The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1883-02-03

I Il.
lshed portrait of Miss Cvington.
! Dead" he exclaimed. .'Clarence, 1.y
! triend-my lifelong triend-dead! This is
indeed bitter blow!'
He sank into @ chair near the easel and
| covered his face with his hands.
, He scarcely knew how long he had re-
manned Stated in this melanchol attitude
| when the curtains between the two apart-
msnts We're slowly drawn apart, and Clarice
! appeared, standing in the opening between
them.
her white face was more colorless than
the pnrest marble; her large DARK eyes gaz-
I Ing from this white face had terrible and
stony expression.
''Ah, Mr.. Dalton. you have returnedw
she exclaimed, clasping her slender hands
and slowly approaching the young man.
1T was surely an all-wise Providence which
directed your footsteps hither, for I have
need Of friend"
Il know all" answered the young man.
81 ask you mo- question, for your answer
| could tell me nothing which have not al
ready learned from the aspect of this once
familiar room. Those pictures turned from
the light of day, that gloomy drapery upon
the east, the closed shutters and the dark
ened chhmber-all speak of one calamity
death. Clarence Suydam is dead. Do not
distress yourself to tell me the terrible truth,
Clarice; know ALL"
The young girl answered with mockins
laush-a laugh horribly discosdant in its
tone
''You know ALI" she exclaimed. .You
know nothing of the bitterness of my de-
spair!''
'What can I know more than that Clar-
en- Q is dead?' asked Mr.. Dalton.
ssThere nra MANY kinds Of death rop'io6
Clarice. with an icy despair that was dread
full to look upon.
IN Heavens name, what mean you,
Clarice?" exclaimed the young man.
Il mean that my cousin Clarence Suydam,
has been murderedr'
''Murdered" gasped the young man.
''Murderedr he repeated. in a hoarse whisper.
''Yes." answered Clarice - ''brutally,
treacherously murdercdr
''Clarice, what do you mean?"
"Clarence left here last night, promising.
it alive, to return at eleven o'clock. He has
not returned. and you know he never yet
broke promise"
''Never," replied the young man. "But
who could have any motive for SO horrible
deed?"
..what motive?" she repeated. with smile
Of dark meaning. cay, what indeed?"
man. ''You cannot doubt my interest in all
that concerns my old friend, or my eager
ness to aid you in the endeavoE to ascertain
his fate. - %s-
''Seat yourself here, then, replied Clarice
there, opposite this easel, for there is
something hidden by that curtain which I
will show you when the hme comes"
'His poFtxait?'
''No; the portrait of q woman. Within
the year that followed your departure for
England, Clarence was engaged BY wealthy
gentleman to give lessons in painting to his
daughters beauty and woman of fashion,
very young, very amiable, and very much
beloved by those who know her. You know
Clarence Suydam's enthusiastic nature; you
will not therefore be surprised to hear that
he fell in love with this woman"
"And she returned his affectionf"
.,she did, or she pretended to do 50.
Clarence confided in me; he told me all-his
happiness In the present, his hope in the
future. She had sworn to share his humble
fortunes in spite Of all the world-in def-
ance of the harsh code of society which re-
serves beauty and wealth for its own station
They were betrothed. They met often, but
secretly; and, when separated for any length
of time, they correspondent secretly.
This endured without interruption until
yesterday, when my cousins idol came here
to tell him with her own ips-with the calm
insolence of her class-that she was false to
every VOW she had ever uttered"
'Infamous woman!.' muttered Mr.. Dalton.
''MOre t0an this, she demanded If him
the letters she had written to him during
the past year-letters that would have eter-
nally compromised her had they fallen into
the hands of her betrothed husband. These
letters Clarence refused to restore; nay,
more. he swore that he would deliver them
to General Dumont, the man she was to
marry"
'.But what has this to do with your cous-
ms disappearance" exclaimed Mr.. Dalton.
Clarice Suydam looked at him for few
moments in silence.
Perhaps nothing" she murmured-''per-
haps much!'
She then told the young man of the letter
which Clarence had received upon the pre-
vious night-the letter which invited him to
the meeting from which he had not returned.
'.Have you that letter in your possession
asked Mr. Dalton.
mo; Clarence had it in his pocket when
he left the house." answered Clarice. II
went early this morning to the hotel named
in that letter, and found that no one of that
name had been stayi. there. The people
belonging to the house were very willing to
give me all the information in their power,
but they could throw little light upon the
mystery. They told me that . person had
walked into the dining-room at quarter
past eight, and had given q card to the
waiter with the name Of Spencer written
upon it. "A gentleman will call here at
half f-past eight to ask for me, this man said;
you can tell him that I am waiting for him
here At half-past eight, person answer
ing my cousins description came in and
was shown at once to the dining-room; ten
minutes afterward, the two men left the
house together"
Sand this is all You could ascertain"
IN