The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-31

statement bore the impress Of truth upon
Did you ever write to Sir Charles ask
ing him to meet your l continued.
Mrs. Lyons flushed with anger again
/ Really. sir, this is a very ex.raordi-
mar, question"
II am sorry Madame. but must re-
peat it"
Then I answer. certainly not"
mot on the very day of Sir Charles
death?"
The lush had faded IN an instant, and
deathly face was before me. Her dry
| lips could not speak the mo" which !
saw rather than heard.
Surely your memory deceives you"
| said I. II could even quote a passa ge
| of your letter. 1t ran Please, please. as
You are a. gentleman, burn this letter.
and be at the gate by ten O'clock
I thought that she had tainted. but she
recovered herself by a supreme effort.
is there no such thing as a gentle
| man?" she gasped.
You do Sir Charles an injustice. He
did burn the letter. But sometimes let
ter may be lcgible even wnen burned.
You acknowledge now that you wrote it,
Yes. did write it, she cried, pouring
out her sad in a torrent of words. II
did write it. Why should I deny it? 1
have no reason to be ashamed of it.
wished him to help me. I believed that if
bad an interview l could gain his help,
SO asked him to meet me"
But why at such an hour?"
Because I had, only just, learned tSat
he was going to London next day and
might be away for months. There were
"Eut why a rendezvous in the garden
instead of a visit to the house,"
DO you think a woman could go alone
at that hour to a bachelors house?"
We'll, what happened when you did
get there?"
81 never went
Mrs. Lyons!'
NO swear it to you on all hold
sacred. I never went. Something in
tesvened 10 prevent my going
What was that?"
THAT is a. private matter. I cannot
tell it,
You acknowledge then that you made
an appointment with Sir Charles at the
very hour and place at which he met his
death, but you deny that you kept the
appointment
THAT is the truth
Again and again cross-questioned her,
but I could never get past that point
Mrs. Lyons" said I, as I rose from
this long and inconclusive interview. you
are taking a very great responsibility and
putting yourself in a very false position
of all that you know. If I have to call
Ii the aid of the police you will lind how
seriously you are compromised. If your
position is innocent. why did you in the
first instance deny having written Sir
Charles upon that date?'
Because I feared that some false con-
cluson might be drawn from it. and that
I might find myself Involved In a scan
doI"
And why were you so pressing that
Sir Charles should destroy your, letter?''
'If you have read the letter you will
know
Il did not say that had read all the
letter.
You quoted some OF it,
Il quoted the postscript. The letter
mad. as I said, been burned and 1t was
not all legible. ask you once again why
it was that you were SO pressing that Sir
Charles should destroy this letter which
he received on the day of his DEATH
THE matter is very private one"
1.-The more reason why you avoid a pub
lie Investigations
st will tell YOU. then. If you have
heard anything Of my unhappy history
you will know that made a rash mar
rage and had reason to regret it,
.'I have heard SO much
cution from husband whom I abhor.