The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-11-24
RETRIBUTION.
ny THE "puTcHEss."
CHAPTER XXI

deadly policr Of rs facc the cold CLEAN
in his cyca. lie las had sufficient 'mc.
during the trouhlcd words that passcl
bc,vcn his mother md Nadine, 10 under
stand that the game nos been played out
ana lost. lie micht siill deny, gave oatn on
cath. mt nll 10 The touc 9, end ocil attuNi
diecovcrv: but 70 what cndf Who would
believe him innocent among those WIN
whom he cares ~ associate. even should
Tho law ohsolvc lim' In the future inc
fate Of the ontcast the lcpcr, should De DIS
She wonid be the chief witness FOR ne
nrosccuiions-shc with crsoii voice hcr
miro cycsi What chance would he have
against her. even though ludgc ana juIy
ocouit lin, His world would believe IN
her. Aud II is this same voice ihct mas
BETRAYED him--thc dearest voice on earn
10 him
He rocs slowly up 70 tho cir who has
ruincd him and lays his hand upon her
shoulder. Tor thc moment 81 seems lie
hos FORGOTTEN that there IS any one in the
world but her.
"Youi-you hcrcf' he says
There IS Unreasonable surprise hut no
onccr in his tone bis glance dwell upon
her liprcrincly. tcudcriy cs ever 10 10
lost I'm one of the old dreams. 10 IS his
last.
"Tcn thcm.' cuircats Nadine eagerly.
"Thcv have been imagining dreadful
things. told them you were returning
20 ENGLAND soon. lui did not know 10
would be- tonight Paul. let them Know
mt onCc--ct oncc-how those stones came
into Your possession.
I'm her extreme anxiety She lays hcr
hand upon lis arm. Duran make, move
,ncnt toward her. but Massaleeuc, by
gesture, stops lin.
.Yon SIN believe in rc. thcrF says
BOyle. I'm curious tone. "l on lave htd
faith an throrgh' Nou have never under
stO0lf'
81 do not understand now" cries the
girl ncryonslv son what htA'a she
shrinls FROM him and presses hcr hand
npainst Ter heart Wy do ycu not
speak" she Crcs again ciirrNilaly.
s'Onc word win rcar,urc nc. Yet You
nrc silent How rglcyou arc NJ What hcr-
riblc thing an ltDlccrnf Lady NaiNcilh
has called you Lcr SOD. Oh surely that
IS
"aiadncss on tho pert Of Lady Val
worth. 90 iuicrruis hc. With % short laush h.
"Todeown nc would have been hor wiser
"Vhat is tlis yon soyf" cries Nadine,
in "A low voice, faint. l0uilCd. "l on do
not deny that you ere Grant Boyle
"Non
"Yon arc not, then, Paul AnnerleyY"
"That's true
Nadine stacccrs back from him, and
presses lcr hands 20 lcr forehead as il IN
pain.
"And what Of tlis, sirs' demands Sir
Thomas. coming forward.
lie has lost an h8-Tompousncsa his
magistCricl cirhc5d deserted lin. JIG looks
old. di'rc cd, shocked. Every now and
then lc rlcncCg lacs 90 whore bis wife Is
sitting. With lcr lns thrown upon The
table rce~ lcr and her head lying lrm-
bled tVon tam. lie has taken up the
sapphire pond ant nn1 holds it ont to
Grant Bowie upon q shaking palm.
"Nou-did you give this to Miss
Roche
'Miss Roche has said So
The tone is cOntcmpiuOus; the glance
that nccOmpauic. 10 rather more so.
"And-Lady ValwortA's diamond cross
that this young lady wore last night.
Sir Thomas voice i5 even more trcmu-
ious now lie would gladly have spared
"my LADY, CAS- he always fondly calls herr
this; but 70 is better the truth should be
at once known, II possible.
81 gave that also 20 Miss Roche.
There IS q pause, startling because Of
tho intensity Of the silence that masks It,.
1t e. broken 40 last by Grant, Tie bursts
into laughtcr-light, reckless, defiant.
"Thc game is up" he says. "Aliss
R0chc has forged the first link of the
chain of evidence against me; The rest
should De easily made ] shall save you
al trouble hy giving You the exact facts
gratis / TOOK the diamonds. took also
the sapph'rcs Ia. my pretty cousinN'
turning .lis-haHtr5mc head TO .,niiV Mil
~hcnt IS standing. ana laughing g0yly.
"As often as you acted with INC in private
thratricals. You little guessed how vel /
c0ul sustain part, even difficult one,
if threw my Who'll, YIN into 70. ! must
npDl0yi1c 20 You for That handkerchief
by the way. coulI have wished 10 were
nncr one; but I'M actor must be perfect
even I'm the minor details and % BE lar
should not be acquainted with cambria. "
Here Mas arccnc makes dash forward,
bu, is restrained by Duran.
"Lct MS hear him out, cntrcats the lat
Ter wisely.
Don't waste your supcriluous energy
ON me. Mas7arccnc, says Boyle, lightly.
al IN not good enough.
"Kcep.it And after all am hardly a
rival My charming cousin cared for me
as cared for her. had no intention
whatsoever Of dcpriving you of her. 80
"Nou are damned scoundrcl' says
Na,sarecnc, nlnging OF Duran and adj
yanoingt0 Boyle. his face white with rage.
Beyond doubt replies the other, with
shrug.
'Sland back, Gerald Why should you
handy words with such as himF' says Miss
Grey, in a cold. naughty tone \ step
places her between the two men.
$50. sirr' she says, addressing Grant,,
"vhilc holding openly 90 your engagement
with me. and declaring 10 loudly TO the
world, you were carrying on an intrigue
under false namc-Oi (which this girl
was 20 be tho victimW
Ear from itn replies her cousin coolly.
''lou were 10 be the yictiml | had no
Intention whatsoever OF marrying you. |
hall have-evcry inteAtion Of marrying
Miss Rochew
Nadine starts violently
Quick 20 see and judge. he notices her
emotion. and turns 10 hcy.
IL have your promise, 90 he goes on in a
low tone full Of meaning; then again lets
his glance fan upon Sirs Thomas.
"Well. how is IL 90 be'' he asked reck-
lcssly. ION which count am 90 be first
nrraigncd' The diamonds lsmy mother
10 be the first TO cast a stoney IL IS only
Just Seniores priorcs.
Lady Valworth lifts her head from her
arms and looks AT him. those who see
her face never aftcrward forget how II
was then. The agony. the despair, the
deadly cold ~ IL, all bum themselves into
the memory
"Oh. Grant, Graniti Grant,"
The mournfnl cry rises and rings
through the room. II ba cry from a
broken heart
Silence follows on H.
The gray head has again fallen forward
upon the outsireichcd arms.
II the son Is moved by this evidence OF