Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-02-04
as ne shall hereafter eau hlm,

as we shall hereafter call him.
Malcolm made sign to the fisher
mans family, who withdrew from
sight only to plant, Themselves at con.
venient listening posts without.
"They say the poor young lady is
saved from the wreck. Is it true?"
Eyes"
"I'm glad to be sure about it; for II
she had escaped to France, or IL she
had persisted in the waves, 1 should
have died and made no sign. should
have been faithful to the friend who
has ruined me, even though she would
have consummated that ruin in death,
and offered me up the last Of the
holocaust of victims sacrificed to her
evil passions. But now that that poor
girl is thrown again upon these shores,
to suffer for anothers crimes. and that
l am dying, l dare not carry to the
grave the secret that might save her;
or face my Judge with her innocent
blood on my soul!'
Malcolm bent over the dying man,
and listened with suspended breath,
| fearing to ask question, or to make
an observation, lest he should arrest
the confession that was trembling on
his lips.
"The theologians are all wrong in
| supposing the great principal evil to be
a male-it is Il female. Satan is 4
woman-I am sure Of it, and many
another man. must know it also. An
evil woman gains Il spell over
a mans senses, and then y power over
his soul, that is like diabolical magic.
The man may know her, scorn
her, hate her, hut he cannot
escape from her. Sometimes he goes
mad and kills her and gets himself
hanged for it, and finds freedom. pur-
chased at that price, an infinite relief.
Such an asccndency one fatal woman
gained over me. For years have been
her dupe, her slave. her tool. She has
been ply god. for at her command l
have broken all the laws Of the Divine
One-all. all! At her command
would have
"Marchcd to death as to festival."
The man paused from exhaustion;
but after a few moments of silence
| continued:
''Why she wished to destroy the
house of Leaton do not know, but l
became her blind tool in that work of
destruction"
Name this woman!' exclaimed NAL
colin under his breath.
81 cannot; know neither her name
nor her country. She bears half
dozen aliases and speaks with equal
facility half a dozen modern Ian
guages-"
"You mean the Italian Princess Peg
zilini?'
Il mean the mysterious woman who
has successfully imposed herself upon
a few guileless country families as
that illustrious lady. first met her
many years ago at Rome, where was
in the suite of the English ambassa-
dor, and she in the household Of the
Princess Gentillescha Pezzilini. When
the Palazza PeZzilini was burned by
the mob she purloined the family jew
els and papers and fled with me to
Paris, with the aid of her documents,
she succeeded in passing herself upon
Lord Leaton's retired circle as the
illustrious lady who had really per-
ished in the burning palace. She ac-
companied them to England, bringing
me in her train. You know what fol-
lowed. Why she wished to ex-
terminate the whole race of her
benefactors from the face of the
earth, I never knew. She used me
without trusting me, or contided
in me only so far as was alb
solutely needful. And when she had
no further use for me, she turned her
death-dealing powers against me to
get me out Of the way. Death was
dealt to me insiduously. slowly and
cautiously; but still knew that it was
heath. and that it came fxcm her hand
Even then I was too mucn under her
spell to denounce her; but I escaped
from her and fed for my life when l
embarked in the vessel. Judge how
glad was that the poor innocent girl
was escaping, too"'
"But, to do that young lady justice.
you are aware that the confession
must be made on oath before magis-
trate, in the presence of witnesses.
with every circumstantial detail, and
reduced to writing"
II know that, and have already sent
to summon the proper persons"
moaned the man. who now seemed
thoroughly exhausted.
Malcolm gave him q drink. And in
few minutes afterwards justice OF
the peace. attended by clerk. arrived
at tie hut. A magistrate in populous
district is Injured to startling revela-
tons. Therefore this worthy justice
sat calmly through the terrible state
ment made upon oath by the dying
clerk. The document was signed by
Antony More. and witnessed by Nal
colin MOntrose and another.
The necessary warrants We're then
issued, and the magistrate departed,
leaving constable in charge of the
dying witness, whom the doctors pro-
nounced unfit for removal.
Malcolm Montrose hurried to the
cottage where Eudora lay concealed,
to comfort her with the news of the
revelation that would completely vim
dictate her fair fame.
CHAPTER XXXIu