Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-02

because have something 10 say WHICH
must not be overheard" returned her COM
panion.
''You might surely have chosen better
scene for our interview, Mr. Dalton"
"Who says that | am Mr.. Dalton?' said
the mask, in strange tone.
"Your voice says So"
'sBut 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"
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 lndig-
nant, to repudiate the vile charge contained
in these words; but she did not stir.
''Who accuses me?" she asked, in a 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 CHASTITY
white, and the General could see that she
was trembling violently.
"There are no such letters in existence"
she said
s'There are, and you know that there are.
Why did you refuse them when they were
offered your"
81 refused Them" gasped the wretched
woman, ''because-"
Because they were offered by the dead!'
said the mask, in solemn voice. "Aaud
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
hands of those who will not scruple to 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
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 accuser.
''Mr. Dalton" she cried, ''why are you
thus pitiless? What have 1 ever done to
win your hate? We have always been
friends. T have greatly esteemed you-you
cannot say that have ever injured you in
word, look or decd!
sYou have injured my friend
Clarence Suydam, said the mask, sternly.
@Ahi am innocent of his murder-I re-
peat, 1 am innocent-for loved him truly,
and would have married him when my hus-
all to obtain it. But think you love Gran
by Dumont? No, no! fooled him by false
words, and he was weak enough to believe
pity! I may appear guilty, but l swear that
I am innocent! It is all mistakei At
your feet, I supplicate for mercyl Remem-
Der, Mr. Dalton, that am weak woman,
and withhold your hand!'
Had Maud Dumont been less agitated by
the terrible agony of fear, she might have
heard stifed groan of despair that was ut
tered in the chamber above. The one
bright dream of CRANKY Dumont's 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 cold and pitiless voice; 81 am not James
Dalton!''
ssNot James Daltonr' repeated the woman,
in utter bewiiderment. 'Who, then, are
your"
"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. It 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 I
ance.
William Gorton raised the PROSTATE wo-
man in his arms and carried her out into the
open air.
The cool breeze revived her; she opened
her eyes and gazed wildly about.
"Kill him, William she cried in hoarse
voice, as she recognized her servant and ac-
complete kill him! He has returned to
mel Kill him, and will reward you more
richly than have yet rewarded your
William Gorton drew pistol from his
pocket and rushed toward the empty house.
He ran into the empty chamber and took
deliberate aim at the mask, who stood calm
and motionless beside broken table. But,
before William Gorton could pull the trig-
ger, the stranger flung aside his black velvet
mask and a faxen wig which had concealed
his dark hair.
The servant uttered cry of terror scarcely
less wild and piercing than that which had
burst from the lips of his mistress.
''The dead!" he cried-''the murdered vic
tim risen from the grave to glare at me with
his hollow eyes! Hide me from him-hide
me from him.
He flung up his arms wildly, as if to shut
out the sight of that dreaded face, and
rushed from the building, staggering as he
went
1t was thus CRANKY Dumont learned the
dark secret of his beautiful wifes history.
TO BE CONTINUED.
ANECnnTES OF CnTERTnCE