The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-23

hr had awakened her heart, had cer-
tainly pleased her fancy.
Eut Laura must be saved.
The God who had shown the danger
thus wonderfully would vouchsafe the
means of escape to those eager mother
hands that would not heed what hurt
they risked in grasping 1t.
When Mrs. Noel met her daughter
at the Care du Nord there advanced
down the platform beside Laura and
Laura's maid, a tall, handsome man,
whose luminous, pale eyes smiled
suavely upon Laura's tender tlutter.
Ccmte Rufski was gracefully CRATE
full as Mrs Noel, having heard of his
kindness on the journey, where by
chance Laura had encountered him.
invited him to afternoon tea on the
morrow.
While Mrs. Noel lay awake, through
the long watches of a second sleepless
night, her plan grew plain to her.
Surely the guilt of which she knew
the secret must be haunted by such
cowardly fears as would be stirred to
self-betrayal by the revelation of
knowledge whose source only be su-
pernatural.
She was aware of the personal danger
resist the test she intended to put upon
it. She could not doubt that he would
be at no loss for methods by which to
sweep from his path an enemy who
menaced him.
Yet Laura should be saved.
Laura, whose gay chatter, in which
Comte Rufski's name required so Of
ten, stabbed the mothers resolve with
a mightier dread than that of her own
danger.
Was the child's heart awake? And
for whom would it declare? Mother or
lover?
Mrs. Noel and her daughter spent the
following morning shopping. Laura was
rapturOuS over the choice of her first
bah dress. Yet she insisted upon hav-
ing flowers which she had promised
Rufski to wear. They lunched at a
famous patisSerie, whose goods Laura
dcvOurcd with the reckless ardor of a
school girls hunger. Yet she forgot
to finish a favorite game pie while she
desCanted upon Rufslli's skill at a
shooting match she had seen in Scot
land.
They returned to their hotel for "5
o'clock tea" and Rufski did not keep
them waiting.
With horror Mrs Noel beheld him
lift Lauras pretty hand 10 his lips
with the long jeweled fingers she had
seen press down a satin pillow upon
She could not speak in answer to
Rufski's graceful greeting, but she
smiled.
1t is mostly with a smile that a wO-
man leads her "fOrlorn hope" and the
| bravest cheer which has led men to
| battle and whose echo rings through
| history lacks something of the heroism
of such a smile.
The little group sat about the fire
| and drank tea daintily. Laura was gay.
| Rufski amusing, Mrs. Noel rather si-
| lent.
Just arrived as two of them were
| from Scotland, talk turned naturally to
Scotch customs, Scotch characteristics
| and, by subtle impulse from Mrs.
| Noel, to Scotch superstitiOns.
Rufsh and Laura each repeated leg
| ends at whose terrors they scoffed.
| Mrs. Noel grew serious.
Il have an unassailable objection to
| the crediblity of most ghost stories, ="
| she said very slowly.
| There was curious thrill in her low
voice which brought Rufski's eyes to
her face from her daughters, but she
was gazing at the fire.
II cannot believe that the Maker of
the universe would permit the infrac-
| tion of His laws for the frivolous pur-
| pose of useless terrorism that seems
| their usual design" she continued "But
one has come to my knowledge recent
| ly whose purpose is worthy of Gods
| mercy, and in whose truth I therefore
| believe"
Mother, how solemn you are,"
Laura cried, with laughing incredul-
| ty You don't really believe a ghost
story?"
| 'Assuredly, as I believe that all sin
comes to punishment"
"Rufski shrugged his shoulders
slightly.
Perhaps madame will deign to con-
| vince of his mistake a student of life
who has fancied that he discerned sin
ners 'hourishing like the green bay
| tree of which the bible tells us"
You shall hear the story, and l think
it will convince you"
Again Rufskis brilliant eyes sought
hers, and again hers avoided them.
Mrs. Noel was no more literally en-
| doWed with elOquence than are other
|
eloquent generation. But words that
| burned in the memory Of her listener
leaped to her lips as she described the
| solitary woman in the empty apart
ment the fair vision of secure repose
| which had so mysteriously appeared
before her and the creeping shadow OF
| murder which destroyed it. Then
without glancing at her silent auditors
| Gl. 40 hn Of n.
tors of this ghostly tragedy had become
known TO its beholders and that COR
! roborating circumstances and motive
were not lacking to link the phantom
to reality and to establish it's truth.
"A truth the purpose of whose awful
| revelation will be accomplished" Mrs
| Noel concluded in the level voice which
had told the whole story. THE woman
to whom it was revealed understands
| its merciful warning Of darger 10 one
| beloved-a danger to avert which she
is prepared to encounter the NEST pub.
| lie scandal or the most subtle ven.
| geance-unless her enemy disappears
| Through effort that taxed every force
| of her being, Mrs. Roel slowly lifted
| her gaze to Rufski's face.
A face from which the mask Of con-
troll and civilization had been swept
| away, and which confronted her ghast-
| ly with supernatural horror, deVilst
| with the lust of hate, while in his pale
eyes stared that look whose recognition
banished from her soul any doubt
which might perchance in future years
have shaken her conviction Of his guilt
From that face, those eyes, she recoied
with an involuntary homage of the
flesh to the present menace of Death.
With cry Laura flung herself on hel