Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-01-03

surface. Shall they set hlB bod on nrci An
excellent idea; but the smoke might DO seen.
No: poisoning Is no doubt an easier death
iIiu he deserves. but there Is really no other
safe way cut Of it tllan 20 poison him. Is it
possible, Iieuly, that YOU believe this consult
tation really took placer
Henry made no replay. The succession of
questions that had just been read to him ex-
nctly followed tho succession OF the dreams
TINT had terrified Mrs. Norbury ON the two
nights which she had passed at the hotel. il
was useless TO point ont this coincidence 10
his brother. He only said, AGO on"
Lord Montbarry turned the pages until he
came 10 the noxt Ineligible passage.
@Here,n ho proceeded. as double scene on
the stage, so far as | can understand the
sketch OF il. The doctor is up stairs, inno'
Gently writing the certificate OF my lords
deeease, by the dead courer's bedside. Down
in the vault the baron stands by the corpse
of the murdered lord preparing the strong
chemical acids which are to reduce it TO
heap Of ashes Surely, ID is not worth while
10 trouble ourselves with dccipharing such
melodrnmatic horrors az these. Let us get
on! let us get onl"
He turned the leaves ngain; attempted
fused scenes that followed. On tho last page
but one he found the last ineligible SEN
fences
SThc third act" he said. Seems to be divi-
ded into two parts or tablsaus. / think can
read the writing at the beginning of the sec
oud part. The baron and the countess open
the scene. The baron's hands are mysteri-
cusly concealed by gloves. lie has reduced
the body to ashes by his own system of Gre
nation, with the exception Of the head
Henry interrupted his brother there.
"Don't read any morel" lie exclaimed.
@Iet us do the countess JUSTICE" Lord
Montbarry persisted, "There are not a half
Il dozen lines more that can make out. The
accidental breaking OF his jar of acid has
burned the barons hands severely. He is
still unable 10 proceed to the destruction of
tho bend, and the countess is woman enough
with all her wickednessl to shrink from at
tempting TO take his plaue-when tho first
news Is received of the coming arrival Of tine
commission of inquiry dispatched by the in
sufslHce offices. The baron feels no alarm.
Inquire as the commission may, it is the nat
ur.ll death of the courier lin my lords char
e;ter1 that they are blindly investigating.
The head not being destroyed, the obvious
alternative is to hide it--and the baron is
equal to the occasion. His studies in the old
library have informed him Of safe place of
concealment in the palace. Tho countess
may rccoil from handling the acids and
watching the process Of cremation, but she
can surely sprinkle little disinfecting pow
der'..-
no morep Henry reiterated. mo morel"
''fhere is no more that can be read, my
dear fellow. The last page looks like sheer
dellrium. She may well hive told you that
hGr invention had failed herlp
"Face the truth honestly, Stephen-and say
her memoryn
Lord Montbarry rose from the table at
which he had been sitting, and looked at his
brother with plying eyes.
"Your nerves are out of order, Henry,"he
sad. "And no wonder, after that frightful
discovery under the hearthstone. We won't
dispute about 1t; we viii wait day or two
until you are quite yourself again. In the
meantime, let us understand each other on
one point at least You leave the question Of
what is to be done with these pages of writ
ing to me, as the head Of the famllyf
IL do"
Lord Montbarry quietly took up the manu-.
rubbish be of some use, he said, holding tho
pages down with the poker. "The room is
getting chllly-let the countess' play set some
OF these charred logs flaming again" He
waited a little at the fireplace, and returned
to his brother SNOW, Henry, have last
word to soy, and then have done.
am ready to admit that you have stumbled
by an unlucky chance on the proof of crime
committed in the old days of the palace, no
body knows how loug ago, With that one
concessionI dispute everything else. Rather
than agree in the opinion you have formed,
won't believe anything that has happened.
The supernatural influences that some of us
felt when we first slept in this hotel-your
loss OF appetite, our sisters dreadful dreams,
tho smell that oyerpoweIed Francis and the
head that appeared to Agnes-I declare them
all to be sheer delusionsl believe In moth
ing, nothing, nothingT lie opened the door
to go out, and looked back into the ROOM
ayes" he resumed, "there is one thing be.
lieye In. Mywife has committed a breach of
conhdence-I Believe Agnes will marry you.
Good night, Henry. We leave Venice the
first thing tomorrow morning"
SO Lord Hontbany disposed of the mys-
terry Of "The Haunted Hoteln