Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-06

I
between myself and an old picture and
rusty looking key ?"
AT 9 of the clock on the evening of
thai day both brothers, in their different
costumes, descended the grand staircase
arm in arm and laughing loudly Mt
some excellent Jest. Both were nearly
of the same height, in their broad-toed
shoes, with large roses on the instep !;
! both wore flowing wigs, and both were
closely masked,
"Faith. Anthony. that was a capital
! Joke of yours, that OF deceiving our lady
mother herself but we must not let her
discover the trick We have played her
until supper and the hour for unmask-
/ ing comes
/ They passed on md gained the great
I hall. where they were to receive their
/ guests. who soon began to arriye-and
wondered much which Of the twain who
babe them welcome was Sir Reginald
and which Mr.. Anthony, so well dis
/ ouised we're they-excusing the absence
/ OF the lady of the house, who would,
[ however, watch the dancers from the old
musicians gallery at the back, unseen
but seeing.
Then the music struck up and the
dancing began. though there was no
ceremonial or observance OF precedent
all was freedom and iollity.
1 GOOD heavens " sand one OF the
elder guests, attired as a Venetian Sena-
/ tor of the sixteenth century, to another
| in the guise Of q Capuchin Friar " do
Won sec him in the velvet and satin. and
/ hat looped with m emerald Cad hs
tho very moral of the portrait OF the bed
/ Sir Jonas himself -silyer-hilted sword,
eold-laced cloak. and all.
"That." replied the other, "is either
/ Sir REGINALD or Mr.. Anthony Hall
WE'LL know not which, as he IS
mqsked-but liz one or the other; and,
as Won say. the likeness in every detail
/ is remarkable, and almost makes one
shudder. as though tho dead man We're
/ himself present among us; for 1t might
/ he his very portrait without the frame,
and with the addition OF mask to hide
the features.
They passed on, and were lost in the
| crowd but the remarks thus made were
/ taken up by others. and repeated from
one TO another until all were made ac-
Guainted with the fact OF the remarkable
resemblance borne by one OF the two
Young men to that least worthy member
/ OF the house of halliwell, who had cled
more than $50 years before.
IL was within a few minutes OF mid
nirht, when tho unmaskng WAS to take
place. that the lonely watcher in the
miusirels' gallery noticed u slight dis
! turbance in the hall below. The dance
which was in progress gradually came
to . stop, and the dancers began to con
rregate round a little knot Of figures in
ra7 atti -e, near the lofty, old-iashioned
fireplace.
at worSs-surely it works - she
Kissed between her teeth in fierce excite
ment then leaving her post in the gal
| lery she quickly, but with tremulous
stem she in VAN tried to make firm, de-
scendcd the narrow stairs and found
herself in the ballroom. Suddenly from
the midst Of the group by the hearth
| there came an awful cry OF agony. An
thony's voice !" she whisperedto herself,
and tbrusting aside all who Obstructed
/ her way, and vino instantly gave place
on recognizing the tall, stately figure IN
/ black. she reached what appeared TO DO
/ tho centre II attraction, and where a
gentleman in an Elizabethan costume OF
blue and silver was supporting the pros
trate figure Of another IN rich, carnatlon-
colored velvet aud white satin The
/ formers mask was OF, showing the conn
( tenance Of Reginald Halliweu, pale with
anxiety and bending over the other,
whose mask me was also endeayorng to
remove. though much hindered by his
convnlsiye writings and struggles.
"Kcriuald " she shrieked IN tone
of voice which those VINO heard It never
+ FORGOT. while her face became Ike that
of q corpse and her eyes blazed With an
awful fire. Reginald in the blue and
/ silver Then who Is this
| A terrible groln from the sick man
made the answer she received hall lnau-
dbie.
at is Anthony, who insisted on
changing the dresses and wearing the
carnation and white you selected for
me" The mask he had been fumbllng
at dropped oil, and Lady Halliwell be-
held in the PROSTATE figure her beloved
her only son, with bis features contorted
with an unutterable agony.
"Mother." he cried, Il am dying
and know not why, but my very heart
is on fire"
With a wild, hardly human cry, she
threw up her arms. " Stricken
stricken !" and fell beside him, sense
| less.
Three hours later, when the last guest
had departed. shuddering from the
scene. Anthony Halnwell breathed his
last, after suffering torrents which no
human aid seemed able to alleviate. His
mother-aiter hanging over his dying
/ form ana listening to his long-dra~n
signs as they gradually became fainter
/ when they gently told her that he was
dead. flung herself upon the corpse and
embraced it in her arms and, after vain"
" striving to separate the living from the
dead, they left her there.
The physicians who had been sum-
moned in haste from all the country
round found their skill and knowledge
utterly at fsult, either to understand the
] 6FmDIOIflH OF account lOA bAD AlApA NHeN-@
trophe and awful death OF one whosa few
hours before was evidently IN perfect
health. Examination had shown no.
thing beyonda green spot under the left
arm and hardening OF the flesh round
about 1t.
"Gentlemen, said the Oldest Of the
three doctors present, and one who had
the credit Of having studied profoundly
in the oldest and most Legendary
branches OF bis profession, "if Mr.. An
thony Ralliwell had died a century and
half ago or more / should probably
have known to what to have ascribed his
death as tits, can only say he died by
the visitation Of God
When they came at last TO take away
LADY Isabella from the dead body OF
her son she laughed IN their faces and
went willingly, hopeless and incurable
maniac, who knew nothing and recog-
nized nobody, and stared when they
spoke to her of Anthony.
"Anthony," she repeated. "Who is
Anthony? 1 know no Anthony-let US
90 and feed the ducks