The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-05-24
DAILY REPUBLICAN,,

found Lesley Dinsmore (after him, tn
next Of KIM in possession. He cam
here to the hall, and in the moonlight
saw Lesley Swing at the window, an,
fell headlong In love with her. HI
conceived the romantic idea of obtain
ing a situation as steward on the es
tate, and winning and wooing the CIR
he loved, and once his own, knowing
that she had married finn for himself
alone, he would reveal all. All this hi
did, and he was married under his OWL
name. have seen the former solici,
tor Of the Chadwicke estate, who &C.
knowledges this young man to be the
real heir. and In this old lawyer, Guy
las we must now call him) has con-
| fided from first to last. Everything
has been satisfactorily proven, and
nothing now remains but for Mr.. and
Mrs. Raleigh to take possession oil
their home at once"
The crowd pressed around Lesley
and her husband, kissing, congratulate
ing-a merry babel.
In the midst Of the excitement DR..
Dudley entered with Viva, lovely in
white silk, and looking, oh, so hap
py!
For moment Lurlines eyes were
riveted upon Viva Dudley's face; she
threw up both hands, with cry of
horror, and fell, gasping to the floor.
Just then, through the crowd tall,
dark man made his way, wrathful,
half demented.
Let me pass!" he painted; and all
fell back, in wonder and horror, at the
sight Of his awful face and bloodshot,
angry eyes. II am Ferdinand st. Cyr,
and this woman was my wife!"
He reached her side. The man was
half insane, but no one knew it. He
drew forth that shining, emerald-hilted
dagger, and without a word, plunged 1t
into Lurline's side. With low groan,
the blood rushed from her mouth, and
she fell to the floor, as he dashed away
through the crowd.
Max Ruthven was the first to reach
her and raise the golden head upon his
arm. She turned her face so that she
could look into his eyes.
"Listen!" she gasped, pitifully. "All
they say is true-and more. Morris
Dudley, do you remember the day that
Barton Chadwick was found dead In
the hotel chamber? I overheard you
then when you said, in all the TRACE
dies of life woman Is usually at the
bottom Of the trouble. and to blame.
You were more correct than you knew.
Listen-I killed Barton Chadwicke
with my own hand! All, DR.. Dudley,
after all. you see there was a woman
in the easel Oh, such wicked wo-
mani"
She went on to tell them, with gasp
ing, fluttering breaths, and long paus-
es between, while all the great room
lay silent, as the grave, and every ear
was strained to listen, how she had de-
termined to put Chadwick out Of the
way. Having first Influenced him to
make his will in her favor, she had
followed him when he had left home
on some business in the West, and dis
guising herself as boy, she had taken
a room over the restaurant next door,
having first ascertained the exact To-
cality Of Chadwickes room in the ho-
tel.
The window of his room, 1t will be
remembered, opened on a balcony, so
did the window of the room which she
had secured in the next house; it was
the easiest thing in the world for the
1.-THE young trapeze performer to leap
from one balcony to the other and gain
access to Barton Chadwicke's room.
Once there, she did not attempt to con-
ceal her identity, but had laid her
strange behavior to anxiety for his
welfare, which had caused her to fol-
low him, and saying that she had wish
ed to keep that fact secret from 9TH
ers, she had kissed and caressed him |
until he forgave her mad freak. Then
they drank wine together, and into his
glass she had contrived to drop lauda-
mum sufficient to take him out of the
world.
After the frightful deed had been
accomplished, she had taken the tell
tale wine bottle. and leaving the vial
labelled "laudanum" on the table she
had returned to her own room in tho
way that she had come. And no one
could wonder that Barton Chadwicke's
death was attributed to suicide.
In painful gasps the wretched wick
ed woman told her awful story, and all
who listened were overwhelmed with
horror. They saw that she was dying,
and Max lifted her In his arms and
laid her on a couch, and with her beau
tiful eyes fixed steadfastly upon his
face, she breathed her life slowly
away. Her last words were:
Forgive me. oh, Max! loved you
SOL"
They are very happy now, at Chad
wicke Hall, though Mr.. and Mrs Raj
eigh can never quite forget the shad-
ows of the past.
st Cyr was captured, and being
proved insane, was sent to an asylum;
he died there few weeks after his ar
rival, and that unhappy chapter was
ended.
DR.. Dudley and his fair young wife
live happily in the city, not far from ;
Chadwick Hall; they often visit the
Raleighs, together with old Lawyer
Greyson and his kindhearted lady.
Max Ruthven has gone to Europe to
live, a Borrowing repentant man, who /
would give worlds to undue his past. [
Repentance is better late than never.
Maude Bradburn was married last
week to young planter, and still
makes her home at the Cedars, to be {
near her dear friend, Lesley. !
And so we will leave them, happy, :
loving and beloved the wrong all 4
righted, the good Triumphant over the
evil wrought by woman. Yet it is !
Just as apt to be man as woman,
only men tell, and women do not and e
1t is wiser to pause and reflect ere we 9