The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1894-06-01

from the Villa del Bargacco. turne'
quickly about to confront the man. bu
he skunk away and disappeared among
the trees.
A half hour later as ! was returning
to my lodging some one suddenly leape(
upon me from behind and struck me {
blow with knife. Though sorely
wounded, turned and grappled witt
the would be assassin, but seeing an Off
Ger approaching he slipped from my
clutches and made his escape. Only &
common robber, the officer said The
wound | received kept me confined tc
my room for two days, and then went
to the Villa del Bargacco. The house
was closed. She whom loved was
gone--gone without word to me-no
one knew whittier. She had taken her
servants with her-all save the Italian
lad. Beppo. and he could tell me moth
ing.
The blow fell on me with crushing
force. If had been suddenly condemned
to death. could not have experienced a
more hopeless despair. For days l
went about as one in dream. hardly
caring whether lived or died.
All that l could learn was that she
had left of her own free will, taking
her servants with her. She had not
thought it proper to enlighten me, yet
was resolved to see her again--to hear
from her own lips the sentence of my
Punishment.
By the aid of detectives managed to
trace her to Nice, then to Geneva and
finally to Paris, where all trace was lost.
For two years searched for her, but in
vain. Then l came to New York. There
learned that the former residence of
Isaac Dangerfield in that city had been
leased for number of years, but that he
had owned a country seat at Mayburg.
next came here, but learned that the
place had never been occupied by its
owner. decided to remain in May
burg for some time, hoping that she for
whom l had vainly searched SO long
might come to the place to make it her
home.
On the evening of Sept. 10 1 received
a cipher dispatch from New York de-
tective, whom l had employed, stating
that Miss Grace Dangerfield had come
to Maybur and would take up her abode
ut Darkwood Hall.
That very evening l visited the hall
and met Miss Dangerfeld face to face.
shall never forget the look of speech
less agony upon her face as stood be-
fore her. She became as white as death
and clutched the back of chair for
support. l held out my hand to her,
but she drew back with low, agonized
cry.
stood looking at her like one turned
TO stone.
Grace, Grace, in the name of God, |
what does this mean?" cried when l |
could find my speech. "Why did you
leave me without one word? Why dc
you shrink from me now?
My whole being shook with emotion
IS spoke, and the ungovernable pulls
ng of passion within me fired my soul
With frenzy.
Her white face, with it's lines of suf-
ering, her quick, gasping breath and
linched hands told me plainly of the
lgony within. There was a moment Of
leathly silence, and then she spoke.
II will tell you, she said, her voice
linking almost to whisper. II fed
rom You at Rome because--because
ad deceived you-because was then
nd am still the wife of anotherl''
Then, like one who reels under a
eavy load, she staggered from the
Dom, leaving me alone.
Just how l made my way from the
ouse l never knew. She was another's :
wife! .
Like one who has heard his death sen.
ence, made my way across the lawn
0 the gate. Then, turning, l walked
trough the park toward Mayburg.
During the remainder of the night
ever closed my eyes in sleep. The next
norning learned that murder had
cen committed near Darkwood Hall.
later / was arrested, accused of COM
hitting the crime. Of the man who
yas murdered or the one who murdered
i'm know nothing. What evidence is
, be brought against me do not know.
hall be made to suffer for another's !
rime? Despair has made me indiffer- !
Mt to life. yet something tells me that
shall yet be the means of clearing up c
le mystery that surrounds the dark l
fair. l
Here ended abruptly the manuscript s
erald Rainforth had given me.