The evening Republican., 1902-08-08
her nervousness and walked firmly
I'm the "A isle

her cheek, horrible giddy sensa-
ton seized her-church. clergyman.
bridegroom, all faded away from
her sight; she swayed slightly, and
felt Lexleys hand grip her tightly,
and saw the anxious terror in his
eyes.
At last it was over; the wedding
march pealed through the building,
and the bridal party retired to sign
the register. Elva wrote herself
Eva Leighton for the last time in
her life, and mechanically passed
the pen to LENA, who stood close
! beside her, and as she did SO started
! back at the sight of her face, which
was deathly white, amidst the pal
lor of which her large dark eyes
shone with appalling brilliancy.
'Are you ill.," she asked anxious
ly.
mo, it is nothing" the brides
maid answered, though her grasp
ing breath denied her words She
took the pen, in her hand, stepped
forward to sign, gave one convul-
sive shudder, struggled to keep her
feet, and, with a choking cry, fell
in a dead faint upon the vestry floor.
The elder of the two doctors drew
Sir Lexley aside and said in an un-
dertone:-
Take your wife away; this is
not the place for her; say nothing
to her, but I'm afraid this Is a very
serious case. We cannot under
stand it in the least-it Is not an
ordinary faint. Take Lady Thorn
ton away. all the guests will follow,
and then we can attend 10 Miss
Leighton; as it is. there are too
many people fussIng about, and
your wife will be falnt'ng next
Sir Laxlv drew Elva's hand in
side his arm.
Come, dear, let US get away; we
cannot do anything. Or. Wilson
says Lena will come around by
and-by; my darling. you are shak-
Ing from head 10 foot; let me carry
that boquet of yours, it is too heavy
for you.
"Where did you get that gorge.
GUS holder trom!' he asked pre-
sertly. when Elva had laid it on
the seat opposite them and slipped
her little hand into his with a
happy smile.
ut Is Lema's present.
"How strange she should part
with it, said Sir Lexley in an
undertone. looking intently at the
irtertwlned cobras. whose silver
scales 'sIittered in the sunshine.
and whose turquoise eyes seemed
to glow with distinctly evil eX-
preston. "She must be very fond
Of you. Or" aud he stopped and
turned very white; the idea was
too horrible no, it could not be, she
would not dare to take such re-
venge; passionate and Jealous as
he alone knew her, she could not be
such tiend in woman form.
Elva stretched out her hand to
take up the bouquet, but he caught
it roughly.
"Don't touch the thing, there is
danger in it..
"Lexlcy!" she cried increduously,
"what do you mean? 1t is lovely; I
like 1t the best Of all my wedding
presents.
The only answer Lexley gave was
to take hold of the bouquet by the
topmost flowers, pull it ruthlessly out
Us the holder. and put the curious
piece of workmanship III his own
pocket.
"Well. if | find it harmless | will
return it, bat YOU won't get it until
l have examined it thoroughly. SO it's
no use trying"
The wedding breakfast was over at
last, the health Of the happy couple !
had been duly drunk Sir Lexlev |
had replied to the congra tulations Of |
his brother officers and friends; EIva
had cut the cake with the bride
groom's sword. and retired to attire
herself for the journey. AS she de-
descended the staircase clad in a
dainty costume of lavender gray, she
noticed as she struggled nervously |
with her gloyes-a long red scratch
on the palm of her hand. "How
can l have done that? Pm sure it
was not there this morning, 'she said
to herself, ''standing still on the
landing in establishment. All at
once she,helrd voices, Lcxlcy's md
another, in earnest conversation. The
first words Footed her to the very |
spot.
What mercy the holder aroused
your suspicious before it was too
late. The least scratch would have
been sufficient"
THANK heaven, she suspects
nothing; she must never know her
sister did not die a natural death.
What diabolical cunning to make a
silver toy such an unfailiny instru-
ment of death"
THE mechanism is 50 simple; it
is only necessary to grip the holder
tightly in the centre and from either
side this long needle like dart starts
out, entering the soft flesh of the
pain and inoculating the victim
with one Of the deadliest poisons
known to science. 1t is indeed, a
miracle that your wife escaped"
Good heavens! that was wom-
ans scream.'
Sir Lexley dashed out of the room
to find his wife lying in dead faint
at the foot of the stairs. He lifted
her insensible form, and, carrying I
her into the library, laid her on
the sofa. As he put her down, she
opened her eyes and murmurel in
a weak voice.