Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-01-31
CHAPTER vII.-1Continued.)

and was able to relate all the circun-
stances of his masters marriage. He
had accompanied him to the Chateau
DAuray, which was close to the village
of st. Cornely, at no great distance from
Pontiyy. Monsieur Norville was taken
suddenly i'll while they were there He
had heard that Madame Norville had
been an orphan, of comparatively humble
birth, and Mademoiselle Renee, in the
event of her fathers death, would be
quite alone in the world. She would also
inherit a considerable fortune, and the
thought of leaving her, so young, and
beautiful, and richly lowered, with no
one to guard her against fortune hunters
and adventures, was, without doubt, ter
rible to her father. Monsieur lie MARQUIS
was by many years the senior of made
moiselle, but he was on that account the
more efficient protector. The young lady
appeared to consent willingly to the dis
tinguished alliance. The ceremony was
performed without delay, and Monsieur
Norville died but few hours after.
From the departure of the marquis
and his return year later to learn that
his young wife had disappeared, Baptiste
Rudel went on to the events of the fatal
night preceding Christmas eve. The mar
quis, attended by him, had been staying
at the Cosmopolitan for nearly week,
and they had both CHANGED to be in the
vestibule when Madame la Marquise, ac-
companied by the gentleman whom he
now knew to be Mr.. Dare Inglesant, ar
rived. The marquis had waited for them
to ascend the staircase, and had then
proceeded to his own apartments, to
which, some time after, Rudel was sum-
moned. On inquiry, he discovered that
fha laHUva TI 1ar,1op y-bo
they had witnessed were called Mr.. and
Mrs. Inglesant. He delivered his masters
card to Mrs. Inglesant's maid The mar
quis dismissed him for the night before
proceeding to the rooms of Mr.. and Mrs.
lnglesant, but he noticed the case of pis-
tolls on the table, and guessed the resolve
his master had taken. The pistol found
in Mr.. Inglesant's hand was one of these.
1t was utterly impossible, from the
testimony Of the doctor who had been
summoned, that De PEsparre could have
committed suicide. He had been shot
from behind.
All these details Sheila learned, ana
pondered over, on Christmas day. Her
firm faith in Dare's Innocence did not
waver for an instant.
A mournful, miserable Christmas day
indeed Sheila spent the morning in
writing to Thistleton, softening the terri
bic story as well as she could, and placing
as hopeful an aspect upon Dare's situa-
ton as was possible. 1t was an anxious
task, and she interrupted it frequently
to go to the side of the bed where Rosa
mond was lying half unconscious.
Benson, the best and kindest of souls
in real affection, however ease-loving and
apt to fret at trihes when all things
around her were felicitous, had taken her
old place at Rosamond's nurse. She sat
in the strange room just as she had in
Sheila's room at Thistleton, ever watch-
full, gentle and noiseless, almost antiei-
pating her patients needs.
Bridal gifts were scattered all about.
The dressing-c case from Grandmamma In
glesant, with all its glittering treasures,
the new watch from old Mr.. Inglesant.
Costly things for use and ornament from
friends of wealth and station. Simple
offerings, Just as dearly priced, from
humble village folk. The dressing room
beyond was Uttered with bridal finery.
And there lay Rosamond in the midst of
it all, yet far away, in the fantastic
realms of fever.
Sheila noticed that there were three
doors to the room. One opened into the
sitting room, the other into the dressing
room, and third into the corridor. She
went out through this last. All these
rooms, she found, were in kind of wing
of the building, and at the extreme end
of the corridor, which ran all along the
central part At either end of the cor
ridor were staircases, leading to a cor
responding gallery below. The one near
est Rosamond's rooms had, on its first
landing, the entrance to the room where
Dare had gone to write his letters. The
sitting room of the marquis was the last
before reaching the head of the second
staircase.
Sheila paused, in awe, outside that
closed door, and then went on, as Dare
had gone on, to the landing place, where
the curtained archway was. In the side
of the draped alcove she found a door.
1t opened inwards, and, as she pushed, it
gently yielded Nothing more interest
ing than good sized closet, with
presses, that probably held linen, was re-
vealed, but on the floor she saw little
square of lace and cambric-a woman's
handkerchief She picked it up and
looked at it.
1t was Rosamond's! How, in the name
of wonder, came it there?
Her impulse was to thrust it into her
pocket. close the door, and hurry away.
When had Rosamond dropped it?
A sickening dread was upon Sheila, try
as she would to thrust it from her. She
knew the handkerchief too well to be
mistaken "R. n" night easily be the
initials of another woman, but she had
bought this herself. 1t could only have
been dropped on the night DE PEsparre
was killed, the night when Rosamond de-
clared she had been shut in her own
room. Annie had remained in the dress
ing room, and confirmed her story; but
Annie might have fallen asleep.
Naddened by grief, and with a mind
unhmged by the confusion and distress
OF returning memory, was it not possible
that the unhappy girl might have en-.
tered the presence of De fEsperre, and
taken his life? mol the supposition was
too horrible! She would dismiss it!
Thus resolving, Sheila returned to
Rosamond's side. No one could help her.
That was the hardest of all. She looked