The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-08
The SandaIwood Br aceIet.

| of dead-black hair.
She was a strager in the town, but she
brought letters of introduction from peo-
pie Of the highest respectability in he
metropolis, and was ACCOMPANIED by.
staid-looking lady Of middle age. Miss
Considine's toilets were artistic peIfec-
ton. Her laces were priceless, said
| judges; her jewelry dazzled the eyes Of
even accustomed uppertendom.
MISS Considine was a mystery, and the
greater sensation, perhaps, for that very
chill whisper which seemed to thrill in
the air about her, and which had its foun-
datiCn in the mere fading Of the beauty's
| brilliant Color the flicker of her liquid
glance at unexpected moments, and for no
| apparent reason
She was a coquette of the first water.
That was discovery early made. She
had a way of looking sidewise through
! those long, silky lashes of hers that was
infinitely more aIluring than level glance
would have been, and the smile which Wis
tied those rosy lips only now and then
quency. kpbu
was doubly attractive from its infre-
quency.
A creature Of dangerous graces, she was
| what people mean when they call wo-
man fatal
My Lady Dangerous met her match,
however, toward the close Of the sea-
yGIlOW-lalISu
azure glance had softer dazzle than her
own, and who called himself by the fas-
cinating title of Count Ludwig Vermanr
dorf, presented himself about that time
| TO compete with the beautiful girl for her
place as sensation of the day.
He was shy Of Miss Consadine ar first,
but gradually he, too, seemed TO be drawn
within the circle of her wiles, yielding
with such reluctant, pensive grace as
clad his radiant face with a new charm.
Even Miss Consadine dropped her danger
GUS eyes with a ffickering blush under the
tender brilliance Of the counts smile, and
her fingers trembled in his clasp, instead
of resenting the fond. faint pressure of
his hand. Count Ludwig Vermandorf was
an assiduous wooer.r Never devotee knelt
at the shrdine Of his patron saint with
more rapt and untiring devotion than he
at the feet of Miss COnsadine.
He knew how to clothe mis- most i'm
passioned moment with a reserve that
continually Knocked and tantalized; to say
one thing and look another; to sting with
a word and sOorhe with q touch. He
never said too much, but always too little
His looks were eloquent OF love; his
tongue so silent on that fascinating
theme. that the heart of the naughty
beauty grew to fairly writhe within her
with mingled pain and anger.
Count Ludwig was an artist of some tai
ent, and he insisted that he must paint
Considine's portrait. She was not at al
loath, though she feigned reluctance when
il was first spoken of.
These sittings, from which she hoped
much, and for which she draped her per
feet shape with every artistic combinA-
ton her rare taste could devise, proved
utter failures as far as her object was
concerned.
Whether it was the same with Count
Ludwig remains to be seen. He would
permit TO one. not even the beautiful sub
iect to look upon his picture while it re-
manned incomplete.
Miss Considine since her acquaintance
with the fascinating CONT had changed
strangely. All that tropical bloom, pc
culiarly hers, had vanished Instead was
a dusky pallor, varied by fltful crimson
flashes, like the leap of a smoldering
fame The soft radiance Of his han isome
face had turned TO the chill dazzle Of snow
peaks; his smile was like the ice beneath.
His blue eyes were like steel magnets.
One night Miss Consid;nc invited a Sc
leCt few 10 witness the mysterious unveil-
ing of the picture about which there had
been such conjecture.
Both were pale, but The cplp- s,ni'ed
right and left, dazzling. The beauty was
grave and silent, watching the man up
on whose arm she leaned furtiveiy.
At last Count Ludwig loosened her Jew
eled fingers from his arm, AMI, stepping
forward, drew the curtain WITH sweep
of the hand.
There was an fnstant's braathess ST.
lence. An affrighted amaze seemed TO
stop the beating of every heat. Then
broke forth exclamation and cutlery and
above all, like the death scream Of some
dying animal rose a wOmans shrek.
The picture was, first a room, rich in
decorations Of green and gold. IN the
foreground, half-reclined in & Cushi0ne1
chair. an old man. with long, softly curl
ing white hair. His head hal fallen a
little TO one side, his eyes were 1Aed
in a CLASSY yet reproachful stare upon
the exGuisitely beautiful face of a wo-
man. whose jeweled hands he grasped
with a dying clutch. Both his hands and
hers were bloOd-stained. Hers held a
stillettO-lille dagger, from whose glittering
point also blood dripped. There was a
gaping wounl in the Old mans side, and
the woman's face was that of Miss Con-
sadine
When the appalled, woman, for whose
sole benefit this picture had been painted,
would have flung up her frauziei hands
to shut out the sight, Count Ludwig
caught them in an iron grasp. and almost
shouted in her ears in his excitement:
mo. no. madam: you shall look. AMI
look, and look, till the sight blinds or Kills
you. I care not which. Do you see him,
false STREET.-THE poor old man. who was
so kind 10 you-who took you out % pow
erty 10 marry you-who never harmed
the most helpless creature? What had
he done that you should kill him, you
murderess?"
Miss Considine had ceased 10 struggle
The blanched whiteness OF her face ans
the startling eyes were something awful
no see. and the scream that broke through
her rigid, ashen lips curjled the blood 10
hear.
shall I tel you who 7 ann" Couu-
Ludwig continued. without releasing her.
still compelling her 10 look. count I.ud-
wig no longer. I am his son-that R9doI-
plus Of whom you have heard. bu- whom
you never say. When I came home a. 4
found that the poor old man who Owed
he had been ruthIesslv slain, / Swora new
Ct 10 rest tiN 7 had fouDf aiad gIvea &c
justice hts murderess. For madam.
never doubted a single instant who ere
was You laid your plans Wei. you
married a dotug cid man for his wealth.
md with Your s0rcAress desiZningS E8u
induced him TO disown his own children
and make a VIII which gave YOU al.
Then You Cortrived that he should send
A-t eSENaii-S 10Y = i3iiAatf eA+-t- -iit-
valet who was hanged for the murder.
Poor OLD George, TIe would have died
sooner than harm his master. You Pc
tended 70 QUIZ the house yourself. Eut
YOU came back u disguise and did the
deed"
He paused. Miss C7nsidine had not W.
tered a sound for some moments. The
horrible chasri.ness had not left her face.
h1- she had in q measure recovered he-
~els-nosses=.07 Now she spoke - al
utterly changed but composed tone
You can not prove syla5.e - tbs
mad story" she began. but ne s.0pre1