Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-02-10

was ], that my voice sounded not quite
| natural as put the question.
Last ChristmasI oh, It was very
wretchedl Mamma had to go away on
business, and I was quite alone"
Where did she go, Vera7'
ITO Germany. There was some tire
some matter that had to be attended
to all in a hurry. She was away more
than fortnight. oh, how glad was to
see her back again.
you are very fond of your mother.
Vera
She turned her eyes on me with a
look OF surprise. almost reproach, in
their soft hazel depths.
why, Sir Douglas, Of course / am.
Aren't all girls fond OF their rnothersf
And no girl has quite so dear and
sweet a one as mine!"
And not many mothers have so
sweet daughter as you, Ell vera?" I
answered. lightly, though, in truth,
my thoughts we're heavy and dark
enough.
That absence OF Lady Gramont's
from her daughter last Christmas--tiid
II not seem to confirm my suspiclons7
Heavens! IL they should be truel IL
vera's mother-if Gwynne's promised
wtfe-should be a murderessI
Suddenly there flashed across my
mind recollection OF the wound had
cauterized. The woman must needs
bear the scar OF that to her dying day.
Here, then was proof, and of the sim
plest kind. All / had 20 do was, to dis
cover whether Lady Gramont had any
such scar upon her arm. But how To
discover this?
1 remembered with a deepening of
my suspicions. that, although Lady
Gramont had beautiful arms, the
sleeves OF her evening dresses always
came TO well below the elbows. Assur-
edly, IL she had such a scar, she would
De caretul not to show it--especially
before me.
/ might have questioned Vera on this
point; but somehow. 1 shrank from n
unaccountably. The Israelites of old
were forbidden to seethe the kic IN it's
mothers milk. and 1t seemed to me
II would have been equally unnatural
to attempt to fix the guilt of murder
on the mother by means of her child.
we returned to the house as the
luncheon bell was ringing. At a turn
in the path we were Joined by Gwynne
and Lady Gramont. She was lookinp,
even more than usually beautiful in
her walking out costume. 1t was a
rich, dark violet, and the costly furs
which trimmed 1t enhanced the lustre
OF her eyes, and the cIearness of her
skin.
felt horribly guilty as remembered
had dared to suspect this beautiful
high-bred woman OF being a murder
ess. The idea seemed SO very mon
strous now was IN her presence, that
could feel myself flushing all over my
face.
My embarrassment was increased by
the cordially with which she greeted
me; indeed, I am bound to confess that
her manners. full OF a sweet, winning
grace towards everyone, were ever
most sweet and gracious when adj
dressed to me.
had noticed this, and had attributed
1t to natural and laudable wish to
please one whom her betrothed hus-
pand held In such high esteem; but
now there came into my mind the sim
lister thought that she might be ami
mated by very different motive.
IL she were in truth, that masked
woman-thus ran my refiections-she
would. OF course, recognize me, al
though I could not recognize her: and
II would clearly be to her interest to
secure me as her friend
Again flushed hot and red. I felt m
though such thoughts constituted I'M
exampled baseness and treachery to-
wards Gwynne / am sure I would
gladly have given ten thousand pounds
at that moment to have my suspicious
disproved; but, without disproof.
could not Danish them. They had taken
too firm a hold upon my mind