The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-29

| previous night was, l now felt assured
an index of guilty conscience, and Mrs
! Laing's dread that Ella should know the
| truth of my friends tragic end appeared
| tosprove in certain degree, the ex1s
tence Of some secret knowledge held ~
all three.
| Yet l could not bring myself to believe
that my we'll beloved had wilfully de
oeived me. From what Denman. had sale
it appeared as if Ogle had held her under
some mysterious thrall, and was trying
| TO compel her to act against her better
| Judgment. Her pure womanly conscience
had perhaps revolted against his sugges
| ton, and she had shed the tears the ole
ostler had noticed; yet he had persisted
| and held over her threat that had cowed
her, and perhaps, for aught L know, com.
PEELED her to submit.
My thought that the man who was my
friend should have thus treated the
woman I adored filled me with iiercest
anger and hatred. With bitterness 1 told
myself that the man in whom l placed
implicit confidence, and with whom had
allowed Ella to spend many idle hours
puntine or soulling while l was absent
at my duties in London, was actually my
enemy.
With sudden resolve l determined to
travel back to Staines and by possession
of the knowledge of her mysterious visit
to that village, worm from her its object.
At that moment Denman enterad, and |
drank the brandy at one gulp, afterwards
ordering the fly and driving back to Hor-
sham station, whenca I returned to Lon
don.
At my fat in Rossetti Mansions, Chel-
sea, found telegram from the Stnines
police Summuning me to the inquest TO
be held next morning at eleven O'Clock,
and also one from Ella asking me to re-
turn. The latter | felt inclined to disre-
gard; the former l could not. Her words
and actions were, indeed, beyond compre-
hension, but in the light of this knowl-
edge I had ny mere chance acquired it
seemed plain that her declaration OF her
unworthiness of my love was something
moro than the natural outcome of highly
strung nerves and a romantic disposition
Women of certain temperaments are prone
to self-accusation, and | had brought my
self to believe her words to be mere hys-
terical utterances; but now alas! ! saw
there was some deep motive underlying
them. had been tricked. | had, IL
seemed, been unduly jealous of Beck, and
transporting of my real enemy, the man
whose lips were closed in DEATH
now regretted his end, not as friend
regrets, but merely because no effort
would be availing to compel his lying
tongue to speak the truth. Yet, if he
not have lied when questioned regarding
the events of that fateful afternoon when
the secret defensive alliance had been 81
mysteriously exchanged for dummy
Jealousy knows neither limit nor re-
morse.
Next morning, after spending the great
er part of the night sitting alone smoking
and endeavoring to penetrate the ever-in-
creasing veil of mystery that had appar-
entity enveloped her, travelled down to
Staines, arriving there just in time to
take cab to the Town Hall, where the
inquest was to be held. The town was
agog, for crowd Of those unable to enter
because the room was already filled to
OVERLOOKING, stood in the open space out
side, eagerly discussing the tragic affair
in all its various aspects and hazardinR
the widest and most impossible theories.
Entering the hall elbowed my way for
ward, and as I did SO l heard my name
shouted loudly by q police constable.
was required as witness, and succeeded
in struggling through to the baize- COW
cred table whereat the grave-faced coro-
ner sat.
He stretched forth his hand to give me
the copy of Holy Writ wherein to take
the oath, when suddenly my eyes fell
upon a watch and q collection of miscel-
laneous articles lying upon the table, the
contents of the dead mans pockets
One small object alone riyetted my at
tention. Needless of the Coroner's words
I snatched it up and examined 1t closely.
Next second I stood breathless and
aghast, dumb-founaed by an amazing dis
covery that staggered belief.
ITO be continued.