New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-21
stancv. he clung to vicious obstinacy as a sub
stitute. .,rrp WIFI

She sank into the nearest chair utterly overcome.
She had barely the presence OF mind to tear up the
| sheet of paper into minute sirNs, which she
| gathered All i'm one hand, until She could find
| Strength 10 scatter them out of the window The
| position was terrible one indeed, and for long
| time she was unable to think connectedly about
| il mr. of ANYTHING else But for the two nights Of
soind slccp she had got by taking the choral she
| must Inevitably have broken down. As was,
her strong constitution had asserted itself
| as she had been able to rest, ana she better
able f. meet this new and real trouble than she
| had been to face the imaginary horror Of Herbert
| Arlrns presence in her drssifg-room. But even
| so half an hour ELAPSED before she was able to
rise from her seat. She tossed the scraps of paper
| out of tie window and watched them as the wind
| chased them in all directions, upward and down
ward upon the castle wall. Then all at once she
| began to think. and her brain seemed to act with
an accuracy and drectnesS it had never had before.
Either the letter had been opened in the house
| or at the postollcc. IL could not have been
| opened in Rome or at least the probabilities were
enormously against such an hypothesis. 1t was
| scarcely NOR like that The man at the Gerano
pcstollicc should have venturcd to tampcr with
| sealed envelope coming from the castle and for
which he had gwen receipt before taking charge
| of it. lie could not have the smallest interest
| in reading Donna Adclcs correspondence and he
| had everything to lose if he were caught. lie
would ccrtrinly not have supposed that she or her
husband, having but lately left the city, were
sending back u sum of money in notes large
enough TO make it worth his while to incur such
| a risk In other words. the theft had boon com
mittcd in the house, and no one but Lucia could
| have been The tllc1. Lucia Dan Deem suuliUdTly
dismissed; Lucia was the only servant in the cs-
Establishment who had serious cause for discomfort
Lucia had guessed from the address that the letter
contained something at least of the nature Of
confession. and had resolved t" hold her mistress
in her power Moreover. it overwhelmingly
| possblc-that Lucia knew something else. In
any case. she had read every word Adele had
written with her own hand, and Adele knew very
well why the woman had rot returned the sheets
to the envelope after mastering their contents.
She was utterly, hopclcssy and entirely in Lucias
IlIe url1 20 from
situation. and wherever she might b" would
| always be able 10 control Donna Adcles life by
merely threatening to bciray what she knew 10
the person persons concerned -.
Adele felt that her courage was almost iailipg
her in this extremity. at tim" when she needed
more than she had ever Possessed. And yet ~
necessary to act promptly. for the mald might
even he engaging herself with som" on" ',i''
Come what might sh" must never leave 'aSSi
Savclli. if il cost Adele all the money She could
beg of her husband barrow Of her father to
keep the woman with her. First OF all. however.
sl. must regain sort of cOmposurr lest Lucia
should suspect that the post had brought her news
of the loss of III" document. She looked M h"r-
self in t" glass and scrutnzed every i"atlr" AZ
i"ntivcv Sl" was very pale. but othrrwi'r WaS
looking better than t~o DAYS earlier my KIM ~ -;
-tmuant as III" knew. s'nt the blood to her Ia - III
a lrT minutes. AID She SAW that what she needed
was q little color i t"aspooninl OF l"n'dc'ihc
| cordial. Of wh|h She had small mask III h'I
drcs>ins-casc. enough Ia produc" th" d"siirh
effect IN" doco. had formerly recommended h'r
10 take II bcior" gong 10 Sleep but S"' dl' ny
ike such things. and the ila-k wa, almost iui.'
Sh. saw ir the mirror that Ill" result was perfect
Is satisfactory, AID when sh" at Inst met i'r
husband lac remarked that her appearance was
II icnl 80 much hrt,cr," she exclaimed. know
Inc that she WIS speaking the first words OF
comedy which would in all probability have TO be-
played during the rc-t oi her life ai"n'- S'''
that If they would only give me som'inihS 10
make nle >lr.p | should get well AZ once.
Sh" warl,cd again o. that day. and hy an almost
supcrhnman effort kept Mp appearances until ped
.1tta.r
dant dinner. That NIGHT III" told l.icIa thht' "t
the whole. she would prefer 10 keep her. That she
had always been NOR" than satisfied wltii her
services and that If sh" had suddenly f'lt an
Myers on 10 her il was the result of the extreme
nervousness sic had suffered oi la'c Now INA,
.hc could sleep. sh" realized how unkind Sh" hhu
iocn Lucia humhly thanked her. and SAID that
she hos. to live and die III the service "l VI"
most excellent Casa Savcll 1h"reupon Adee
thanked her said very swC"tN that III" was,
rrnI eirl and woull day "" rewarded by
finding a good husband. a7d ended by giving her
five lranc- She reflected that 10 give her NOR,
mish, look like the beginning of course OF
hriberv and that 10 live nothing might b" con
-trued ~ pioc-cding from the fear OF seeming 10
brhc. A., a.,
first Ia. said 10 herself - she swallowed h'r
choral and laid her head upon the pillow; 10 -
read TO sleep hy I'll" nur-r n"c s.rp' anu, mpI'' shc
invoke tWlC" each tim" with II start, ana WIN t!'
impression that Lucia was rrcltins thr contents n
of the lost letter 10 Laura Arden ana ""o''
'oI'n,u. y" ,hn cirrnu.tnnrcs She behaved with
conrae. and determination admirable" III 'h"nl.
selves Few women could htN Dorm, tn, ,,
strain upon the faculties NJ all sun fewer "i''l
snch illness AS sl. had suffered. But sh" was
really very strong. though every thing when al
f.ccd her feelings and thoughts reacted M On h''
,LvsicoI r,tur, M such things never can III lcN'
uervously organized constitutions. She nor" me
cxcruciating anxiety about the LOST confession ncl
t.l than Tie shadowy fear OF IN" rus'rha, 'iai
which Sill haunted her H. III" hours OF I'll" night
on the third day she begged her husband w IN
creas. the dos" Of choral by very small Iuhhii
-,vine that if only she ,ould sleep well for wio"
wcrl, she would then be- - much better as To u"
able 10 give IL mp altogether. Nav"ni hrsVat'u
and at last consented. SInc" sh" had seemed 80
much more quiet Il" dreaded return Of ii'r
former state. for Ii" was ma Nho I"n,'i HIS
ease and hated everything wmch dlStnrb'i H.
The doctor had particularly can'on'i nun 10
keep the choral put awny in sal" place warning
Francesca that the majority OF persons who took
il soon began TO feel craving for II 1T larger
quantities. which must 10 checked 10 nvoii ne
risk Of considerable damage 10 ~" hcath III 'l''
event of its becoming n habit II was alter All
only palliative, he said. and could never be "N-
pcctc1 ~ work cure on ia" Nerves except ~ an
Indirect means To n good result frinc''co k'P,
th. bottle in his dressing bag which remained IN
his own room and was fitted with n patent lork'
Ilc yielded to Ad"lcs request on the hr,t "c-
co.ion ard she went with him n he took III"
glass back TO strengthen the dose. why do Non
keep il locked mp" she snid. DO you suppoSr.,'
would go and take it without consulting ~"
1.-THE doctor told to be careful OF IT., u"
answered The servants might tiI dose ot ~
ONT of curiosity" lie took what he considered
necessary and locked the bag again, returning the
key 10 his pocket.
Two or three days passed in this way. Adele
bcrar 10 feel that she longcd for ia" night ana
tho soothing influence Of the chlornl, ~ sh" hhu
formerly onged for daylight 10 end the misery OF
IN. dark hours The days now made almost
intclcrabr for her hy the certainty that her mald
knew he, secret. and ny the necessity for treating
Tho woman with consideration Yet She conl'l do
rnthino and she knew that sh" never could do
ANYTHING To lessen her own anxiety az long as she
lived She was much alone. too during IN" day.
Sbc walked or drove with her husband during two
ar three hours in the afteInoon, but III" rest OF
tho time hung idly on her hands II Is true thnt
his society was not very congenial. and under ord-
nary conditions she would rather have been left
alone than have been Obliged 10 talk with him. At
present however. she thought less when She was
with him. and that was gain not to he dcspIScd
She had quite forgotten that she had asked
CLis,cri IN come ont and spend day or two when
his note came rcmirdinc her of the invitation
and asking II he still might accept it. Francesca
Ian Ill