The Portland daily press., 1898-11-08

would be Tar better If you returned to
London-better for you both-for she can
not marry you.
recol leoted that from this mysterious
woman who knew so much OF their per-
S onal affairs he might obtain knowledge.
of the secret his well-beloyed had refused
TO disclose. .sWhy cannot she abandon
him, and marry the man she lovess"
There is q secret reason his visitor
replied. "She dare not.
Are you aware of the reasen?" he de-
manded quickly.
i can guess. If it is as I suspect, then
marriage with you is entirely OUT OF the
question. She must marry Zertho.
Because she is in fear OF hin?" he
ha zarded.
She shrugged her shoulders with that
viyacity which only Brenchwomen pos
sess, but no reply left her lips.
from what does her strange fear
arise2' he asked, bending towards her in
his eagerness to learn the truth.
IAN 0verwhe Inning terror holds her to
Zartho. 1t is bond which, although he
may bs hateful to her, as undo ubtedly he
is. she cannot break. She must become
Princess d'Auzao."
.sShe fears lest he should expose some
hidden secret of her pasta" he suggested.
81 don't say that. she answered. ssRe-
mem DEE uRVO Oil4} cdnplCiOlS. N6v6T~
theless, from whatever cause arises her
terrible dread It's result is the same--it
prevents her from becoming your wife. y
"Yes." he admitted, plunged in gloomy
reflections. sit does. 1 have come out
here from London to see her, but she will
tell me nothing beyond the fact that she
is berothed to this man, Iertho d Auzac.
At first believed that the attractions of
wealth had proved too strong for her to
resist; but your words, in corn bination
with hers, are proof positive that there is
some strange dark secret underlying her
enga cement to him.
ssHe has forced her to it, his fair
visitor said in harsh voice. He's alb
solutely un scrup ulous.'
You know hint"
6 Yes,n she answered, with a slight
hesitancy Ellis career has been a curl
Gus one. Not long ago he was fellow
adventurer with Captain Brooker, and
we'll known i'll all the gaming rooms in
Europe-at Monte Carlo, Spa, Ostand,
Namur, and Dianant-as one who lived
by exercising his superior intelligence
over his fellownen. He was an 'escroc'
one who lived by his wits. won money at
the tables, and when luck was against
him did not hesitate to descend to card
sharping in order to secure funds He
was the black sheep of noble family, an
outcast, a cheat, and a sWlndler,' she
went on, with a volubility that surprised
him. "He possessed all Erie Brokers
shrewdness without any of his good quail
ties; for although the Captain may pc an
adyenturer he has never stopped to mean
ness. He has alw avs lost and won
regarding his luck. good or
Ill. with the same imperturbable grim
humour and reckless Indifference. In
the days of his prosperity his hand was
ever in his pocket to assist his fellow
gamesters upon whom misfortune had
laid heavy hand, and more than one
young man, drawn to the tables by the
hope of winning, has been held back from
ruin by his kindly and timely advice
The one was, and Is still dishonest, de.
spicable knave; while the other was a
man of honour, truth, and singieness of
heart Suddenly, not long ago, the for
tunes of Zertho d 'Auzac changed, for his
father died and he found himself possessor
Of truly sprincely income and estates
He left the gaming tables, burned the
packs of cards with which ne had feeced
so many unsusL ecting Ones and returned
to Luxem bourg to claim his possessions.
Since then he has led life of ease and
ldleness; yet be is still now, as he ever
was. vicious, recreant, and utterly un-
principled =
sAnli to this man Lame is bounds"
YES" she sighed. "Irreyocably. l
whereby to hold him at defiance
"But she must. I would rather see b Ter
dead than the wife of such a man., he
cried.
She remained silent for some minutes.
Her cigarette had gore out, and She tossed
it away. At last she turned to him, ex-
claiming:
Edwards her release I am striving.
[ want your assistance"
II will render you every help in my
he answered eagerly. what
can do?"
First she said, glancing at him
suriously through her half-raised veil,
'.frst describe to me in detail the whole
Of the circun stances in which poor Nelly
Eridson was killed.
tsWhat!' he exclaimed quickly. "Has
her fear any connection with that tragic
ineident?'
In an instant he remem bered the find
ing of hajr-pin near the spot which had
been proved conclusively not to belong to
the murdered girl.
"I know it was you who discovered the
body" she went on, disree arding this in
uuiry. "Tell me the whole of the sad
affair as far as your knowledge extends
have, of course, read the accounts of
the inquest which appeared in the papers
at the time, but I am anxious to ascertain
some further details.
"Of what naturef
ST want you to tell me, If you will,''
she replied with an interested look, ssthe
exact position of the body when you dis
covered it.
Her question brought to hismemory his
ghas thy discovery in all it's hideousness.
There arose before his vision the blsnohed
upturned face of the girl PROSTATE in the
dust, the fallen cycle, and the white, de-
serted English lane, silent and gloomy in
the evening mist.
ssWby do you desire me to recall an
event SO painfulp'' he asked in calm
tone.
ssBecause it is necessary that you should
tell me exactly how you discovered her.
she replied. "You had an appointment
with Liane at that very spot on that same
evening, had you not?''
"Yes.h he answered. 81 was. unfortu
nately, late in keeping it, and rode to the
railway bridge at full gallop. expecting
to find her still waiting, but instead found
Nelly dead -
''She was lying in the centre of the
roadg"
IA lmost. But little to the right J,
he answered. The road passing beneath
the railway takes an abrupt but short
incline just where found her. She was
evidently mounting the hill on her cvcle