The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-11

Il
| you throw me off yet"
"Never! no one, not even my wife, shall ever
do that. lIswear it by all my hopes Of
Sybil glided away. She could bear no more
Supper-time drawing near, when all the
guests would have to unmask, Sybil and Bea-
triX re-exchanged costumes. and went down to
the drawng-room together, just as the last quad
rifle was completed and the company began to
march to the supper-room.
AS each couple passed into the supper room
they took off their masks, and handed them to
attendants, placed for that purpose to the right
and left OF the door Thus, when the company
filled the room, every face was shown, but
Death was nowhere to be seen.
AT last the party broke up. Only few of
the guests remained all night. These were
shown to their rooms, and the others having
gone, as fate would have it, Mrs Blondelle went
into the little reception parlor to meet Mr. Ber-
nors, who assured her that thenceforth he could
never extend to her more than a brothers affec-
ton.
"Then give me a brothers kiss" she sighed
THAT is not much to ask, and have no one to
kiss me now. SO give me a brothers kiss, and
let me go, she pleaded, plaintively
lie hesltated for n moment, and then bending
over, her he said:-
1T is the first, and for your own sake it must
be the last Rosa!" and he pressed his lips to hers
1t lrdS the last well as the first; for Mt the
meeting of their lips they were stricken asunder
as by the fall of a thunderboltl
And Sybil, blazing with wrath, like n spirit
from the Lake of Fire, stood between them
She looked not human-with her whole face
and form heaving, palpitating, flashing forth the
lightnings of anger
"SYBm!!" exclaimed her husband, thunder
struck, appalled,.
She waved her hand towards him, as if to i'm
plOre or command silence.
81 have nothing to say to you" she muttered
in low and husky tones, If ashes were in her
throat. But to YOU!' she said and her voice
rose clear and strong as she turned and stretched
out her arm towards Rosa who was leaning in
alright against the wall-'To YOU, tratress, who
has come between the true husband and his wife
In the morning you must leave the house you
have desecrated. for if you do not or if ever
find your false face here again, will tread down
and crush out your life with less remorse than
ever l set heel upon Il spider! | will, as | am
Berners And now, begone, and never let me
see your form again.
Rosa Blondelle, who had stood spell-bound by
the terrible gaze and overwhelming words of
Sybl, the wronged wife, now suddenly threw
up her hands, and with low cry fled from the
room.
And Sybil dropped her arm and her voice at
the same instant, and stood dumb and notion
less
And now, at length, Lyon Berners spoke again.
"Sybil!' he said this house is yours You
must do as you please But this l tell you that
in the same hour which sees that poor and
frendless young creature driven from the shelter
OF this roof leave it too, and leave it for ever"
II Lyon Berners really meant this, or thought
to bring his fiery-hearted wife TO terms by the
threat, he was mistaken in her character.
"Oh, go" she answered, bitterly--''go as
soon as you like, Lyon Berners. Goodnight,
and-good-by," she said and with a wave of her
hand she passed from the room.
lie was mad to have spoken us he did; madder
still to let her leave him so! how mad, he was
soon to learn.
Lyon Berners remained walking up and down
the room some time longer The lights were all
out, and the servants gone to bed. Yet still he
continued to pace up and down the parlor floor,
until suddenly piercing shrieks smOte his ear.
In great terror he started forward and instnc-
lively rushed towards Rosa's room, when the
door was suddenly thrown open by Rosa herself,
pale, bleeding from a wound in her breast.
"Great Heaven! What is this ?" he cried as,
aghast with amazement and sorrow he supported
the CHASTITY and dying form, and laid it on the
sofa, and then sunk on his knees beside it.
who, who has done this?" he wildly de-
manded, as almost paral lyzed with horror, he
knelt beside her, and tried to stanch the gush-
ing wound from which her life-blood was fast
yelling.
She opened her bloodless lips, now paling in
death, and gasped forth the words:-
''She-Sybil-your wife. told you she would
do it, and she has done it, Sybil Berners has
murdered me-" she whispered. Then raising
herself with a last dying effort she cried aloud,
Hear, all! Sybil Berners has murdered me-"
And with this charge upon her lips, she fell back
DEAD.
Even in that supreme moment Lyon Berners'
first thought, almost his only thought, was for
his wife. He looked up to see who was tn ere
who had heard this awful, this fatal charge.
AL were there! guests and servants, men and
women, drawn there by the dreadful shrieks.
All had heard the horrible accusation
And all stood panic-stricken as they shrank
away from one who stood in their midst.
1t 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 blood
stained dagger.
"Oh, wretched woman most wretched
woman What is this that you have done ?"
groaned 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 deed of desperation.
Lyon Berners, do YOU believe me guilty ~
she asked.
He looked up and their eyes met. If he had
really believed her guilty, he did not now. He
answered. briefly and firmly
mo, Sybil; heaven knows that | do not; but
explain this horrible business-if you can"
"The explanation is this, she said, emphati-
cally; and her voice then arose clear, firm, and
distinct as she continued
II was in my chamber, which is Immediately
above that occupied by Mrs Blondelle. My
chamber is approached by two ways, first by the
front passage and stairs, and secondly by mar
row staircase running up from Mrs Blondelles
room. l do not know how long had sat there,
when | heard a piercing shrek from some one
in the room below. lnstinctively rushed down
the communicating stairs and into Mrs. Blon-
delles room, and up to her bed, where / saw by
the light of the taper she was lying. Her eyes
were closed, and thought at first that she had
tainted from some fright, until, almost at the
same instant, l saw this dagger" here Sybil
stopped and picked up the dagger that she had
dropped a few minutes befOre-'driyen to its
hait In her chest. drew it out. Instantly the