “look exactly like the one you have in your hand, Mr. Darrent. Do yon think that they may help you; that there may be some clew in them?" Darrent. almost too overcome with surprise to answer, slowly took the pieces out and arranged them on the table. There were 81. A red pawn was

missing. He placed the rod pawn he had taken from his jxx-ket beside the others. It was a facsimile. Them could be no question that it belonged to the set. Then Darrent turned his attention to the white pieces. He scrutinized the delicate work of the bishop’s embroidered vestments, the carved pagodas on the backs of the elephants, the flowing robes of the king and queen. He took the white qneen in his hand and examined the carving Yes: a tiny piece had been chipped off, just a little fragment of the delicate ivory filigree crown that rested on the curling hair. He replaced the pieces in the bdx. except the red pawn and the white queen.

and. taking from his pocketbook the scrap of ivory that he picked up fn m the library floor, fitted it exactly into the broken part of the crown. Yes, beyond all doubt, this was the set of chessmen stolen from The Grange. And where had ho fonnd them ? In the house of the fiancee of the man now lying under sentence of death for the murder. A sudden revulsion of feeling seemed to sweep over Darrent. He had, he felt, been wasting his sympathy to no purposa Doubting his own acumen, he had started on a fresh track, he had commenced to reconsider all his conclusions, and yet the very first new step that he had taken had only the more deeply confirmed the damning evidence that his former efforts had accumulated. “Mr. Darrent. do you think it will help your case? Do you think these will prove anything?” she asked, breaking the long pause. “Let me ask you a few questions before I answer.'' “Yes, anything you like —anything that will help Astray. ’ ’ “Where did you get these chessmen ?” “They were sent to me. ” “By whom?” “I do not know. ” “Was there no letter or message with them?” “None.” she hesitatingly answers. "Come, come; you must confide the whois truth to me if I am to help you and Astray. Wheu did you receive theip ?” "Two days after the murder.” "How?” "They came by express.” “Have you the wrapper still?” “I dare say I can find it. Shall I see?” “One moment. You do not know who sent them?” "No;- but the same morning I had a letter from Astray, written in Chicago, telling me that a small box would come addressed to me; that I was to unpack and take care of it for him until we met. ” “You did not know he had been at Norcombe?” “No.” "You have never seen these chessmen before?" "No.” "Astray has never spoken to you about them?” "Never.” "Thank yon; that is all. Yon may now find me the paper in which the box came, if you will. ” While Miss Kingston went in search of the paper Darrent calmly slipped the ivory queen and the red pawn in his pocket and, laying the rest of the pieces evenlv in Lot tin* H 4 * "Thank you,' ' he said as she returned and gave him the desired paper. “Thank you, and goodby. ” » “Do yon think there is any hope?” she asked. “I cannot tell yet. We must do our best. Shall I say anything to Astray for you? I shall see him tomorrow.” "Only teH him that I know that he is innocent. I know it." “More than I do,” muttered Darrent to himself as he walked toward the railway station. eUMTIMUU*.]

"These," she said, "look exactly like the one you have in your hand."