Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-10-29

take oil your mask ana pleuse me ~
a cup of claret."
His visitor acceded to the request
and disclosed the face of Richard
Rendon for Richard Rendon had
fallen in love with the fair Dora and
though he mad never spoken to her,
yet her uncle in furtheranee Of his
atrocious scheme, had encouraged
his passion, So they sat drinking
and conyersing, when the old man,
rising, brought "a pair of long holster
pistols from the bureau, and placed
them on the table.
81 am obliged to have these he
said, "for there is a braggadocio
dealing gallant in the neighborhood,
who has vowed to carry Dora off by
violence and wed her for her wealth
as much as her beauty. He has been
prowling around the house lately,
and he may even try tonight"
Better not while I'm here, y re-
piled Richard tapping his sword.
A few minute passed, when Rich
ard started up as shrek from Dora
rang through the garden. For a
moment hideous smile flashed over
Vanley's face; then assuming man.
ner and tone of horror, he shouted:
"See see the villain is on the bal
cony He draws his sword All !!
he will kill her Take the pistol
for mercy sake my hand is too I'M
steady"
Richard dashed the easement open
and glanced at the balcony, where
Dora, apparently in an agony of
fear, was struggling in the grasp of
a masked cavalier, who pointed his
| glittering sword at her heart, as
though threatening to kill her I'M
less she was silent. Maddened by
/ the sight, Richard leveled the pistol
and fred. The stranger reeled back
and then fell crushing the frail bal
ustrade and dropping heavily among
the rose bushes beneath. For mo-
ment there was an awful silence,
and scream, so awful, from Dora,
that even Edmund Vanley shudder-
ed as she shrieked, "Dead oh, Geo
| frey dead !! dead and fell on the
balcony as though lifeless.
/ "Geoffrey ?" whispered Richard,
while horror blanched his face; and
as the servants rushed in he snatch
ed light and sprang into the gar
den.
| "My task is DONE" murmured
Vanley, while a horrible laugh Of
exultation broke from his lips, and
quitting the hall, he went to the sta
BILE, mounted his horse and rode
away.
| The servants rushed in frighten-
ed crowd to the spot where the dead
man lay. His mask was off and the
face, beautiful as ever, and calm as
marble las so often comes after death
| from the bullet was Godfrey Rem
don's. Scarcely had the borrow
struck men seen this then they look
ed at Richard, and saw on his ashy
face that awful look of silent stony
despair and unutterable woe that
remained on it to the last day.
i 'Take him up" he murmured;
take him home. l have killed my
brother -
i And so, amid the screams OF
Dora, who was recovering under the
care of her servants, the sad process
sion started, bearing upon rude
litter of branches to Rendon Range
all that remained of its noble and gal.
liant heir.
OF the fathers grief and speedy
death of woe, bitter and hapless, OF
Richard cannot speak, but only to
say, that he closed the old house
and going abroad, fell on foreign
battlefield; Dora Vanley, like all
weak but enthusiastic natures, griev,
ed long for her lover, but eventually
married and lived happily. AS for
Vanley, the strangest part of his
story is, he was never seen again in
England, and the probability is that
he fled to, and died in some foreign
land.
"And now, gentlemen all" said
our host, ''we are getting into the
small hours and think we had bet