Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-02-10
CHAPTER V.
A Terrible susnieion.

spent a Christmas in a pleasant coun-
Try house, knows what a succession Of
FUN and gaiety there Is for those who
are inclined to take a part in It, There
were to be private theatricals on New
Years Day, and the rehearsals kept
US all busy, as well as provided us with
endless merriment.
Vera and I had become fast friends.
Her grace and loneliness had charmed
me from the first: and when found,
ms quickly did, that she had intellect
ual gifts of a high order, and a sweet
Irankness OF disposition, attached
myself TO her whenever I could, with
hearty good will.
I'm sure 1 don't know why for I was
Hwice her age, a great strapping fellow
more than six feet high, a mighty
hunter rather than a drawing room
gallant; and fear she must have
found me little unpublished, IL not
absolutely rough.
had spent much Of my life In trav-
cling, and had few opportunities OF
acquiring that particular species of re-
Hnement which ladies' society Is sup
POSED to confer.
However, Vera took II into her pretty
mead to like me, and we were never so
HAPPY, in those cold December days, "a
when we were together, 1 telling her
some Wild tale of adventure. or she
1Rking up the part OF entertainer by
singing songs or reading poetry to me.
Let It be clearly understood that
Gnere was no question of love-malSinS
between us. II such a thought ever
crossed my mind. I always told myself
mat L was great deal too old, and
plain, and rough for that lovely girl:
AND, besides, she was SO thoroughly a
child IN her Gir1n rryl,i
with her unbound hair, that the very
notion seemed preposterous
won't deny that 1 used to get an
odd little pain at my heart when I
thought what a lovely woman she
would make In a few years time, and
how much she would be sought after.
Nevertheless. treated her exactly as
4 would have treated dear young sis
Ger, and we simply remained fast
friends. / was so interested in the
slaughter as TO have no thought for the
mother. Indeed, the more 1 knew of
Vera, the more keenly interested I felt
IN Lady Gramont
Harold monopolized her very much.
eof course; but she found time to spend
- few minutes by my side very fire.
Soently, and am sure ought to have
been fiattered by the winning sweet
mess or her look whenever she adj
dressed me-
She seemed bent on ingratiating
herself with the man who was her fu
esure husbands dearest friend. But.
strange though 1t may sound, I could
mot cordially like Lady Gramont.
ON that first evening, I had been DAG
-1Ied by her beauty-dazzled, also, by
her intellectual charm but, as day sue
ceeded day, and saw her again. was
acnnCrinafc fHaN
thing in my nature, which stubbornly
refused to harmonic with hers.
j took myself severely to task FOR this
unreasonable caprice. as I called IT;
but 1 could not overcome it, could
not divest myself OF a suspicion that
Lady Gramont was not altogether
what she seemed. When had been at
Deepdene but few days, this suspi-
cion took still odder shape.
L was passing the library, when 7
-heard her reading aloud to Sir Harold
1T was poetry she was reading-some-
ching intensely melancholy.
think II was that mournful thing of
keats, called Isabella; at any rate,
kneard her repeat these words
And still they say. oh, cruelty!
To take my basil pot from me-"
aIer voice. Of course, took on a mel
-s2Elcholy cadence, and, as heard II.
eoould scarcely keep back an excIama-
Eion or horror and amaze; for it sounded
no me exactly like the voice of the vo-
Hnan who had been attacked by Nero
Aast Christmas Eve-the woman, whom.
in my secret heart. / firmly believed to
SDe a murderess
IT Is impossible to describe nv sem
stations at that moment The library
noor was slightly ajar, and stood
asutside It, like one turned to stone
fascinated by those rich, full, mourn
Tnl tones.
The masked woman had scarcely adj
dressed more than half a. dozen SEN
VSences to me, and her voice, for the
'1YIoSt part. had been hoarse with pain
and fear; but once 1t had sounded clear
enough. 1t was when we had stood at
she cottage door together, at midnight;
and she had said she was most un-
happy woman. The tone Of her voice
Sss she said that. had haunted me for
'Tneoths after; and 1t seemed to me as
though were hearing It over again In
listening to those rich, full tones Of
Lady Gramont.
or course told myself 1t was a wild.
mad fancy; OF course said II was ut
ISerly impossible that this beautiful and
@lGhly-coDnected Lady Gramont, who
had the entree OF the best circles in
england, and who adorned them ali,
could have anything in common with
that guilty woman who had fed down
&he pass last Christmas Eve, with muir
der on her soul.
But, try as I might, could not
shake or my suspicious. They chung
10 me, and haunted me, and made me, I
confess, most thoroughly uncomfort-
able. While was standing in the cor
zr1dor outside the library, Vera came
cumming down from one of the upstairs
Z rooms, dressed for walking out.
Where are you going, Vera? I asked.
only for a walk in the grounds. VIII
you come, too, Sir Douglass"
She had fallen into a pretty, playful
way OF calling me Sir Douglas. 1t had
ESeen IN jest; but liked it, and en-
S,rcnraged her to continue Ii. 1 fear
mud been looking somewhat grave and
ssSurny; but cleared my brow at sight
'sot her, and returned her smile.
The child looked so pretty in her dark
sofus serge frocl<, short enN3 IN to dis
Sday her graceful ankles, "a her smart
slttie sealskin coat and cea The mood
a1eSS old bachelor that eN,.. ,{xaH v,otrks