The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-07-12
The SandalWOOd Bracelet.
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upon whose arm she leaned furtively,
and with a half-forpiddlng look in her
liquid dark eyes. From time to time
she pressed one jeweled hand steadily
upon her side, as IL to still the throb-
bling of the stormy heart beneath, while
she continually questioned herself:
why do l fear? What is this terror
He cannot know"
AT last Count Ludwig loosened her
jeweled fingers from his arm, and step
ping forward, drew the curtain with q
sweep of the hand.
There was an instant's breathless 81.
lence. An affrighted amaze seemed to
stop the beating of every heart. Then
broke forth an exclamation and outcry
aud above all, like the death scream Of
some dying animal. rose woman's
slliek.
The picture was, first, a room, rlct
in decorations of green and gold. Ii
the foreground, half reclined In a cush.
toned chair. an old man, with long
softly curling white hair. His head hac
fallen little to one side, his eyes were
fixed in CLASSY yet reproachful stare
upon the exquisitely beautiful face of q
woman, whose jeweled hands he
grasped with a dying clutch. Both his
hands and hers were blood-stainej
Hers held a stiletto-like dagger. from
whose glittering point also blood drip
ped. There was gaping wound In
the old mans side, and the woman's
face was that of Miss Considinel
When the appalled, woman, for whose
sole benefit this picture had been paint
ed. would have flung up her frenzied
hands to shut out the sight, Count Lud
wig caught them In an iron grasp, and
almost shouted In her ear in his excite
ment:
mo, no, madam; you shall look, and
look, and look, till the sight blinds you
or kills you, care not which. DO you
see him, false STREET.-THE poor old man,
who was so kind to you-who took you
out of poverty to marry you-who never
harmed the most helpless creature !
What had he done that you should kill
him, you murderessT
Miss Considine had ceased to strug
gle The blanched Wilderness of her
face and the startling eyes were some
thing awful to see, and the screams
that broke through her rigid. ashen lips
curdled the blood TO hear.
"Shall | tell you who | am?" Count
Ludwig continued, without releasing
her, still compelling her to look. Count
Ludwig no longer. | am his son-that
Rodolphus of whom you have heard
but whom you never saw. When l came
home and found that the poor old man
who loved me had been ruthlessly slain
swore never to rest until had found
and given to justice his murderess. For,
madam, | never doubted single in
slant who she was. You laid your plans
well. You married a doting old man
for his wealth, and with your sorceress
designings you induced him to disown
his own children and make will which
gave you all. Then you contriyed that
he should send the servants for a holi-
day. except that valet, who was hanged
for the murder. Poor old George. He
would have died sooner than harm his
master. You pretended to quit the
house yourself, but you came back In
disguise and did the deed"
lie paused. Miss Considine had not
uttered a sound for some moments.
The horrible ghastliness had not left her
face. but she had In measure recoy-
cred her self-possession. Now she
spoke in an utterly changed but com
posed tone.
you cannot prove syllable of this
mad story" she began, but he stopped
her, with eyes that seemed absolutely
TO blaze with rage and menace. Draw
ing swiftly forth purple velvet case.
he lifted the lid and showed upon the
white satin cushion an exquisitely
wrought sandalwood bracelet 1t was
stained with something which had dried
upon it, and changed Its color all ex
cept about third to dark, sickly
shade, whose hue 1t was not difficult to
recognize.
Said Count Ludwig In an awed
tone:
IL found this among the cushions of
the chair In which my father was slain
1t is his blood upon 1t. 1t slipped from
your arms In the struggle with him
You wear its mate this moment upon
your arm"
He held his ensangulned token an in
slant beside the one on the woman's
bare, exquisitcly nodded arm. Then
he laid her slowly down upon the car
pet and drew back. She never stirred.
Il think she is dead" he said quietly.
1t was true. Some vessel had burst
inwardly In that wild struggle against
the shock OF knowing that the man she
had learned to love was the son of her
unhappy victim. She had been dying
while he spoke to her.
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Stay It Homes.
Among Westerns the French and