Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1901 — THE IVORY QUEEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE IVORY QUEEN

A Detective Story Of a Chicago Suburb. The Murder at The Orange and How Its Mystery Was Solved by Darrent. the Amer* kail Lecoq.

BY NORMAN HURST.

CHAPTER VIII. THE IVORY QUEEN’S SECRET. There was no train back to Barnstaple till late in the afternoon, and Darrent filled in the time with a hearty meal and a long country walk, pondering over the discovery he had made that day and feeling that the latest phase of the case only tended to deepen the evidence that had already condemned Astray Marsden to the scaffold. When at last he found himself- alone in the train for Barnstaple, he drew from his pocket the paper that he had received from Miss Kingston in which the chessmen had lieen wrapped and scrutinized it carefully. It was an ordinary sheet of coarse trown paper with an adhesive address label, indicating that it had been expressed from Barnstaple Jan. 13, 1893. Darrent sat back in his seat in the smoker, lighted a cigar and ruminated. It was scarcely likely, he felt, that in the time that had elapsed, some six or seven weeks, the express clerks would remember who handed in that parcel or recognize the writing on the label Still, he would go to the express office directly on his arrival in Barnstaple and make inquiries. Suddenly the train pulled up with a jerk. Signals were against them at the junction, and they stuck for a good quarter of an hour, with the result that when they did get into Barnstaple the express office was closed. He tried to find the clerk, but failed, and then tew to kill the 12 hours till 8 next morning became the problem that sorely perplexed him, for he must stop in Barnstaple that night. Suddenly he recalled his friend of the Gaiety theater. From the highly colored placards that decorated the streets and the entrance to the theater he learned that an equally thrilling melodrama to that which was purveyed to the public on his last visit was in progress.

He found his way down the grimy passage again, and the stern janitor conveyed his card to Mr. Ridgeway and brought it backed with the message from the manager that he would be on the stage all the evening, but if Mr. Darrent would go in front and see the show Mr. Ridgeway would see him afterward, and on the card was penciled an order for a stall. Darrent glanced at the writing and received his second shock that day, and, instead of accepting the hospitality of Mr. Ridgeway, he paid his money at the door and carefully placed the card in his pocketbook. With the fall of the curtain Mr. Darrent reached the stage door and a couple of minutes afterward was in the manager’s room again. Mr. Ridgeway motioned him to a seat and awaited the commencement of the conversation, for, while he could not deny that, upon the evidence submitted at the trial, the verdict had been a just one, he did not somehow feel overamiable toward the man who had, bit by bit, built up that evidence. Darrent, who had great belief in the efficacy of getting home the first shot, suddenly opened fire. “Why did yon post a box of chessmen to Miss Ethel Kingston, Bideford, on the 18th of January?’’ he asked. The effect upon Mr. Arthur Ridgeway was instantaneous and aatorjahing. He simply collai>eed into the nearest chair and gasped, “How the dickens did you know?” “Never mind how I know. I ask you why did you do it?” “I did it for Astray Marsden’s sake. ” “Come, come, Mr. Ridgeway; this is a little too thin. It’s not a play, you know. ” “As sure ns heaven’s above us, Mr Darrent, that’s the truth." “Come, now,” said the detective quietly; “you’d better make a clean breast of the whole affair, or you may find you've pnt yourself in a very serious i>osition. ” “Huh Astray confessed?’’ “Never mind what Astray’s dona You tell me your version." “There’s not much to tell. I always liked young Marsden. I told you that when you came liefore. I always believijtn him and thought him a straight going chap, and so I do now, mind you." said Ridgeway. “80 Ido now." "Yes, yes; goon.” calmly interjected Darrent "Well, the day after the murder Astray came over here"— “Yes. I know.” —“looking scared and white, and bogged and prayed mo to go over to NoreomU* the first thing the next morning and to | ret. mt to Dobson, the chief of |M>liee tin re. that I was a detective and get him to give me a box of Iviry chessmen from the library of Th* Gfiin'e." "W< 11. von did. eh?" ' "I refn>w-<i ut tint, but Astray persuaded me. He told ae it might be a mutter of life and death to him and that ho must have ’how chessmen liefore any one came from Chicago. He said 1 was the only num who could do it and the «»iilv one he could trust. I

was an actor and could play the part. I could make up so that I should never be recognized.-and I’d only have an idiot of a policeman to deal with. He swore to me that he was innocent of the murder, and I believed him." - “So you went over to Norcoinbe and got trie chessmen?’’ “Yes." “Well, you did it cleverly. Mr.

Kiageway, but it was not quite so clever to address the box in your own handwriting to Miss Kingston at Bideford. ” “I sent it there because I refused to keep them irr my possession, and that was the address Astray gave me. But how the dickens you found it out”— “Never mind how. I did. Now, Mr. Ridgeway, do you know anything further?" “Nothing, upon my soul" “Well, good night I shouldn’t wonder if you hear from me again.” And Mr. Darrent strolled down the narrow picture gallery, with examples of vice vanquished and virtue victorious, leaving Mr. Ridgeway ter ponder upon the position in which he had so suddenly found himself placed and to speculate what his misplaced generosity on behalf of young Marsden might lead to. marly next morning Darrent went to Norcombe, and, having obtained permission from the authorities, he paid a visit to Astray Marsden in the jail The time that had elapsed since his conviction had already had an effect upon the prisoner. He had grown very pale and sallow, his eyes were sunken, and deep black circles showed round them, telling of sleepless nights. Darrent gazed at him for a few moments without speaking, and Astray glared sullenly back at him, and neither broke the silence. At last Astray found his tongue. “Well, what do you want?" he growled. “Haven’t you done enough already ? Do you want to gloat over my misery? You’ve hunted me down like the bloodhound that you are, and now you’ve come to glory in your work.” “I have come," Darrent answered, striving to keep calm in face of the torrent of words with which he was assailed, “I have come for two reasons—the first, to bring you a message from the girl who believes in you still. I

"No. How could I? You tracked me 4own p.t once, arrested me in Chicago, and I’ve never been free an instant since. ” "Why did you never mention it at your trinJ "What good could it have done? It had nothing to do with the murder. Leave me. leave me to myself I I’ve sworn to you that I am innocent. What’s the good? You do not believe it. I’ve told the parson here I’m innocent. He does not believe it. All he says is. ‘Repent, repent. ’ lam sick of it all. I’m condemned, and I’ve got to suffer. For heaven’s sake, leave me in peace until the end comes!” And, despite all Darrent’s efforts to get him to talk. Astray Marsden would not open his lips again, would not utter another word, but sat glum and taciturn, staring into space with eyes that saw nothing unless it was the ghastly outlines of a scaffold with a dangling rope. Finding it useless to linger, Darrent left the jail and returned to his own room at the Palace hotel and, having locked the door, took out the two ivory chessmen and carefully examined them. The pawn was cut out of one solid piece of ivory, with the exception of the fiat base, which, with a dexterous twist of his strong fingers, Darrent unscrewed. There was no mystery about that, and he laid it on otip oidn snd ninlrsMi et** Eh* come to say tnat fine neiieves you innocent, will ever believe you innocent.” "Thank God for that!” “That is my first duty, and I have discharged it. and now I have come to help you if I can. ” "Help me I Listen to him—help me I Haven’t you done enough for me already? Haven’t you put the rope round my neck? What more can you do, eh?” "Perhaps I can help to take it off again, if you are only Reasonable and will answer a few plajn questions.” “Well, go ahead, There's one consolation—thisigs can’t be worse even if you do take down w z hat I say aid use it in evidence against me. It won’t avail now. ” ; f*O n CONTINUKD.]

"How the dickens did you knows"