Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-07-19

me. | could hardly breathe.
| "There is little more to tell" Stanly
continued. "The deed was done; there
was no doubt of that, but who did it is,
to this day, mystery. Ofcourse, many
were suspected, but suspicion fell chief
ly OH
| waited in suspense.
He paused a moment and then said
softly:
Cecil Richie. 1t was brought out
that he was the last to leave the house,
and his devotion to Beatrice was an
open secret"
"Who else?" managed to ask.
Gan old family servant, who disap-
peared soon after with one of the maids.
But what possible motive could he
have had? He was devoted to Lord
Stanly and always had been, and was a
favorite with the whole household. At
this time certain jewels also disap-
peared. The dagger that Lady Beatrice
wore in her hair that very night was
never seen again, and the broken brace
let seems to have melted into thin air,
too. l regret the loss of the latter eX-
tremely, for it was the sole portrait of
Lord Stanly, and the marked resem-
blance he bore to my father would have
made it doubly precious. Then the
diamonds made it very valuable, for
they We're of the purest water. The
servant, as said, disappeared, and Ce-
air not quite to his taste, went abroad
and to all appearance dropped out of
existence
"Was no one else Suspected"
"My mother" and Stanly again
dropped his voice, chad one theory,
which differed from that of everybody
else, and that was, that Lady Beatrice
herself did the deed" He paused for
me to take in the full import of the
words.
"Poor mother! She never liked Bea-
trice. There had always been good
deal of girlish rivalry between them,
and | sometimes think Richie was at
the bottom of that, too"
Rather odd," l interrupted, "pro-
viding they cared for one man, that
they should have afterward married
brothers,"
eyes, the whole affair from beginning
to end is strange, and | should certain
ly doubt, if l were to hear it from any
one elsen
"What is your own theory, Stanly?
Do you agree with your mother"
"Do you think Pm mad?" he replied.
elbow could l believe young girl ca
pable of such a thing? She was heart
less; but good heavens! it takes more
than lack of heart to do such deed! 1
should suspect Captain Richie far SOON
er, and yet all his conduct was very
straightforward and manly at the time.
But as for Lady Beatrice, why, man,
it nearly killed her. In that one night,
her hair turned white as snow. Oh,
they say she was regal, and that she
was far lovelier than ever before. Peo-
pie were not at all surprised when five
years later she became Countess de
Rousillon. Poor Beatrice! misfortunes
followed her. 1t was very unhappy
marriage and, to crown all, her only
child was stolen. kidnapping seems
to have been in vogue, 20 years ago;
only this child was never recovered. 1t
is small wonder that the Countess died
of broken heart
| rose from my seat and went
to the window. "Stanly," 1 said, "who
has occupied that room since the af-
fair?"
1.-TWO persons"
DO you mean to say that / am only
the third?"
'sWhy, yes! What is it! You don't
mean you saw or heard anything? The
servants call the room haunted, but
that is scarcely to be wondered at. Be
sides, in these enlightened times ghosts
are out of fashion,"
''rell me about the other two," per-
sisted.
'The others-why, one was my cous-
inland it was years ago. He was TAX
en- ill that night with raging fever,
and died few weeks later. But the
room had nothing to do with it. The
doctors said it had been in his system
for weeks. The other was little scat
ter-brained French governess. She was
put in there, when the house was
crowded with guests. She was queer
thing, believed in spiritualism and all
that, and l was not surprised to hear of
her becoming insane"
"One died." muttered, Zone became
insane. 1 wonder" AT this moment,
the door opened and Edith stood on the
threshold. She made charming pic
ture in her simple cotton gown and
garden hat.
"May / ask the meaning of this SOL
emn conclave?" she said. II don't
think it's bit kind of you, Stanly,"
turning to her brother, Ito drag Mr..
Craig off to this stuffy room when the
tennis court is just suffering to be
used"
~ will compel him to release me as
soon as possible" 1 answered gayly,
and the door closed.
81 fear have been rather selfish,
Hail.
"Not at all. 1 haven't had my say
yet. First let me ask if you have ever
doubted my sanity; that is, you have
believed me to be of tolerably sound in
tellectn
"Generally-yes, laughed Stanly.
every well then, listen to what l am
about to say, and never again express
your disbelief in ghosts"
began disconnectedly, but before
I had gone very far, my friend was as
white and speeches. as | could wish.
"Now," said l, ''let me see Lady
Beatrice's portrait, for that will be the
final test, and after that, have some
thing to show you," and drew out
the little box. When Stanly returned
with the bracelet, | gave cry, for the
face that looked out from its frame of
diamonds was the one / had seen the
pipht bafOra-thn Same dark owes tho