Trinkets of Tragedy

Frederic de Peyton-Reuter had known riches all his young life, and like his father before him, became an enthusiast over curios. It was while visiting a curio shop that he met the proprietors niece, Miriam. He had gone there to have an ivory fan repaired. Fangbone, the shrewd Russian proprietor, knew that Frederic was fascinated with his niece, and for that reason delayed repairing the fan. It was a bright brisk afternoon, when Reuter called for the fan in his fifteenth trip; he had learned to love Miriam. Irtski, an enemy of Fangbone and a member of a black hand gang, steals cautiously into the merchant's private office and prints an insignia on the broken fan leaf, which means "death." Reuter, as we said before, called at the shop for his fan and to see the pretty Miriam. There was a shot, and as he turned about he saw the lifeless body of Fangbone falling to the floor. Miriam cried to her lover to leave at once, and when the police entered, they found her sobbing her heart out, over the death of her uncle. The revolver was found at her side and she was accused of the murder. Hyde, the famous detective, is engaged to solve the mystery by Major Ales Monro, Reuter's counsel. The detective gathers all the evidence, arranges a plot and finally captures the real murderer. Miriam is exonerated and Renter claims her for his own.