The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-03-24

| DO l look like a person who sues a
recreant husband for his gracious re-
cognition p
| why do you come here when it is
too late for reparation p he reiterated.
| ITO be revenged.n
"Grace, fiend though you are, you
would never
"Would I not ?'' she exclaimed
fiercely.
He saw the resolution written in
every line of her adamant face and
turned away, sick with horror.
All that night he paced his chamber,
revolving III mis- mind the various as
poets of his hideous bondage, and
when morning dawned, gray and cool,
| his resolve was taken.
The earliest eastern train bore him
| away, and as the cars glided past the
| the pine thickets that edged his own
estate he saw that. the stateliest tree
in all the glen was splintered to it's
heart by the destructive hand of light
ming.
And lie remembered how the angry
storm had burst at midnight as he
walked up and down in the solitude of
his own room.
You here, Sflverton Why, what
on earthn-
The dabbler in occult science looked
up in mute surprise as his old college
mate entered his sanctum
To hear Henry Silverton chat OF old
times and laugh over various Euro
pean experiences, one would have i'm
agined that trouble had never cast a
passing shadow on his heart. Mort
main thought he had never known
his friend So brilliant
by the way" he said as he rose to
depart, did you not once tell me of a
| subtle poison you had distilled which
left neither trace nor odor in it's dead
| ly path? | was telling friend of its
properties, and he laughed at what he
termed the improbability of the
thing"
'Improbabler' exclaimed Mort
main. mo more improbable than
electricity or any other of the marvels
of modern science"
80 l told the fellow. Suppose you
give me a few grains of the drug l
| must try it on a troublesome dog of
mine, and thus at the same time rid
myself of pest and convince him of
the discovery"
Ralph Mortmain unlocked drawer
and took out small box, from which
he measured out two or three grains
of a scentless blue powder,
The monday sun glowed in amber
radiance over the gables of Silverton
place as Silverton entered silently at
the back door. Avoiding the more
generally habited parts of the man
sion, he stole softly toward the room
that had been assigned to Grace Au-
life.
she will be below stairs at this
time of day." he argued to himself.
He was right.
AS he dropped the fatal grains into
the water bottle his hand shook like
leaf A faint blue tinge seemed to
sparkle through the clear element,
and then it became as limpid as be-
fore, and Henry Silverton, weighed
down with the shadow of a great
crime and unutterably miserable,
staggered from the room.
Papa, papa!;'
Joyous little Harry stretched out his
dimpled hands. Silverton shrank
from the child's blue eyes.
HE does not know his father is q
murderer ~ quivered through his
mind.
His wife's light foot crossed the hall.
why, heAIy, HOW SuuuonlS you
lett us this morning ~
"She does not know the stain ON
my hand, or she would not speak to
command myself yet little longer, or
am | indeed going mad %
She put up her rosy mouth to kiss
him-he shrank away with a shudder.
You are not angry with me, dear
est?
"No, love, nor he groaned.
"By the way, / have not seen the
new housekeeper this morning, Hen
ry. l hope she is not sick, butt
"Ma'am, if you please ~
The pale, scared face of the old but
Ter peered through the half open door.
"What is it, Torrey p
MARY Benner-that's the under
house-maid, menu
"WeIl, what of her? Is she ill ~
mo, ma'am, but she was coming
from the village, through the short
cut in the pine openin, amp
He stopped short. Mrs. Silverton
rushed into the hall, uttering a pierre
ing shrek as her eyes fell on the
CHASTITY sight there on hastily con-
structed litter of green pine branches.
In an instant her husband was at
her side and saw the dead corpse of
Grace Auliffe, whitley staring into his
face, with CLASSY eyes and lips that
still seemed to wear the demoniac
smile with which she last confronted
him, while upon the temple the fiery
finger of the lightning had touched
her with its mortal vengeance
Dead dead And he was free
She was dead, and he was guiltless
of her blood. Yet even then he felt
sick and dizzy, in the midst of his
great gratitude, like one who has walk
ed in his sleep and awaking finds him
self ON the verge of some bottomless
abyss.