The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-19

/ vile plot may not lurk at the bottom Of al
this foolish mysteryp How do l know who
may be waiting for me in that house, if
should be weak enough to fall into the traI
hat has been set for me'"
"Wh do you fear" said the man, scorn
fully. violence robbery, murder, per
haps. You think this house is occupied by
thieves, who would decoy you into theil
len in order to strip you of all the valuabl4
vou carry and then destroy you. That is
done often enough in this city, perhaps, but
il Is not to b. done in this house tonight
If you suspect such treachcry, go back tc
where you left your carriage, and place
your watch aud pocket-book in the custod,
Of your cOachman, and then return here.
will wait for You patiently"
mol" exclaimed the General; "whatevel
danger there may be, will encounter il
boldly. But YOU can at least tell me why
am summoned"
II can tell YOU nothing b yond thai
which l was ordered to tell yon-'If you
value your good name, follow mel"
THAT is what you were told to say?"
at is"
'Lead the way then; for the preservation
of my good name, would willingly follow
you. though | should know you were lead
Come, then, and come without fear,
answered the man in the slouch hat
He took key from his pocket and opened
the door of the house. The General fol.
lowed him along a aarrow passage and up
two flights of dark, tumble-down stairs
At the top of the second light shons
through wide crevce at the bottom of the
door.
| The man knocked softly at this door, and
as he did so the light within was suddenly
extinguished.
Come in" said low voice within the
apartment.
The man opened the door and motioned
the General to enter; as he crossed the
threshold, the man drew back and closed
the door upon him. The next moment the
General could hear his footsteps as he slowly
descended the staircase.
| lie was alone then-alone with the occu-
pant of this darkened chamber. For the
| first few moments he WAS unable to distin-
guish any object in the obscurity, but
as his eyes became more accustomed 10
the semi-darkness he perceived that he was
in garret-chamber poorly furnished, and
only lighted by the dim patch OF sky visible
through the open window.
Near this window was seated fgure-a
female figure, robed in white.
Brave and free from superstition as the
General was, the sight of this figure sent q
sudden chill through him. He recolled o
few PAGES and laid his hand upon the lock
Of the door behind him.
"Do not fear me, said a low, sweet voice.
at is who have summoned you hither."
"For what purpose2"
| ttnliot ynl, laorn pf tha fiItura nm.
swer d the figure.
"What juggling folly is this?" exclaimed
the General, Indignantly.
at is neither juggling nor folly, General
Dumont," replied the voice. solemnly. IF
you are brought here in the darkness to
hear a speaker whose face you may not see,
it is because you have something to learn,
but you are not yet to know who it is who
reveals to you the horrible truth.
"The horrible TRUTH! exclaimed the Gen.
cIal; what truth?'
THE truth which may, perhaps, cast
shadow upon yonr life, answered the un-
seen speaker. "You love, do you not?
You love the woman whom you have prom
ised to wed?'
General, haughuly.
10 IpI IilcSlfll, buI hIhWtE mt ypn
would know tUat which have to tell. You
love this woman, do you not? You love
jland Ovinston?"
lyon know her, them" exclaimed the
Jan+ral
Better than you dol Once more ask.
DO You love h r?'
'I4'o.,'..,, ''',.,',.,,,ely devotedly"
80 passloultely and devotcdly that you
would sacrifice for her sake the honor OF
your famlly?'
"No!" cried the General with sudden
anergv-"no! a thousand times, no! lwouid
acrItice my life, but not my honor for that
is not mine to give it is sacred heritage,
not to be barter d."
you would not sacrifice your honor then
to your love for Miss Oviugtou?
mo" replied the General. "But why do
you ask me thIs!"
Because know the woman you love bet
ter than you know her. He who marries
Maud Ovington will marry woman whose
soul is stained with guilt
at is false!' exclaimed the General
springing toward the s1adowy figure.
The wnte-robed figure lifted her hand
with warning gesture.
zone step nearer, and am gone!" she
said, solumnly. "One step nearer, and
leave you leave you to your ignorant wor-
ship of worthless woman"
"a worthless womanr
"Yes-a woman whose soul is black with
hidden crime-who hides beneath the limo.
cent beauty OF an angels face the dark spirit
of tiend-whose outer life is false as the
sha lows we see il glass. A traltress, false
alike to love and honor!
"Of what crime do You accuse herr!
gasped the General
"Of the worst crimeF
"And that is"
"Murler!"
"Liar!' cried CRANKY Dumont-"base ant
Infamous liar! | will wiring the foul accusa
ton from your false throat
As he said this, he darted forward as i
he would have seized the shadowy figure Il
his powerful grasp.
The woman rose as he advanced, and, re
ceding for few PAGES, suddenly disappeared
in the darkness
The General looked about him in ute
bewilderment. The room was empty-th
figure had disappeared in an opposite dlrec
ton to that of the door through which th
General had entered.
He felt with his hands round the rougl
paneling of the chamber, but be could dis
cover no other door.
''She must have escaped through som
sliding panel" he muttered, after abandon
ing his trutless search. "Who is this VIC
man? Some enemy Of Maud, who has COL
cocted this villAinous plot against herr
Ho waited some time, listening to ever
sound, thinking that the woman would, pei
; haps, return, but he waited in vain.
Alter nearly an hour wasted thus, b