The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-06-25
them, in time to hear Mrs. BlOndelle

life. And she VIII iii"A'
yet" 40, .ven my wife,
hall ever do that. swear u o' "'' my
hopes off, a., oo,,a hoor
no more. ,,.. ,,,h., n,
en-. ,l,iests would have TO unmask, Sybil
snd Reatrix rc-exchanged costumes, and
went down 10 the drawlng-room together
inst as the last quadrille was completed,
and the company began to march 10 the
supper-room.
room, they took Off their masks, anu
handed them 10 attendants, placed for
that purpose TO the right and LETT OF the
door. Thus. when the company niicg me-,
the room every face shown, but "Dea'h
was nowhere 10 be seen.
At last the party broke up: ohiy Few
of the guests remained all night ,hvsc
were shown TO their rooms, anu tnc
others having gone, rs iaic Woulu nav
Il, Mrs. Blondelle went into inc lIluo ~
ception parlor to meet MIR. Berhers, VINO
assured her that thencei0rth nc couiu
never extend 10 her,morc than protief
affection.
,.rhen give me brothers. kiss" she
sighed. '9rhat In not much To ask, anu
have no one to kiss me now. SO give
me brothers kiss. and let me go" she
pleaded, plaintiyely.
He hesitated for n moment, ana then
bending over her, hc said:
ut Is the first. and for your own sake
il must be the last, Rosaw and he pressed
his lips To hers.
II tcas the last as well as the first; for
at the meeting of their lips they were
stricken asunder rs by the fall OF ihuii-
derbolt!
And Sybll. blazing with wrath, like, 4
spirit from the Lake of Fire, stood De-
tween theml
She looked not human-with her whole
face aud form hcaying, palpltatlng, hasl-
Ing forth the lightnings of anger!
"SYBm!w exclaimed her husband,
thunderstruck, appalled,. :.
She waved her hand towards him, rs III
10 implOrc or command silence.
II have nothing To say to you,' she
muttered, In low and husky tones rs II
ashes were i'm her throat. but YOU!
she said, and her voice rose clear anu
strong as she turned aud stretched out
her arm towards Rosa, who was leaning
traitress, who has come between the true
husband and his wife-ln the morning
Won must leave the house you have desc
cratedY for II You do not or If ever l flnd
your false face here again, | will tread
down and crush out your life with less
remOrse than ever | set heel upon
spiderl will, rs am Berners! And
now, begOne. and never let me see your
form againW :,
Rosa Blondellc. who had stood SPELL
bound BY the terrible gaze and over
whelmiug words of Sybil, the wronged
wife, now suddenly threw up her hands,
and with a low cry fled nom the room.
And Sybil dropped her arm aud her
voice at the same instant, and stood dumb
and motionless.
Aud now, at length, Lyon Berners
spoke again.
"Sybii!" he said. "this house Is yours !.
You must do rs you please. But this
tell YOU: that In the same hour which
sees that poor and ffiendless young crca-
ture driven from the shelter of this roof,
/ leave Il too, and leave il fOreyer!r
IfLyon Berners really meant this, or
thought TO bring his flery-hearted wife to
terms by the threat, he was mistaken In
her character.
"Oh, go!' she answered. bttcrly-"go
IA soon as you like, Lyon Berners.
Goodnight and-goOd-bye," she said,
and with n wave Of her hand she passed
from the room.
lie mad TO have spoken rs he did:
madden still to let her leave him so! how
mad, he was soon 10 learn.
Lyon Berncrs remained walking up
and down the room some time longer.
The lights were all out, AMI the servants
zone To bed. Yet still he continued To
pace up and down the parlOr floor, until
suddenly piercing shrleks smOtc his ear.
In great terror Inc started forward and
instinctiyely rushed towards Rosa's room,
when the door was suddenly thrown open
by Rosa herself, pale, bleeding from
wound In her breast.
"Grcat Heaven What l. thiSi' he
cried, rs. aghaSt with amazement AMI
sorrow. he supported the ghastly and
DIVING form, and laid IL OH the sofa, ana
then sunk on his knees beside ID.
"WhO, who has done this!" he wildly
demanded, u, almost paralyZed with
horror, he knclt beside her, and tried To
stanch the gushing wound nom which
her life blood was fast yelling.
She opened her bloodleSs lips, now
paling In death, and gaspcd forth the
words:
"She-Sybil-your wife. l told you
She would do il, and she has done IL.
Sybil Berncrs has murdered me-" she
whispered. Then raising herself with u
last dying effort, she cried aloud, Hear.
allg Svbil Berncrs has murdered me-
And with this charge upon her lips, she
fell back DEAD.
Even in that supreme moment Lyon Bcrners'
first thought. almost his only thought, was for
his wife. He looked up to see who was there
who had heard this awful, this fatal charge.
an were there guests and servants, men
AMI women, drawn there by the dreadful skrieks.
All had heard the horrible accusation.
And all stood panic-stricken, as they shrank
away from one who stool in their midst.
II was she, Sybil, the accused, whose very
aspect accused her more loudly than the dying
woman had done; for she stood there, still in
her fiery masquerade dress, her face pallid, her
eyes blazing, her wild black hair loose and
streaming, her crimsoned hand raised and
grasping blOoi-stained dagger.
40, wretehed woman most wrctched wo-
man What Is this that you have done ~
groanel Lyon Berners in unutterable agony
agony not for the dead beauty before him, but
for the living wife, whom he felt that he had
driven TO this decd Of desperation.
"LyOn Berners, do YoU believe me guilty."
she asked.
He looked up. and their eyes met. II he had
really believed her guilty, he did not now. lie
answered briefly and firmly;
"No, Sybil Heaven knows that do not but
explain this horrible business-if you can -
"The explanation Is this" she said, emphati-
caIy. And then her voice arUse clear, firm, and
distinct, rs she continued:
81 was in my chamber. which is Immediately
above thatoccupicdb by Mrs. Blondelle. Myeham-
Der Is apppaehed by two ways, tst by thefrOnt
passage and stairs. and secondly by a narrow
staircase running up from Mrs. Blondelle's
room. do not know how long | sat
there. when heard a piercing Shrek FROM some
one in the room below lnstinctiyely rushed
down the communicating stairs aud into Mrs.
Hfonlpllcss rpDu and nm a, hcr h.,l Nxb.r,, \