Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-24

loVer then, though deceived one. However,
there was no pscifying Arabella. She WAS DIR .
suaded that had done Ii on purpo-e. she was
most violent. She had predeterm ned upon a
/ quarrel with me, although she had not perhaps
hxed upon the precise period tor its occurrence.
| Well, she brought 1t on then. 1t was an awful
scene. How she abused mel What Languages
she permitted herseln How she screamed
what Mysteries she went int0i However. the
/ tooth was out, there was no mistake about
( that"
/ Here he smiled again, most nal evidently, as il
Her treachery toward me was punished, al
/ though, as have stated, by pure accident or
error Of judgment, which you please. But Ara
| spect am bound to say, she has been as good as
her word. It's no thanks to her that am living
to speak of these things, so-night."
"Then you really believe that she let fall the
opera-glass on purposei"
81 am quite satisfied of a. She meant nv
death. She knew / was there. 1 had noticed
her before leaning out Of her box, and taking
note of my position. i was jest thinking OF
changing 1t, suspecting what might happen,
when was struck down. Arabella is a won an
that kind of woman. L know her. I've good
reason to. And it's mot the first time she's
planned to punish me as savagely as she could.
Of Sfd mot snSw un SeFhaRs
you didn't. Well, that was her doing"
"What! The artificial eye!"
Don't be stupid" he said, ruisly. No doubt
had been rather obtuse; bat l had heard OF
ladies painting on glass and doing potich Om 4nie
and O.her strange things In the way of fancy
work, and for the moment, altogether, my mind
was in rather confused state.
mo" Stericker continued, "but l owe 30 her
the necessity for wearing an artificial eve. II
happened at the flower show in thu Botanic /
gardens. There was a dense crowd. 1t was in
the tent where the pelarg0niums are exhibited.
Not that care about such tnings, but il Sd hap
pened. A lady advanced with her parssoI held
IN front OF her. Suddenly she seemed to thrust
IL al me, as lancer might his lance. Her ann
was wonderfully true. The sight Of my left eve
was gone forever. It was quite mercy that the
spike of her parasol did not penetrate to my
brain. That was Arabella's dong, OF course.
Part of her revenge"
"And she said nothing?"
"She said, calmly, Il beg your pardon. 1t was
an accident and passed on. She looked very
handsome. She was superblY dressed. How
ever. that she always is. Her husband is old,
but amazingly Rich: He labors to crafty her
slightest whim-so I'm told. But her only de.
sire-the sole passion of her life-is to wreak her
vengeance upon me. Ifeel that. She cannot
forget, much less forgive the loss OF her front
tooth. You see, she's reminded Of that unhappy
business every time she looks in the glass, which
she does frequently, of course. She was always
vain. And she means, sooner or later, to be the
death OF me, that's quite clear. She's made two
very good attempts; at the Botanical gardens
and, tonight, at the opera. The third time per-
haps she'll succeed"
"But dosent the thought horrify you?"
81 accept my destiny, Stericker said smiling,
and with rather an affected air. '.It would ba
something to fall by the hand OF such a woman
as that that would be my consultations; really a
fine creature, you know, although no longer in
the bloom of youth; indeed, removed some dis
lance now from the bloom of youth. but still
giand and beautiful; and soresolute! If she hal
loved me as she hates mel'
"YOu love her still, then?"
"Well not precisely. But admire her, Just
as admire the Bengal tigress in the Zoo. Ii
possible, should like Arabella to be Gagged like
the tgress; but as that can't bowel. / VICAR
TINS stud as memento of her, and for tue rest
take my chance. Now, what will you take?
Another iclgar? No? Some more brandy ana
water?"
No. I would take nothing more. 1 had, in
point OF fact, already taken In )re than was aO-
sOlutely necessary 20 me. / Left Stericker. was
much impressed by my experiences Of that nj ght,
by what had happened at the opera, and his sx-
tTaOTdtn9ry narrative touching the vengeance
OF ATabells. Was it true? was really not in a
state OF mind TO determine. Even now IhaYe a
difficulty at arriving at any distinct conclusion
on the subject. But know that SteTic<er's face
wore, to my thinking, very remarkable ex-
preston as Quilted him. His smile was simply
aS1nl; And strange to say-at least, thinkso,
though IL may not strike others in that light
never saw SterickeT 6gaIn. He died shortly af-
terward, as read in the newspapers, the victim
OF street accident. He was knocked down ami
run over in Hyde park by pony phaeton driven
By lady. There was, of course, an inquest
upon his remains, the jury deciding, however,
that he met his death ''by misadyenture," Soma
attempt had been made TO hold the lady resoon-
SI0le, and TO charge her with furious driving,
But nothing OF the kind was sustained before the
coroner. Various witnesses gave evidence, &C
quitting her of ali blame in the matter. Her con-
duct in court was said TO BE- most becoming
And 1t was reported that, alfred in very deep
mourning, she had followed Stericker's body to
its last Testing-place in Brompton cemetery
Now, was this lady the Arabella OF Sterickar5s
story? She may have been. But l hays no GER
tain evidence of the fact. Nor, indsed, have |
anything further TO communicate touching ths
lie and death of nv aclUaint2uce Starickar