Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-11


| of how the steel came to be broken?'
| She tells very significant story. The
| countess lost this stiletto when walking in
| the park one day. On discovering her loss
| she Immediately set the servants to look for
| it, but their search was unavailing. Next
morning, however the earl returned the
| hatpin to the countess, saying that while
| taking a walk by moonlight he had found
| 1t in its broken condition.
| NOW my belief is that the earl, having
| discovered that Ormfell was the site of a
| buried treasure. was proceeding thither at
night, either alone or attended by SER
| want. for the purpose of opening the hill
+, lCck, and while on his way through the
| park he CHANGED to light upon his wlfes
| Eatpin. Naturally he did not leave it lying
| upon the ground, but picked it up and
| placed it upon his person. And this is the
| weapon with which he attacked the other
! man, whoever he may have been, that was
| with him in the hillock. When the coun-
| tess next morning received back her hat
| pin from her husband, she little knew of
| the terrible use to which it had been put.
| Your theory, If correct, proves that the
! deed was unprecedented, otherwise the
earl would have gone provided with a more
efficient weapon. Do you know the date OF
| the countesss death?"
| ''She died in the autumn of II"
| Then the crime must have taken place
more than twenty-one years ago"
! 1dris fell to thinking; and the result OF
| his thought was that 1t would be an I'M
| grateful task to bring to justice an aged
| twenty years ago. For all he knew to the
| contrary the deed might have been a case
| of justfiable homicide the earl had per-
| haps been compelled to slay the other in
| self defense. Besides, was he not Lorelies
| father-in-law? If ignominy fell upon the
| House of Ravengar 1t must fall likewise
| upon her. No breath of scandal must
| touch her name. Idris felt that his hands
| were tied; he could make no move in the
matter.
| I'VE know the author of the deed, it
| seems he murmured, but the identity
| of the victim still remains a mystery. Who
was hep
That is problem am trying to solve"
| And you say the Vikings treasure is In
! the crypt of Ravenhall? What is Lord
Ormsby's object in keeping it concealed?'
| Il can but guess. Treasure-trove, as you
| know, Is the property of the crown; there
fore the earl, on finding 1t, was compelled
| ton of a vast quantity of plate and jewels
might have given rise to awkward Ques-
| lions on the part of the steward. and espe-
| cially on the part of Lanfranc, the Raven
| hall solicitor, man somewhat given to
| suspicion. The earl was therefore obliged
| to secrete his ill-acquired wealth; and this
| he did by placing 1t within one of the cof-
| fins in the crypt, gratifying his avarice by
occasional visits of inspection. That is my
| theory, but, of course, l may be wrong"
| Notifying that he should have to Sc
crete it," remarked 1dris, when If the
| story of the runic ring be true, the wealth
| is his by hereditary right, as the eldest
lineal descendant of Orm the Viking"
| Mr.. Breakspear, your right to that treas
| ure is greater than the earl'S."
| Idris was disposed to think so, too, in
| virtue of the long years he had spent in his
attempts to decipher the runic ring. But
| this was not what Lorelie meant.
| Did you not notice what my father says
| in one of these letters, that Eric Marville
claimed to be heir to a peerage?"
| 1T did not escape me. A surprising
| statement if true
Ind no inra ia NV ia
| in the runic ring, the heirloom of the
Ravengars, proves his peerage to have
beer the Earldom of Ormsby."
| Il fear you are dealing in fanciful hy-
| potheses," smiled Idris.
Your likeness to the family portraits
OF the Ravengars is very remarkable"
| Mere coincidence.
| Not so. 1t is as certain that you are
| the rightful Earl of Ormsby as it is that
| the sun is shining"
But how? In what way?" cried Idris
| impressed, in spite of himself, by her air
| of conviction
THAT cannot tell. am trying to find
out
Il thank you. Lady Walden, for inter-
esting yourself in my fortunes, but sup
posing that your surmise should prove
correct-what Them
You will take the title and station that
are rightfully yours"
And, by so doing, deprive you of your
position? No. Lady Walden, 1 cannot do
that. If. as is implied by your words. you
are seeking to prove that have claim
| to the earldom of OrmSby I would ask
you to desist. Let matters be as they are.
1 am quite content to remain plain Idris
| Breakspear and to leave to you the coro-
net of the Ravengars. 1 do not believe
that am of noble birth, but in any case
| 1 will do nothing detrimental to your po-
sition."
MY POSITION thought Lorelie, bitterly,
as she recalled the attempt made upon
her life. Heaven help me to escape from
my position! But" she said, aloud you
are doing wrong to your future wife.
She may not appreciate the generosity
MY future wife," smiled Idris. Il
shall never marry.
| And why not?"
They do not love who love twice"
| Lorelie, knowing his meaning, trembled
| miserable and happy at one and the same
| time.
II am glad" he continued ito have this
opportunity of saying goodbye Lady
| Walden, for / leave England soon, prob
\ ably forever"
Lorelie received this news with dismay.
Whether the feeling of pleasure derivable
| from Idris' friendship was a right or a
wrong feeling she had never stopped to
inquire. but 1t was a pleasure, and a sense
of desolation fell upon her on hearing
that she was to enjoy it no longer.
"A friend of mine has received a secret
commission from the Indian government
to explore Tibet, the tour to include the
forbidden city of Lassa. have agreed to
I accompany him.
| Lorelie was not ignorant of the perils
| attending such enterprise.
| You will never return" she cried.
| so much the BETTER" he answered
quietly
She glanced at him for a moment, and
| then her eyes fell, for she understood
him. Involuntarily her mind was led to
contrast the husband who had sought to
take her life with Idris, so anxious to
keep her name fair before the world
ldrts, whose love was such that he was
willing to sacrifice everything-even his
life-for her sake. She could not hide the
/ tears glistening beneath her lashes The
situation was a trying one for both but
fortunately at this moment a third person
appeared on the scene.
Beatrice emerged from the garden
porch, and Lorelie averting her head. es.
| sayed to remove the traces of tears from
her eyes.
CTo be continued tomorrow