Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-09-25

most precious TO let her see the dead
I body. The request struck me as some
/ what unnatural and heartless, remem-
/ Der Although i could not have formu-
/ lated my objections in words, felt that
she was asking what Jared on my own
/ feelings, and did not suit the circum-
stances of the case. At the same time, I
knew that the relations in which they
stood to each other prevented me from
refusing. 4 loved him So she said, with
an air Of passionate abandon, and Unjust
see him for the last time; you can come,
too, if you like L led her to the thresh-
old of the death chamber, threw open
the door for her, but did not enter. You
viii leave the door open, please was all
that she spoke.
"ImpeIled by an irresistible curiosity.
L stood at the doorway and watched her.
The room was only Illuminated a candle
which she carried in her hand. Dark
shadows surrounded the bed, on which
was stretched the sheeted form of the
man whom I had known as Philip Drum
mond. The rigid outlines Of his body
stood out beneath the merciful white
covering, which the hands of loving care
had placed over his death distorted fea-
lures. All the rest of the room was black
with the darkness of the night only the
CHASTITY light of the single candle, shaded
by her hands, bathed in Pickering white
CLEANS the body Of the man who had
gained eternal sleep. 1 saw her kneel
by the bedside; I saw her lift the linen
from his face with deliberate hand then,
after gazing long and earnestly at the
face of her lover, she drew a pen-knife
from her pocket, and with a quick move
ment punctured the vein at the side of
his temple. Peste,' she said, & 1 forgot
that dead men do not bleed Then,
changing her resolve, she cut a lock of
brown hair from his forehead, and swift
ly passed me, as / stood at the door.
/ Goodnight she whispered, as the faint
echoes Of her footsteps rang down the
corridor.
The whole party broke up the next
day, and we one and all departed to diff
ferent points of. the compass. I do not
suppose that any one but myself knew
of the scene 1 have / have tried to de-
scribe; but on me it left an ineHaceable
impression. 1t was, perhaps, natural
that she should wish to see him, but her
strange action and her abrupt swift move
ments utterly dissipated the idea of a
touching farewell. Did she really love
him or not? Was the situation, of which
/ was an unwilling witness, the last act
in hearts tragedy? Perhaps you can
tell me?"
'WeIl, can give you my experience
etL4NA GLAC4A W Nes44 Al ~-4AE2N--s
1 told you, I met her under another
name at Monaco. You remember that a
merciful dispensatiOn of Providence Sc
cured me in the nick of time the accu-
INFLATED life treasure of an afeCtiOnate
aunt. 1 was abroad at the time, when
heard the news of my good fortune and
as L owed neither regret nor, perhaps
| even respect to my defunct relative,
was not deferred by any feelings of com
I mn from
nacO met the Lady Violet MOntargis-
| a real celebrity, as 1 learned, who was
not unknown at Paris or Vienna, or even
Buda-Pesth. There had been an unusual
run on the bank, and every one was
watching her game and stalking on her
! luck. The first time I saw her she was
/ only Just beginning her career of tri-
umph. 1 followed her, more out of gal
| lantry than out Of any determined gam
! bler's resolve. AfterWard, I had sufi-
| cient instinct in these matters to know
that I was in the presence Ofone Of those
/ who, for the moment, can not even by
| accident 60 wrong. It was really Won
derful to see her at the tables; a few
| strangers and newcomers who did not
| know how the cards lay, played their
usual cautious game and lost the older
! hands kept alOOf, as they always do
when some diabolicaI influence is in the
dAIs A1JCL q lew udy5 q LLlClu l4LLO-
duced me to her, and got to know her
pretty well. Anywhere else except al
! the tables she was positively charming
! insoucitant, debOnaire, full of polished
allurements and insidious beauty. I'm
mersed in the'game, she was a devil
no other words could describe her.
zone night there was a strange inver-
sion Of things, a positive debacls. Lady
! Violet MOntargis was losing heavily, and
| leading her followers to incurable ruin.
/ She came hurriedly to me and in a low
voice spoke these remarkable words
| For the love of heaven go to my room
and ask my maid for my ring; she will
/ know which one 1 mean. You see ]
| have not my usual rings on my fingers.
| She spoke nervOusly and rapidly, with a
/ face out of which had departed all the
triumphant calm, giving place to a low
contracted look of inscrutable cunning
I performed her commission for her
and then ventured to ask her the reason
I knew that all gamblers are super.
stitious, but 1 was hardly prepared fOl
her reply.
"Sang de Dieu,' she said, could you
not guess that that ring contained a sIi-
cide's hair!"
A Lakeside Musing.