The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-31

1
He took her hand looking at her hxedly,
ana seemed about to speak again but
| checked himself and they parted without
another word.
The 'Belvedere1 was a marble pavilion
or summer house. in the Italian style. which
| stood Oh rising ground in a secluded part
of Lyston Park. it consisted merely of one
1 octagonal room. with windows on all sides.
commanding pretty sylvan views of the
park, and the wooded country beyond.
/ This apartment had been Julians playroom
! in his boyhood, and now often served him
On the day appointed for their farewell
meeting, just as dusk was falling, Evlyn as
| cended the winding path which led UP 70
The day had been sultry, and the evening
was warm and very still Not breath or
! quiet of the place, which had, indeed, an
.eerie" look at this silent and snadowy
hour. In spite of the warmth she shivered
| nervously as she glanced round, and found
| herself first at the trysting place.
Not caring to enter she stood d between d inc
| twilight vista toward the hail.
A vague apprehension oppressed her,
which she could not have put into words,
| and which was, perhaps, only born OF the
| lonely spot and melancholy hour.
AS the moments wore on, bringing no
! sign Of Julian, and dusk deepened into dark,
her nervousness increased, and at last she
was turning to leave the place when she
saw his figure advancing rapidly under the
trees.
| L
he hurried up the path to her side; Il am
so sorry, but I could not get away before "
How i'll you look she exclaimed, invol-
UNFAIRLY. .
Il have one OF my nervous headaches"
! he replied taking off his hat and pushing
back the hair from his forehead. i nave
! been in bed all day, and am supposed to be
there still, awaiting a visit nom ConyerS.
When he comes, by-and-by,' he added with
| a laugh, 'he will find his patient flown
Suppose he should come here in search
| of you?" she suggested uneasiiy.
He laughed again, laugh which Jared
What a dramatic surprise if he did and
| found you with me. A scene of comedy, or
perhaps It might turn to TT trag ged!,
II cannot stay long, l shall be missed"
she said, as she followed him into the shad-
contrast TO the warmth outside.
Julian placed a chair for her and sat
down at her side.
1T is like old times to have you here" he
resumed, laying his hand, which was burn
/ ing with fever, on hers. Like the dear ola
| days, long ago. when you were my child
| sweetheart Once, / remember when we had
been maying in the woods, you were tired
and fell asleep here, and carried you home
with your little golden head on my snoul-
der. Dear golden head. Let 1t rest there
again for moment.
and laid his cheek caressingly against It.
| oh would that two were maylnS
once more" he breathed, in a voice scarce
! ly audible, "or would that we two were
| lying under the churchyard sod-yes, thar
would be best. You would be mine, then, for
all eternity"
terms" she answered, forcing laugh.
| though his tone thrilled her; Il prefer to
LAS Gilbert Conyerss wife?" he suggest
ed with quick change of manner. Is
| that the happy prospect you look forward
to. when am put aside and forgotten?"
| Suddenly he threw his arms around her,
and strained her to his heart.
Never. never by heavenv he burst out,
/ cfOno oil will
you up! If you are not mine you never
! shall be his--I swear it!
/ Startled and alarmed by his vehemence,
| she tried to disengage herself
| Don't talk so wildly! You frighten me!
| Let me go
| so close that she could feel the rapid
beating of his heart
Il cannot give you up! ne repeated
| guard. / am afraid of myself if lose you
| afraid lest / should yield to the devilish
| voices that whisper such terrible tempta-
sVoicesr she repeated more and more
alarmed by his manners. What do you
| mean?"
hensiveiy over his shoulder Il hear them
now they are in the air all around US
hooking. tempting, urging me on to crime.
I have heard them before, but never SO
distinctly as tonight Listen!
! sudden fear, a terrible suspicion shot
through the girls heart like bolt of ice.
| She drew back from him, so that she
| could see his face in the moonlight. What
| she read there turned her suspicion to GER
| tainty.
There rushed back into her memory a
crowd of half-forgotten words and incl
! dents, each one of which confirmed il. She
| understood now the reason of Sir Richards
| constant watchfulneSS and strange Seclu-
! sion; she had the clew to Gilbert's limited
| It was not on the father that the family
curse had fallen, but on the son. Julian
| For a moment the revelation seemed to
paralyze her in her mind and body.
! She could not stir; she could not think,
| except to realize that she alone with
| him in this desolate spot, far from help;
alone, at the mercy of q mailman.
Recovering from the first shock, she re-
| fected that her best chance of safety lay
in showing no fear
"Listen' he repeated in a thrilling
| whisper. do you not hear them?'
Il hear nothing; it is your fancy" she
| faltered.
mo fancy could be so like reality; it was
| that I should meet you here; it was they
| who reminded me to bring this"
She recoiled with a stitied cry, guessing
rather than seeing what he drew from his
breast pocket.
my father had hidden it away" he said
| with laugh But found it; my familiar
".Julianl Julian! do not kill mer' she
cried wildly. losing al self-control.
calmly what is there so terrible in
death--a swift and painless death? And you
Snall not Gle alone, earring, we viii go
| these voices there is peace Conner
No, no. nor she screamed, struggling
! to free herself. ''You shall mott I will not
| die! Help. help. Gilbert!''
She uttered the name almost unconscious
| ~. with no hope or expectation that her
desparing appeal would be heard
Her heart gave a wild leap of joy and re-
| lief when, from the park below, there came
an answering cry in voice she recognized
Julian heard it, too and started relaxing
| his hold on her wrist.
In moment she had wrenched herself
| free and darted toward the door but be-
her wrist again, OBTAINING her in a grasp
of iron
Still holding her, he listened, laughing
softly to himself
This is happy chance" he mutterod
Conyerss arrival makes the drama com
plete!"
He forced her back into the shadow of the
door, and stood waiting. revolver in hand.
his lips parted in a sinister smile
There was moment of GREATNESS silence:
moment of agony which the girl never
forgot. She tried in vain to move to utter
a cry of warning. Her voice died in her
throat. She could only listen with straining
ears to the sound of her lovers footsteps
hurrying up the slope, She could only think
which had summoned him, perhaps to
death.
"Evlyn are you there?" he called. with
a note of establishment in his tone
Yes, am here, with Julian, but do not
come" she cried hoarsely. Keep back, for
heavens sake He will kill you''
The warning came too late. for even as II
| threshold
Julian raised his disencaged hand a sbarn