Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-06-21
From Sin to COntritiiolI
Lucy Warringhan'S Sacrifice.
Ihe Story Of a HaSty Marriage and
Its Tragic Sequel.
BY ERNST BRUNCKEN,
Nuthor Of ''Tho BtbIionIdnidc's Crime, W.
"a Terrible Secret, etc., etc.
CHAPTER XVIII.
AT THE DOOR OF DEATH.

Ralph had his revenge. The hated
rival was dead. What tie was there
that still connected him with life?
For some time he hardly realized that he
had come out of the ordeal unscathed' 80
certain had It seemed to his overheated
brain that he would not only kill the
Count but also in turn be killed himself,
that he had not, in his mind, made any
provisions for a different outcome OF
the affair Now he felt sort of strange,
dazed surprise at his own continued ex-
istence He did not want to live. Had
he not closed his accounts?
AS Ge could not die by the hand OF
hnother, he would die by his own hand.
With this firm resolution he walked
home.
AS he went through the hCtel garden,
he perceived strange commoti0n among
the guests who were sitting at the tables
or prOmenading on the walks. Ihere
was an eager and mysterious whispering
wherever he passed, thousand curious
ewes were directed upon him, necks were
craned in the distance in order TO get
glimpse at him, as he walked toward
the entrance of the house. The ac-
ouaintances whom he met and greeted
returned his salutatiOn with strange,
scrutinizing look, and he felt instinct.
iyely that they looked after him and
spoke about;him among each other.
He knew why he was the cynosure OF
all eyes and the subject of everybody's
conversation. The events of the morn
ing must have become known to the ho-
tel guests some hours ago.
Ralph did not care. Lei the word
rossip. No doubt, in the conversation
of the crowd, the story took a very diff
ferent form from tho truth. No doubt
everybody sympathized with the slain,
and the slayer had not a single defender
No doubt these good people knew many
narrowing details of which he himself
was totally unaware. But what did II
matter? He had done with the world.
He went into his room and locked the
door behind him. The sun was shining
brightly through the windows and the
glare hurt his eyes. He closed the
blinds. so that it became almost dark IN
the room.
Then he threw himself upon the bed
and began to think-think for the last
time. But his head ached and his ideas
became confused. That was annoying.
He wanted to part with life with full
consciousness and clear head
He rose from the bed and went to the
cupboard in a corner of the room, where
he had a number of simple remedies that
he ALWAYS carried with him for cases OF
emergency. He won take something
TO quiet his nerves 1t was quite DARK
In that corner, and he could not rca the
inscriptions on the phia s, but he knew
the contents by the shape and SIZE OF
every bottle. Feeling with his hands
along the board, he at last found what
he looked for.
@Let me think what is the proper
dose-oh, yes, fifteen drOps-that viii
make me quite calm.
He poured fifteen drops OF the nulC
Into a teaspoon and swallowed them
Strange, he thought Can 1T be spoiled
Nonsense! Perhaps it is a halluclna
tion. There are hallucinat ons OF the
tongue as well as of the eyes And my
nerves are excited"
He took the revolver which had killed
the Count out of his pocket, where III
had placed it when he left the fa'a
spot. He looked at it with scrutinizint
ewes, to assure himself whether it wa'
properly loaded and everything in goo(
order He could find no fault with it.
The revolver firmly clutched in hi:
right hand, he threw himself on the bee
again.
The medicine did not yet show any
effect He did not grow calmer; on the
contrary, his nervous excitement grew.
What was it he that was going to do
He must think awhile-collect his ideas
Oh. yes! He was going to shoot himself
that was it! Here was the revolver! H'
must not forget it again!
Strange. how his senses are deceived
to-day! First, that strange taste
the medicine, ami now he had an actua
hallucination of the eye! Or, was tina
really somebody looking into the window
Nonsense! The window was fifty fee
above the ground; nobody could look IL
therel But there was that face again
He knew who it was; y was cousil
Hattie How mildly her eyes beame
upon him! She was very handsome
Rut how did she come here? And VIII
did she lt ok through that window, tft
feet high? Why did she not come in
Oh. YES! He new now. She was no
there at all. 1t was only hallucina
tion. He remembered now that he ha
thought of Hattie good dtNl yester
day; that may account for 1t.
Very interesting subjects, these hallu
cjnationsl Abnormal action of the brain
He must study the matter moro careful
ly than he has done heretofore
Study? Why, no. He is going to di
shoot himself! Here is the revolver
He will do it now.
Painfully he raised himself into hall
recumbent attitude. leaning on his lef
arm. 1t grew dark before his eyes
When he feebly tried to raise his rlgh
hand. which still clutched the revolver
he tainted and sank back. But hl
fingers, nervOusly contracting, touche
the trigger and the shot went off.
The news of the death Of Count vc
Hohenfels at the hands of an America
nhysician. with whose wife he had had
love intrigue, created an incredible SCI
sation. 1t spread with lightnlng-hS
rapidity, and both citizens and summt
residents soon spoke of nothing but I'll
duel. Naturally, the sympath es OF u
neople we're almost exclusively with tt
victim. He belonged to one OF the Tor
most noble famil cs of Germany: he wa
moreover, young, handsome, talente
and popular. On the other hand OF h
SLAYER nothing was known. Moody ia
ever heard OF him, except that accordlr