The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-21

sering surface was so no longer; burnt into It
and confronting me were the features OF a
well-known face. How well / knew those
long almond eyes! that gracefully-curved
chin the thin. tightly-compresSed lips.
recalled some broken sentences: DROPS
not strong enough-white powder-beats forty
fve-all over"
A sudden, terrible suspicion broke apon me
as Reynolds Herholfs CHASTITY face, growing
thinner andShinner daily, rose before me. She
WAS giving him drops dally-a Spanish tonic,
he had told me-and was numbering her own
husband before my eyes!
/ sat down to debate what / should do. By
Thursday, the man whom | now knew to DO
fhe scoundrel Alvarez had said, all would be
over. II was already Tuesday. Too late to
hope for his recovery, perhaps, but must at
tempt it. Yet how? He could bear little OK
citement in his weak condition, yet to tell
him without causing excitement was impossi-
bic. The waiter would condemn her, but
could he survive the discovery / had
scarcely reached my room, when there was a
knock upon my door, and / obeycd sum
mons TO Reynoldss room.
Beads of moisture stood upon his brow, and
he breathed with intense difficulty. He apol-
ogized for disturbing me to keep him com
pany, but the storm had made him secplcss.
besides" he went on, 81 thought heard q
scream, a fearful, horrible scream, last night,
when the lightning struck that tree on the
not disturb my wife. / haven't got clear, and
the noise doesn't leave my ears. | hear it al
ways, | heard IL then'-he shuddered and
covered his face with his hands for few sec
pnds, then started up in listening attitude as
he cried fTherel 1 heard it Oh, ] heard
It again Help mel Help me! Oh, Charlie,
Vou heard nothing did you ~
j strOked his brow soothingly, and putin
poeket-iask 10 his lips, / urged him 10 swal-
low little OF the stimnant. In few sec
,.fa.t. l.,I
fallen into nervous slumber.
An old family servant bockoncd me to tho
door. and closed tbehind us as he said:
"Mars Charles, don't you let on ter Mars
Reynolds, but TO- dc Laud SO kyan he p hear
In dem heather noises what Miss BEN or
like dc ole oman, her ma, made, some folks
say. Tank de Laud / wusn't here den, when
qey had her shet up in dat room what Miss
Mia got now.'s
j could only repeat: "The old woman2"
j"Why, you sce-dat what dey tell me-de
ole man couldn't er got de money Of DIS folks
IN dem furrin paces'd or knowed dat dc ole
oman n gone outn her mine. SO he jes'
switched her OF here en- nOTated in no time
how dat she was doad En- TO- dc Loud, dar
she was shetup en- nobody KNOWN dc way
ter her cep'n de ole man hisself en- Miss Nita.
When dc po' creoter died dey shct up dc sta r
way, en- Miss Mia low how She mine ter live
IN dat room herself but hit clean beat
jacobs time how she Kin stay dar. Hear
dat ?"
1t was the same sound I:had heard when in
Reynolds room.
''Dat de way do ole oman kyar on when
dem spells WIS on her. En- dem soun's been
reachin' out hers ence 70 day. Ye kin guess
now why dat po lovin' croeter in dar'd rather
think he crazy hsself n ter hear dat noise.
BON or humorin' nv him, but | dunnol" and
the old man shook his head sadly
The sick man still slept, and stepped softly
90 the adjoining room ] turned the key,
lifted the latch. and yonturod cautious glance
behind the portiere.
In the room beyond tho room in which
stood, Anita Hcrholf, the most beautiful wo-
man had ever seen, was q raving maniac.
Her long hair hung like thick cloud about
her her magnificent eyes were distended aud
bloodshot her clothing torn and dsordered ;
and as she sWayed her slim, graceful figure
back and forth in movement almost snake
like in its suppleness, she uttered dog-liIe
snarl, which was occasionally prolonged into
tho revolving sound that reached Reynolds
room. Incipicnt disease had been developed
by the strain her nervous system had been UNI
der, and the electric shock had hastene1 the
climax. The murderess wa9 feeling her own
fangsl ] summoned medical aid nj once. The
physician pronounced Mr.. HerhoN undoubt-
edly victim to the deadly narcotic fox glove.
His condition for weeks was one between life
aud death, with almost no hope of recovery.
His wife was placed in an asylum, whore she
died before he was able TO leave his ro3m Ito
never knew her crime. When he was ahlo to
travel be went abroad, leaving The house IN my
care destroyed the contents OF tho table IN
the secret gallery, from which had undouhtad
proofs that my suspicious were correct, and that
Anita lierholf was poisoning her husband that
she might give herself legally TO the
william whom her father had refused TO let her
marry during his lifetime. He, Alvarez, hay
ing just loft the gallery as the bolt came was
killed by the falling tree, and never lived to
be punished for his crimes.
keep the waiter though the face after n
few hours was unacceptable. No ono can
read from il as did, the secret of the Ghost
Of Pon0re.'
The dress of silver gauze keep also, with
tho lutte lamp which Anita Herholf must
always have carried and by the aid OF mar
row, obliquc mirrow in the ceiling. tho effect
WAS produced Of a figure mt ono end and n
shadow at the other, or ghost, as L have al
ways called 1t. II was ono to mel