"What do you make of it, Nick?" whispered Chick, dropping to his knee beside his companion. Nick also lowered his voice, and for several minutes the two conversed in rapid whispers. "It is a jewel case, Chick; and quite a valuable one." "So I see." "I don't think it belonged to this girl. She looks as if she were the maid, or possibly the companion, of some woman of wealth or distinction. Her attire also indicates that. Hence so valuable a toy can hardly have belonged to the girl, but more likely was the property of her mistress." "No name on it?" "Not even an initial. Not a mark of any kind." "It is empty." "Yes." "Can the girl have been robbed of its contents, here and in broad daylight?" "Worse, Chick!" whispered Nick, between his teeth. "Worse even than that." "Good heavens, Nick! What do you mean?" "Chick, this girl was foully murdered!" "Murdered!" echoed Chick, with an involuntary gasp. "Can it be possible?" "It certainly appears so to me." "But the means?" "That is the mystery." "There are no signs of violence." "Wait a bit. Notice her right wrist, just back of the thumb and near the pulse. Notice that tiny red spot, barely observable. It might have been made with the point of a pin. Do you see, it?" "Yes, now that you call my attention to it." "It means something. I am convinced of that." "Others are not likely to discover it." "I hope they may not, Chick," Nick hurriedly rejoined. "I am flooded with ideas and suspicions, which I wish to consider and put in order before too much of this mystery leaks out. I'll explain later." "Perhaps her hat pin is poisoned," suggested Chick. "I don't think that." "Or possibly--" "Wait a moment. Look at this box." "Well?" "That wrapper was punctured while still on the box," explained Nick. "Notice that the pin went through the spaces in this metal design, and then through the silk lining inside." "Plainly enough, Nick." "Notice this particular puncture in the interior of the lining." "By Jove! there's a faint tinge of red around it." "Left when the pin was withdrawn," whispered Nick, significantly. "Chick, it's a tinge of blood!" "I believe you're right, Nick." "I am convinced of it. Also that there's a mystery here which cannot be solved in a moment," said Nick, impressively. "I wish to conceal these discoveries until after I have considered them more fully, and also identified this girl. See if you can find her purse, or anything that will reveal her name." While Chick was thus engaged, Nick arose and glanced sharply around in search of any evidence indicating that such a crime could have been committed unobserved in so public a place.