Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-11
THE GREAT DllNN 1n EnR1 Nh}
BY "0.''

BY a. Book I.-THE QUEST OF THE GREAT RCpT. other the rumcr grew and grew, so that when the curtain fc;i the audience parted in aWed and murmuret Speculatlons.
 And all the wnile l was kneeling beside the body of my muKuered friend.
 A week had passed and I was standing with Claire beraoS Toms grave. We had met and spoken at :sa funeral, but some restraint had lain upon our tongues. For myself, 1 was stili as one who had sold his brother for q price, and Cl;us~ had forborne from question ing my grlGx-
 The cOrOncrs .ury had brought in verdict of ''Murdercu lx a certain person unknown" 7" and now the ponce were occupied in following such clues an could give them. All the papers assISuWs robbery as the motive, and the disappe0ranoa of Toms watch chain gave plHusibihty to tHe theory. But I knew too well why tna. "',uin had disappeared, and oven in my 4Elct found consolation in the thought of CoUAUHr's impotent rage when he should come ss examine his prize. I had de- scribcG the Ia::. and figure of my enemy and had even idcEtoH."t him with the longmissinS sailor GcOrgio hhodonjai, so that they prom iSNd to lay nan>.A on him in a very short space. Bnt the puhru TneW nothing of this. The only effect Of rS;a newspapers version of the murder was .-- N,'nd the town crowding in gl .alrr Mumu-s than ever To see the dead mans Hiiv.
 Since tla first uight of Francesca" Claire and l had unly m"t at Toms bedside and at his fu!.rrd. Snt as 1 entered the gloomy cemetery tntc afternoon I .>picd figure ,I tI,, l,I m"l!nd, ana drew near knew it to be CE...
 So "" stood .h"rc facing one another for a fu; ruilIlr. ;tt .pss for words. A wreath of i,uhlUr;,'.i''e !ay upon the grave. In my heart l tI1Int,d ilc- .or the gift, but could not s,n>,A;
 pri ntly Clairn raised her head and spoke.
 "JuSl@'r, you nave much to forgive me, and l hardly dare rs--< your forgiveness. It is too late 1u ask lor--:rrn,@'s of d dead man, but could he hcar l,e BOW would cntrcat him to pardon the folly 1nAt wrought this cruel mis- take.
 pC,Si!'' to GutaS~/
 That Is ,ru,, put it is no less cruel And 1 Lc.rivrt. y,,u 4tan you ever forgive!"
 ." Forgive! forgive what? That 1 found my lo"r peerless Minong women? Oh, Claire. Claire. tNr;,IS~
 "Yrs :wnn1 matters it that for the moment I have W.at k csil.'d fame? I deceived you vet, h'ii,Nr me. k was only because l thought [" "sak" tn- surprise more pleasant. l th"":,h. IL but Is is too late. Only believe 1 had no ''thrr tnnuSht, no other wish. My poor >,.n'me rA~'Hn~l so harmless at first then as the ,!ays went on l began to doubt. ,u7 Hn!ii you Auld m", as we stood beside the river. Ut-hlm, 1 never guessed oh, b. litNr int. | never guessed
 ." Love, do nu~ accuse yourself in this wHN. l. hurts me 10 Nelr you speak so. If there wa- :ulv t|u:7 ' was mine; but the Furr- bin>:HI Us. II you had known Tom. you Nuu'd know th::> he would forgive could hr hclr Us HOW. Fer me, Claire, what have tO larduE1
 Jasper, tha,,' Is something besides, which you have to paru"U if you can.
 " -IE love
 " IJU you rrm4in Der what l asked you that night, when yoa asst told me about him?"
 You asked q foolish question, if l r;'- nlrmUrr riyhti~. You asked if 1 could ever e. ,-,,' to love yuu.
 ' Nn, not foousu; really meant it seriously unH believed you when you answered n.c. Are you of the sH1n" mind now? Believe me, 1 all not HsisIus T ;ht |.
 II answer H.,:. ;t- I answered you then : Love is strong Us dclth.' My love, put away
 
 my own suC:
 But lrrilH'-. even so, you might be Su angry thHt--Ol. JuSper, how can trn you?"
 "T"ll m' ali. Claire"
 II tolu you was called, or that they called me Clairr. Wur, you not surprised when you saw my name ira .:arissa lambrrt?
 "Is that ;u -'' ' cried. " Why, of course l knew how cuIunlun it is for actresses to talk, another name. z vas even glad of it; for th | crrt and all IL" swcetrr so. All the world ldmires Clarla~-4 Lambert. but I alone luv, Claire Luttrcll. 4anl know that Claire Luttr,ii loves ma.
 ' But that Is not all." she cxpostulatod. | whilst tilr trouble in her eyes grew deeper a Oh, why wiu you make it so hard for me | t.; explain: l tsTnr thought. when told you clrr;'$.,ly ou -att night when we met for 1 the first tln!", tt.at you wOuld@grow to care | for me at all. 5uu it WAS the same afterwards when introduced you to nly mother; gay, 1 you the name AIuttrcll, without ever dream | in.--'
 | Was Luttreu not your mothers name?' l | asked perpleXes.
 That Is the n~rne by which she is always caI!el now; ana am always called Claire ii fact, 1T Is my nar,S but have another and ] l ought to have JeaG vOu. | "Whv. as Cl;uss know you, and as Claire shall always IOp~ YOU, What does it matter il your real name Lambert? You will change | it, love- sOOn trust"
 No, ii is nos RAtmbert. That is only tn, name took wnsu l went on the stage, NoI alA called LutIratl. It is d sad story: but lp ne tell il now, Gnu put an end to all deception 1 1 meant 10 so long ago: but lately | thought l would wait until after you had see1 me on the stage: thought 1 would explain al | together not knowing that he-but it has ;ll | gone wrong. Jasper, 1 know you will pity | poor mother, even though she has allowed yol | to be deccive5. She has been so unhappy She calls hersen Luttrell to avoid persecution | to avoid man ~no iS---" A villain. 1 sure
 "A villain, yes: put worse. He is her hus band not my InIner, but d second husband | My father dlcu wnen I was quite a little child and she marrle-s again. Ever since that da she has been luas4rabe 1 remember her face oh so well ! wl.sn she first discovered the re,, character oI JnS aaan. For years she suffered we were abroau Lncn, until at last she coult bear it no Iongee so she fled back to England | an1 took me yyiIJ her. I think but I am OO