The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-22
ny, as they regarded me with great dis.


favor.
"Never mind,"I thought, touching
my horse with the whip. "Once ! bring
Felix faos to face with his dead brother,
and be will be forced to abandon these
airs. At whatever cost, ! must tear the
mask off him, If only for the sake Of that
poor girl, who believes so firmly in such
q villain. There was no change in
the appearance of the Fen inn as we
rode up to 1t save that 1t looked more
ruinous than ever. The solitary build
ing had sinister aspect, and even in
the bright sunshine limited at secret
murder I noticed how thick grew the
grass around the house, thereby marking
more strongly its desertion and desola-
ton. Sure enough, it had not been in
habited for = considerable period, and
this fact alone reused my suspicious as
to the motives of Strent and his daugh-
ter, They could have no good design in
staying in so haggard dwelling.
"You see, the inn is a ruin," said
Olivia, pointing toward 1t with her rid
ing whip mo one could find shelter
there even for one night"
II did, Miss Bsllin.
"It was dream, " she answered.
idle dream. You may have slept there,
but you never met Francis within Its
walls.
1--WE are ON FOOLS errand, said Fe-
Liz dsrisivsly. II thought SO all along"
Come and SEQ" said, dismounting
at the door Of the inn. HE laughs best
who laughs luat
II seemed 90 me that Olivia made as
though to turn her horses head away
from the house, but by this time the
hand Of Felix was already oil the bride
rein, and she suppressed the momentary
inclination 10 dee. The action revived
my suspicious With half sigh she
dismounted with the aid Of Felix, and
we entered she house.
All was as | had left it, The blinds
We're down, the room rlildewed and des.
olate, the fireplace filed with heaps Of
gray ashes Olivia drew her riding
skirts closely round her and shuddered.
led up stairs to the room Of Francis.
Here the door had fallen down, and we
walked on it into the room. To my sur.
prise, the bed was empty.
"Well, Denham," said Felix after a
pause, where is the dead body to whom
you have given my name?"
"Some one has been here and taken it
away"
II don't think SO. The absence Of the
body only proves the truth Of what l
said from the first. You dreamed your
adventure. "
Before I could reply Olivia burst into
hysterical tears. The strain ON her
nerves was very great, and now that the
climax was reached she broke down ut
terly. Felix took her in his arms and
soothed her as he best could, while /,
utterly bewildered by the turn events
had taken, carefully searched the room.
All was in vain. / could find neither
body nor clothes nor aught pertaining
to Francis Briarfeld ! began to think
to myself that must be dreaming. But
that was out Of the question. The only
conclusion / could come to was that
Strent had watched me leave the house
and then returned to make away with
the body. Without doubt it was Strent
who had slain my unfortunate friend
and now had hidden the corpse in some
quaking bog.
When Olivia broke down, Felix led
her from the room, and / went to the
front door, there to find them mounted
on their horses.
"We are going back to Marshmin-
ster, " said Felix, gathering up his reins.
"Thanks to this wild goose chase, Miss
Bellin is quite i'll. / trust now, sir, that
you are convinced.
II am not convinced that you are
Francis" answered doggedly.
"You still think ! am Felixi" he
asked, with sneer.
II do, Notwithstanding the disappear.
ance Of the body, which has been made
away with by Strent. firmly believe
that Francis Is dead and that you are
Felix Briarfeld."
"As we have seen nothing, Mr. Den
ham. said Miss Bellin coldly, linus,
decline to believe your statement. This
gentleman is Francis, and Felix is in
Paris"
Every good" said quietly. "Ther
leave for Paris tomorrow.
"For what reason?"
~ go to seek Felix. You say he Is in
Paris. l say he is now before me on thai
horse. You came to the Fen inn ant
found nobody, Miss Bcllin. / 60 tt
Psris-to the Hotel des Etrangers-ant
I'll wager that shall find no Felix"
They looked at one another in silence
for a few moments. My remark evi
IDENTIFY scared them.
"Are you going to put this matter il
the hands Of the polioe?" asked Felix.
"It Is useless to do 50 now, as th,
body Of your brother has disappeared.
shall 50 to Paris, and II I do not fine
Felix there
| "Well'" she said, seeing hesitated
II will tell the police all and hav,
this ncighborhood searched" said
concluding riy h.ntencs
! Olivia laughed scornfully and rod,
away, while Felix, preparing to follow
uttered last word:
Consult douror, Denham, at once
You are mad or subject to hallucina
tions. "
And with that he set Off at smsr
trot, and was left alone at the door o
the inn.
After TIE extraordinary experiences
had undergone began to think ther
nigh be something in what he said
Nevertheless determined for my owl
satisfaction to go to Paris aud see if Fe
lix BriarAeld WIS at the Hotel dos Et