The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-30


"Beeause tnis person is NOT altogether
unknown to yOu. You have seen him be-
fore" a
N'What of Ihat1 Let him restore me those
letters, and l will look upon him as my
greatest friend. Pray take me TO him with
out further delay"
There is no occasion for me to take you
to him, said the stranger, calmly; The will
be here before long"
"Herep
ayes. It is now midnight. At o quarter
past twelve he will he here"
"Then will wait
The stranger opened the door eommuni-
eating with the box. The curtains of this
box were drawn, bat the brilliant lights of
the theatre penetrated through the folds.
From behind these curtains you may be-
hold the scene below without fear of being
observed" said the stranger.
Mrs. Dumont passed into the box, and,
pushing back the folds of the curtains,
looked down upon the vast crowd of mask
ers on the platform below. She gazed with
eyes which saw not what they gazed upon.
She was absorbed in doubt and apprehnn-
sion. Who we're these hidden enemies who
had discovered secret which she had be-
heved to be beyond the power Of man to
f,.thon2
The stranger remained in the anteroom
The bride OF a few weeks let fall the curtain
which she had held back for few moments
while she looked below. She sank into
chair and waited for the coming of the per-
son who was said to be the possessor of her
letters. The door between the box and the
ante-roo was aiar. After waiting Tor
about quarter OF an hour, Mrs. Dumont
heard the sound ofa low knock upon the panel
of the outer door, the door which opened on
the corridor Two minutes afterward, the
masked stranger looked into the box.
/ "The person whom you wish to see is
here, madam" he said. Il viii bid you
good night"
She heard the outer door close behind
him before she entered the ante-room. A
strange, shuddering terror, which she was
powerless to control, seemed to root her to the
spot upon which she stood. Without know
ing why, she dreaded crossing the narrow
threshold which divided the box from the
chamber adjoining it.
I Maud Dumont entered the ante-room and
found herself alone with the stranger. He
wore simple evening costume-a black
dress coat, vest and pantaloons, and cravat
of white silk. But like the man who had
led her to the box, he wore mask.
You have some letters written by me,
some time ago, in your possession?" said
Mrs Dumont.
The man bowed, but did not speak
The graceful head of the woman was half
turned away from him. II seemed as il her
contempt for him was too great to be con
cenlcd.
"What is the price which you demand for
the restoration of those letters?" she asked,
hauehtily.
Still the man did not answer, but lifting
his hand, he slowly removed his mask.
! As he did so, Maud Dumont, turning her
head partially, looked across her shoulder
at his face.
She uttered loud and wailing cry, which
vihrlted through the small apartment n d
mingled disccrdantly with the distant music
Of the orchestra.
i The face upon which she gazed with the
stony glance of horror and despair WIS the
face of the dead! 1t was the face of Clarence
Suydam, line for line-the face with whose
; every feature she was familiar.
For one moment wild thrill Of hope ran
through her veins. What if Clarence Suy-
dam we're still alive? What if she had been
deceived by William Gorton and the Span
inrd, Levinto? What if no murder had been
committed in that miserable hoyel in Brook
lyp? What if she had not seen his body IN
the coffin? But. in another moment, that
, hope gave way TO horror and horror anc
despair The face upon which she looked
was not the face Of living man. The lea
tures had the rigdity of marble, the eyes
had hollow and CLASSY lustre. 1t was In
dt ed the face of the dead!
For a few brief moments Maud Dumon
gazed wildly and fearfully upon this strang'
appariton, then, with a terrible effort sh'
totlered forward meaning t defy the ghastl,
being. but, at the first step, she reeled ant
fell senseless to the floor.
An hour afterward, the General and
couple of the officials of the Academy en-
tered this ante room, after searching almos
, every part of the vast building in their en-
deavors to find the missing woman. Wha
WAS the surprise and CONSERVATION of Gran
: by Dumont on belolding his beloved viii
: living senseless on the floor in this empt
D apartment! He lifted her i'll his arms, Will
one of the officials brought glass Of ic'
, water.
j Mrs. Dumont slowly revived and languidl
lifted her ivory lids, fixing her large bit
d ewes upon the General At the sight of b
d face, she uttered a cry of delight.
ooh, thank Heaven she murmured, "
|, is you Granby-only you"
# "Who else should it be, dearest2" said Il
General. tenderly. "rell me, my darln
g what has happened. How is it that l I'll
o you here2" :,
II lost myself among the crowd Granb
10 and was driven this way by the thron
r, Fearful of being knocked down in the hur
d and confusion, l entered the first emp
lie box saw, and, suppose, must have faint
ot away from exhaustion and fatigue.
er