Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-02-25
LONE HOLLOW;
Or, The Peril Of the PenrOyS.
A Thrilling and Romantic stc--

''Instead Of coming to Lone Hollow he |
hid in a cave, once q counterfelter's resort, |
in Hangman's Gulch. Sometimes he had
moments of sanity, but they were of short
duration. He led a hermit life, and watched
to meet Lawrence Brandon. He did meet
him finally, and recognized him. He fred
with the intention of taking life. Somehow,
it seems that Brandon, alias Starbright,
lived to concoct further schemes of villainy,
among them the poisoning of Grace Penroy,
that he might, through a forged will, seize
upon the million left by Morgan Vandible."
t'That will is not forgery"
'Keep quiet" ordered Lura.
~ have come near to the end OF my
story" proceeded DIR. Cotton, with the ut
most gravity. Before you went to Cali
fornia you had sought to win the hand OF
Miss Joyce. She read your character and
despised you. Afterward, when she learned
that you were at Lone Hollow, she re
solved to thSEart your designs upon the
unsuspect4n0 ola man Vandible and upon
Grace, although 1T that time she knew moth
ing of the crime you had committed among
the gold hills of California.
disguised as Fingal, the hunter, she has
been quite successful in thwarting your
villainy. Your attempt upon her life on
two occasions failed signally. She discov.
cred your attempt TO poison her cousin"
"By heaven! this is too much" grated
the Captain, white and trembling, at tLs
same time coming to his feet. ''ThiS plot
arranged between you and this shameless
girl will not succeed. In good faith l c1,nc
here. l ipds the friend of Karl VGndlb-~.
My namo is Starbright, and"
"Do you deny that you attempted h.
tife2 interrupted the doctor.
~ do, most emphatically."
"You did not strike him down in Ca
formal"
"No."
"You did not set hired assassins on his
track but a few weeks since, and sink his
body in a dark pool in the woodsr'
White, stern, grim as fate was the face
| of DR.. Arthur Cotton as he put these
questions swiftly to the trembling man be-
fore him.
"N-n-or' faltered Captain Starbright,
reeling and cringing.
"Then, perhaps, you will dare deny these
| things to another witness"
| DIR. Cotton turned swiftly and flung wide
| the door, Two men crossed the threshold
Captain Starbright glared wildly into tho
| face of the foremost man, then he uttered
great cry of agony and terror. The dead
| had indeed come back to earth to stand as
| witness against HIM.
| "Karl Vandible aliver'
| Then the shattered spirit sank weakly,
and Captain Starbright fell heavily into his
chair, covering his face to shut out the view
Before them stood the man we have
| known as Don Benito, the maniac Now
there was the light of reason glowing in his
| eyes, yet he was thin and pale, and leaned
on the arm of his companion, an officer, for
support.
az am not dead, Lawrence Brandon, >
said the wronged Californian, in a solemn
voice. "a blow from your hand clouded
my brain and sent me forth a demented
wanderer upsn the earth A weight OF
years has whclmed me, yet did not forget
nor forgive the man who struck that blow
the man trusted and contided in only to be
murdered, almost, by his treachery.
"Your last attempt upon my life proved
as futile as the first, thanks to this brave
doctor and his equally brave helper, Lurf
Joyce. Both were on hand to rescue me
from the watery grave into which your
mlnions had cast me. The stone broke
loose at the outset. was unconscious fol
some time, and these friends conveyed mt
to Stoneield in light vehicle. The shocl
to my system was terrible, but 1t served thu
good turn to restore my reason.
'From the hour of my regaining conscious
ness knew every thing. My head is We
sore, and am very weak, yet manage
last night to astound you on the brink o
the forest pool, where you had gone to con
template your latest villainy. l had been Il
! the cave after something left there by me
l and spying You moving toward the pool
logged your steps and executed littl
tableau that frightened You so that 70
i swooned. From your pocket abstracte
. thts," holding up delicate vial, (Which tn
good doctor informs me is subtle an
deadly poison. You have used it. NJ
brother Morgan died from its effects befoT
he signed the will, to which you afterwar
affixed his name. Your race is run, Law
renee Brandon. You have many murder
"a nj n q m hnt WA
not for you"
AS the man paused Lura held alofta folt
It ed document.
d 1.-THE last will and testament of Morga
}. Vandible, which leaves all his property
J. Karl, his beloved brother. This will hs
/. been concealed, and is the only genuir
document in existence from the hand
Morgan Vandible. Congratulate you, NJ
Vandible"
Starbright dropped his hands and glare
at the paper in q hopeless, despairlng wa
His face was like death itself
"And now," said Karl Vandible, Il ha,
the satisfaction of turning you over to Il
custody Of an officer, Lawrence Brandon
WATT cried the culprit, husklly,
Vandible's companion advanced, displayir
q pair of handouts. Then he came to h
feet and shrank back across the flo
toward the window.
"Seize himr' cried Lura. There's
ladder at the window. He will escape"
Ia 'Halt, sirr'
- II will not be taken ahvcr' hoarse
sc uttered the haggard villain. Or 49, sta
NJ he presented q revolver, which Sulwa.
carried in case Of emergency
i'll This movement deterre1.ois seizure, al
ri then, crouching quickly, he EsEied throut
- the open window. Both tha ASscer ard Z
e Cotton dashed forward anA pae,N:d out. T
escaping villain mado misbtep, slipp'
and, with wild cry, pnIged headlong
the ground below.
oil feel that am not long for tn
world, Karl.'
The voice was faltering md low, and t
. lips that uttered the words blue al
shrunken. Beside the couch sat two me
DIR. Cotton and Karl Naudible. Outside t
- first snow of the season was sitting soft