The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-10-27


as agreeable ~ he can In ms s4neaky
tones. II shall go 10 the next room, ior
precisely five minutes by iny-no, ny
the way-your watch. Don't, let me ad-
wise You. let IT be longer"
He strides toward the door by which
he has entered, and then suddenly stops
short. so does her heart. Once again
she had dwelled upon the hope OF what
n ringing Of the bell might bring forth;
but. az IL the mysterious being had read
her Utmost soul, he now turns to her
"By the bye" he says "to ring your
bell mayesuggest itself In yon. You
might ring n thousand bells in this house
| verify believe. without result; but still
I decline to take the chance. After all,
I think shall stay here, in this remote
corner. while you put on your dressing
gown"
"Oh. no,'
The words break from Millicent des-
perately.
NO. You would prefer not But
Il swear to YOU ! will not ring the
bell. " declares she wildly II don't know
why you wish me to rise; but yet give
YOU my word | will not touch the bell
if YOU will only 90 into that next room
and give me the five minutes you have
promised :,
"a womans oath is not worth q half
pennv. 10 say nothing Of her word.' says
the stranger pleasantly. "But still, j
will grant your request with just this last
word. If You play me false, If you seek
10 summon aid in any way, l shali =
drawing a revolver from his pocket ana
handling it tenderly-"blow your brains
outr'
The words fall from him in whisper
-delicatcly--so mildly. indeed, that no
suspicion Of violence should rest win
them. Yet Millicent, rs the door closes
behind him, shudders vehemently, ana
her teeth chatter rs though she has been
stricken with sudden chill.
With trembling haste she springs from
her bed. hurries on her clothes. and hav-
ing covered herself finally with a soft
warm dressing gown, stands shverlng
with expectation upon the carpet She
must have got through her task with FAR
greater speed than she had imagincd-in
three minutes, instead Of the allotted
five. as a good while elapses from the
time sh. had finished her hurried dress
ing 10 the dreaded moment when again
her Zoe appears before her.
"You are n paragon he says Per
nit me TO congratulate you. said I'VE
minutcs-I gaze YOU seven; il appears
three would lave been sufficient. But
now to business. Where are those sap
nhire and diamond ornaments that have
made YOU the envy of all beholders TINS
season. and added faint luster TO the
brilliancy of yonr charmsf'
Yes-certainly his manners are not III
keeping with his clothesl
"My sapphires" gasps she feebly.
And diamonds Do not detract from
their valuc. Comer'-sharply-"let rs
have no nonsense. know You keep them
in this room or the one beyond; but
where assure you'll beg you 10 believe
that | would not for worlds have reused
you from your happy dreams had not
my failure 10 discover thu jewels COM
PEELED me TO apply to you for assistance.
my uncle always keeps them. begins
the girl, telling her lie without n regret
in the fond but vain hope that 1t may
save her sapphircs. All ut once the
suave manner Of the man disappears, and
an angry oath escapes him.
Look here, girl" he says roughly,
though his voice is fine and squcaky a.
ever. "no triningl know these stones
to be in your keeping and ! shall have
them tonight Orr
He pauses, draws the revolver again
from his pocket, and significantly clicks
it. "Where are the sapphircsy'
cover here says Millicent now fairly
cowed She moves mechanically toward
the wall opposite, and raising her hand,
touches IA spring that is evidently con
nocted with some secret press in the
wall-a press concealed by the papering.
\ small door flies open, and not hav-
ing the courage to actually give him her
treasures Gewels are always dear to a
woman. be she good or bad, she points
family 10 the disclosed cupboard.
The man i'm fustian lifts his lantern.
peers curiOusly into the recess, and with
low cry of triumph seizes upon the
different cases that lie side by side upon
the wooden shelf. Cool even in the mo
mcnt of victory, he opens the cases de
liberately one by one tomake sure Of the
contents. Yes. they all lie therc-the
beautiful glittering things, for which a
girl is crying, and for which man IS
bartering his soul
Lifting his head, after a sharp but hur-
red examination of the stones that ap-
parently satisfies him, he sees that Mill
cent too, is gazing earnestly at the
pretty baubles once hers, SO soon 10 be
hers no longer: and that rs she gazes her
soft eys are full of tears
Seems cruel, chs' he says. "Well,
that YOU may say in the future ] was not
ungencrous, ! will leave You this ont Of
your treasures for which you are 50 ready
| to shed your tears | wonder if they are
| dearcr TO YOU than lie pauscs alb
ruptly, as one might who has been about
| TO say something better left unsaid
Than your lover He winds up with
that low, suppressed laugh again, that
certainly does not belong 10 him, and
| thrusis into her unwilling hands small
but exquisite locket, heart shaped, gilt
terng with sapphircs and diamonds.
"Think it is a gift from the man YOU
will marry, - he says lightly, in that dis
agreeable Vol, of his "And now. fol
low mc-or rather, 90 before me-to the
| door"
1t is the door leading to the corridor
without TO which he points. Millicent.
Sun as one III dream. ObeNs nm anu
goes toward il. He opens it carefully.
and backing outward on TO the corridor,
always with his eyes on her, comes there
TO u standstill.
" bid good night, madame" he says
mockinsly. And then (she can remcm-
Der little about il afterward, so swift it
was something was flung over her face,
and pressed there; there was "a moment :
struggle-a moment that to her was an
eternity-and then a strange dizziness,
the sound of a door hastily closed; the
echoing of departing footsteps; sense
of sullocatioD, and afterward ceasing
from all knowledge, and deadly blank
CHAPTER IN.
1t is eight o'clock on the ensuing morn
ing when Lacy, Millicent's maid, rushed
sobbing into Mrs, Brands bedroom.