The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-31

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The General looked around him, and, b,
the dim light which issued from q lamp be
low, he beheld, in the further corner Of tn,
chamber form whose presence sent a thrill
to his heart. For the third time hs behelt
that white-robed figure.
"You do we'll, Granby Dumont," said thi
fgure-''you do well to obey my summons
Perhaps, now, you will credit what you see
and know that l have spoken truly!"
at is the appointed hour, said the guide
whose voice was muffled in the folds of {
huge scarf. ''You have but to watch aut
listen" He knelt down and slid away
portion Of the flooring. "You may watcl
without fear of being seen"
The General stationed himself at the aper
ture, and waited, with wildly-beating heart
He had been watching about ten minute,
when he heard door open. A moment
afterward, he saw two persons enter the
room beneath him.
They were both niasked-one was man,
and the other woman, who was dressed
from head to foot, in black domino.
''Thank Heaven" thought the General,
at is not MaHd! She wore o different
Dress But, in a moment, he murmured;
'Ah. misery, it is she!'
"Why have you brought me to this placer
exclaimed Mrs. Dumont looking around
the apartment.
because have something to say which
must not be overheard" returned her CON-
panion.
"You might surely have chosen better
scene for our interview, Mr.. Dalton"
| "Who says that / am Mr.. Dalt0n?" said
the ask, in strange tone.
"Your voice says So"
"But voices are sometimes alike. You
might be mistaken in the identity"
'But am not mistaken" replied Mrs
Dumont. "You told me that you have
something of importance to say, or l should
not have consented to accompany you here"
II have to inform you OF peril which
menaces you."
"a PERIL"
"The peril of being accused Of the muir
der of your lover, Clarence Suydam.'
CRANKY Dumont expected that his wife
would start from her seat, angry and indig
nant, to repudiate the vile charge contained
in these words; but she did not stir.
"Who accuses me?" she asked, in hoarse,
gasping voice.
yourself" answered the mask. "You
are your own accuser, and the strongest &C
cusation almost that exists against you is
the evidence of your own handwriting
letters written by you to the murdered man,
Clarence Suydam."
The face of Maud Dumont grew ghastly
white, and the General could see that she
was trembling violently.
"There are no such letters in existence y
she said.
"There are, and you know that there are
Why did you refuse them when they were
offered you?"
81 refused them," gasped the wretched
woman, "because-"
"Because they were offered by the deadl"
said the mask, in a solemn voice. "Maud
Dumont, you who deceived the most gener-
GUS of men by your false smiles, your hollow
words you are the murderer of the man
whose only crime was to love and trust you.
The letters written by you to Clarence Suy-
dam are still in existence; they prove the
motive of your crime, and they are in the
hHuds of those who will not scruple 10 use
them when the fitting time comes. But
that is not all. In the grave dug for an
other is the body of your murdered lover,
whose birthmark, when he is exhumed, will
establish his identity. He was slain by a
man in your employ and cast into the river !"
The guilty woman uttered long, wild
shrek, and fell upon her knees at the feet Of
her aceuser.
''Mr. Dalton" she cried, "why are you
thus pitiless? What have I ever done to
win your hate2 We have always been
friends l have greatly esteemed you--you
cannot say that have ever injured you in
word, look or deedp'
"You have injured my friend,
Clarence Suydam, said the mask, sternly.
aAh! am innocent of bis murder-I re-
peat, am innocent-for | loved him truly,
and would have married him when my hus-
band died. l wished money, and sacrificed
all to obtain it. But think you love Gran
by Dumont2 No, mol fooled him by false
words, and he was weak enough to believe
that loved him! Have pity on me! have
pity! may appear guilty, but I swear that
am innocentl 1t is all mistake AT
your feet, supplicate for mercy! Remem-
Der, Mr.. Dalton, that l am weak woman,
and withhold your handp
Had Maud Dumont been less agitated by
the terrible agony of fear, she might have
heard stiAed groan of despair that was ut
tered in tie chamber above. The one
bright dream of CRANKY Dumonts life was
broken. The mask had fallen. He now
knew the nature of the woman he had loved
and trusted.
81 have told you before that you are mis-
taken, Maud Dumont, said her companion,
in q cold and pitiless voice; II am not James
Dalton!"
"Not James Dalton" repeated the woman,
in utter bswilderment. who, then, are
you2"
"One whom you should have reason to re-
member" answered the man.
At the same moment he threw aside the
black velvet mask that had covered his face.
The glare of the lamp shone full upon
that rigid and marble-like countenance.
A shrek of terror and despair burst from
Maud Dumont's lips, and she fell fainting
on the rugged flooring of the chamber. The
face upon which she had looked was the
same which she had beheld in the private
box at the Academy Of Music. 1t was the
face of Clarence Suydam, her murdered
lover.
The shrek had been overheard. William
Gorton had followed his mistress He
heard her wild cry and rushed to her assist
ance.
William Gorton raised the prostrate wo-
man in his arms and carried her out into the