Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-03-03

His voice trembled. I could see what
IL cost him to speak or her. For my
self. 1 could not help a rush OF Joy from
passing over my heart.
Dearly as / loved my precious Vera.
i had not been able to help a sort of
shudder!ng horror when reflected that
our children-if God blessed us with
any-would have to acknowledge that
guilty woman as their ancestress
Then who Is Vera?" / questioned.
after painful pause.
1.-The daughter OF the late Comte do
Gramont. and she is eighteen years of
age, instead OF sixteen, as she was rep.
resented. She herself does not know or
dream that-that she was not her
/ mother"
Little by little, slowly and painfully,
and with many pauses. he told me the
whole tragic story. an he had received
IL from the dying woman's lips, when,
at her own request. and for a few brief
minutes. she had been alone with him
q little before the end
Her true name was Gertrude Las
celles, and she, was only eight and
twenty years OF age. Her life, from
childhood. had been spent among
thieves and swindlers. She had been
concerned in jewel robberies In half-a-
dozen European cities, and in India an
well.
1t was in India she had met the Com
tesse de Gramont. The poor lady was
dying OF fever in a lonely marsh with
none but Indian attendants with her.
She had nursed her in her dying
hours. and had learned from her
enough Of her affairs to see she might
safely personate her.
The Comtesse and her late husband
were without any relatives. except
their child, Vera, and neither of them
had been in Europe for over a dozen
years. Gertrude LascelleR saw her bur-
fed: then she returned to Europe as the
Comtesse de Gramont.
There was only one difficulty-Vera
was too old to be her child; but she
persuaded the nuns at the convent
where she was educated that they had
been mistaken in her age
Vera, she averred, was only four
years old when she came from India
not six, as they had believed. Once
Vera was in her care, she had learned
to love her; nay, more, had become so
penetrated with the sweetness and pur-
tty of her character that she had eve.,
some desires and longing after a better
naa1 hsrsalf fran her aid associates hS
retiring TO Switzerland: but there was
one man who tracked her out-a man
VINO loved her. and who held her prom
Use TO become his wife.
This was James Carey, the man she
had murdered last Christmas Eve. He
discovered her whereabouts, and wrote
urging her TO return to England. Dis
obey him. she dared not, since he
threatened to diSclose the truth to Vera
IL she did.
To England she came. and Journeyed
on to Wales. where James Carey await
ed her. They met at a masked ball, q
public carnival. and while there Car
ey received from a confederate infor-
nation concerning some stolen Jewels,
which had been hidden In the pass by
a member OF his gang who was seeking
to rob them OF their share OF the spoils.
He hired carriage and drove to the
pass Gertrude Lascelles accompanying
him. In the pass he renewed his propos-
nls OF marriage, and swore TO her he
would never suffer her to rejoin Vera.
or to pose as Lady Gramont, unless
Ehe accepted him.
There was a fierce quarrel, and. in
the heat OF IL. she drew from her bosom
the pistol she always carried with her,
and shot him dead. afterwards escap-
ing to Switzerland without suspicion;
or. II she was suspected at all, IT was
only by members Of the gang.
Some months after. she met Sir Har-
old and again ventured into England.
BY this time another OF her old ASSOC