The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-12-23


'oSS M TEMPER. | snatched of tn,
mask and poured out my wrath. Perc,
burst oui laughing when he recognized
ME. iic S3il-ncvCr mind what he
salt-Dut IL was an insult, and my
Italian blood boiled in my veins. ]
drew the stiietto and rushed on him
AT that moment my hand was caught
from behind. and fell. 1t was that
man Ireland. who was then at San
Keno. and great friend of Percy's,
He had wrenched the stiletto out of
my hand. For moment no one said
| anything. and arose to my feet. Ire
land addressed me rs Miss Howard
Miss Violet Howard. Percy lauefyed
Biasains aud corrected his mistake. say
ting that Il, was a iovesick nursemois
whom he had discharged. Then I lost
my temper.
stop! I must say exactly how It
happened. Percy was leaning against
the parapet OF the parade in a careless
attitude. He did not even move when
/ rushed on him with the stiletto. and
had Ireland not caught my arm I
should have killed him. Ireland said
that he had followed me. thinking
was Violet Howard. to ask me to re-
turn to the hotel. He talked some rub
Dish about gentle born English girl
being out Mt night. but wrnn he found
that was only servant there was no
more Of that talk. Poor eliza Stokes
could have been out till dawn for all
these gentlemen cared They laughed
at me, Percy leaning against the para
pet, Ireland beside me, holding the
suletto carelessly in his hand. AS
said, lost my temper, and I told
Percy what thought Of that fool Ro-
sina Lockwood. He lost his temper nj
so, but that only made me more an
cry. At last he dashed forward, and
believe he would have struck me but
that Mr.. Ireland intervened.
Il don't know exactly how il hap-
pened. but in moving Mr.. Ireland eyi-
dently forgot how he held the stiletto
and put out his hand with the weapon
pointing outward. In rushing on me
Percy came against it. and 1t ran right
into his heart. With a choking crv
he fell dead. ] was terrified and began
to wiring my hands. Ireland knelt
down and found that Percy was dead
he saizad- -psv xvrict-s---,-L-s------ ssoIu
my tongue lest I should be accused of
the death. I said 1t was his fault. He
replied II was an accident. But I had
got the stiletto, I had tried to kill Per
cy. and Ireland declared that If I
eald anything lie would denounce me
as the criminal. was terrified as I
saw the danger in which I was placed
Ireland suggested that we should
throw the body over The parapet On
to the beach. and 1t would be thought
robbers had killed Percy. l agreed,
and we threw TIE body Of my darling
over. Oh, how my heart ached when
heard 1t fall on the cruel, cruel
stones!
with Ireland arranged to hold my
tongue. and on his part he promised
he would say nothing. The next day
the news of the discovery Of the body
cane. Sonora Velcz, from whom i
had borrowed the stiletto, knowing of
my love for Percy and being in love
with him herself, accused me of the
crime. denied it and said that If she
did not hold hcr tongue l would tell
her husband how she had loved Percy.
She was afraid Of her husband. who
was Il Jealous brute. so she remained
quiet gave her back the stiletto,
which l had obtained from Ireland.
We were both safe. but I was so Ill
that l left the hotel and returned to
England. George Rates. who never
suspected my share in the death, fol-
lowed"
1t was at this point that George
ceased reading. He now knew the
worst. His father had died by acci.
dent, and Ireland had been the unwit.
ting cause OF his death. Brendon won-
dered how the old man could have
carried the knowledge all these years
without speaking. He determined to
have an interview with him. But at
last he knew the truth about the
death in San Reno. 1t inculpated no
one, and he could not see how--ac-
cording to Bawdsey-it could be con-
nected with the murder of Mrs. Jer-
sey.
CHAPTER XIII.