Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-03
Told nv the Vase.
CHAPTER XIV.

1OlO Dy tQe vase.
Next morning .Idrfs strove to put aside
the fear that had found expression in his
dreams, but the dark idea would persist in
forcing itself upon him. He grew angry
with himself. Heavens! was he not master
of his own mind that he could not throw
on this suspicion of the woman whom he
loved? Strange and mysterious Lorelie
might be, but that she was taker of hui
man life he found 1t impossible to believe.
Doubtless 1t was true that a murder had
taken place within Ormfel. but that the
crime had been wrought by a stiletto hair
PIN was merely a conjecture on the part
OF Beatrice, who had no valid reason to
oHer In support of her theory; yet, i'm
pued with this fancy, she was persistent in
maintaining that woman must have been
the author of the deed
assuming 1t. however, to be- "a fact that
the piece OF steel was a fragment of a hair
PIN, and the person who used it as an in
strument OF death woman, it did not fol-
low because Lorelie had drawn a stile:to
pin from her hair in order to illustrate an
assassination scene in her play, that re
must identify her with the guilty woman.
, ihere was not only no evidence to connect
Eofeie with the crime but much to prove
the contrary. For instance. it REQUIRES a
very long period of time before a human
oody Will become reduced to the state of
q skeIeton such as that which Idris ard
Godfrey had found In the Interior r,f the
ancient tumulus
,, hu. Lorelie's coming to Ormsby had taken
piace Tess than five months ago, Therefore
o uniess tne remains had been brought from
the crime N nv hoiu III
But had the remains been brought from
eIseWnere! and was Godfrey wrong in limit
Ing the scene of the murder to the Inferior
of Ormfell? With a sudden thrill If a,,r-
prise and fear Idris recalled the reiiouarv
Drought 10 Ravenhall by Ivar on the night
OF OF ms ms return from the continent. The story
mad been told him in confidence nv Cod
frey, and Idris therefore knew that this
mysterious visit had some connection with
Lerenes affairs. The meaning Of it all had
now. while bordering over Ivar's action,
Idris felt return of all his misgivings
obliVious of the flight of time he remain
e ed on his pillow occupied in gloomy
thought, and when at last he did get up and
go downstairs, he found that he must
breakfast alone for Beatrice was absent,
having left message with the maid to the
ERECT that she had gone to The Cedars.
The Cedars of all places! How came it
that Beatrice. after having evinced such
fear of Lorelie on the previous evening,
should repair thither the next morning?
was 1t to tell Lorelie of her suspicious? to
warn her that the crime was known? to put
her on her guard?
Some such motive must have actuated
her: Idris, thinking that he could not
himself in the direction of The Cedars
On his arrival he learned from the maid
who oponed the door that Beatrice was in
the draWing-rOOm with Lorelie,
Let me see them, please"
Without ascertaining whether his pres
ence would be acceptable to her mistress,
the girl ushered him into the drawing room
with the words, Mr.. Breakspear ma am
zelle," and there left him.
1dris looked around. No one was visible,
but from the other side of the curtains that
1,.or ,oI <SF<
of voices. The maid in introducing him had
pronounced his name SO softly that appa-
rently those behind the portiere were I'M
aware of his presence. ..
The two curtains forming the portiere not
being closely drawn left an opening,
through which Idris, as he went forward,
caught a glimpse of a small boudoir. Both
Lorelie and Beatrice were there.
On the point of addressing them. he was
suddenly stopped In his purpose by some
thing odd in the appearance and attitude of
each.
Beatrice occupied a position at a low ia
bic. upon which stood the that had
attracted her curiosity on the previous day,
the vase containing '1he ashes of the dead"
She sat erect and silent, her hands rest
ing on her lap, her face as rigid as If
sculptured from marble; her attitude gave
an impression that If pushed she would fall
over like dead weight. Her eyes were set
upon the glittering vase with a curious
far-off expression in them, as If observant
of some scene a thousand miles away.
Facing her a few PAGES off, with her eyes
concentrating all their brightness and force
upon Beatrices face, sat Lady Walden. 1t
was clear at a glance that she held Bea-
trice's mind and will completely under her
own control.
LAS 1 live murmured Idris, "she has
hypnotized Beatrice. She is going to con-
duct some experiment with the vase.
Having an honorable mans aversion
to play the spy he was about to
make his presence known, when, sud
denly checked by some motive for which
he could not account, he determined to re-
main an unseen watcher.
Lorelie rose and placed Beatrice's hands
upon the vase, where they rested, passive
and limp. This movement was accompa-
MED by a SILVER on the part of the me-
dunn. If the soul be capable of abstraction
from the body, ldris might have believed
that Beatrice's soul had left her at that
nc ment to animate the vase, for the urn
seemed to become instinct with motion and
to sparkle with a new light.
Speak Beatrice" said Lorelie in SOL
emn tone Speak from the depth of this
vase: listen to the voice of it's quiVerinS
atoms; recall from it the scenes and sounds
of the past Tell me, what do you feel
hear-see?"
A hollow voice arose a voice that sound
ed like mockery of Beatrice's tones, and
although her lips moved, the words seemed
to emanate, not from her, but from the
urn.
.It is dark very dark -
no stars = no light All is
cold and damp - and still
There is no air wind
no life or motion - 1t
is like the grave Above, beneath.
on all sides, the earth presses Al
WAYS the earth around nothing but
earth For ages and ages, deep
down in the ground"
She repeated this last sentence several
times.
For ages and ages. deep down in the
ground"
What next?' asked Lorelie.
"a sound faint far-ofr -
. Now 1t comes nearer - it is as or
a spade digging 1T is coming down
= = down down. The earth
above loosens . disappears
The blowing of fresh air =" the CLEAN
of daylight -" Now the blue sky looks
down Lifted up by strong hands to
the glorious sunshine above 1t Is
the edge of pit Small pieces OF
gold mixed with earth lie about 1t
is springtime The air is full OF the
sound of falling waters There are
green hills around, dark here and there
with pines and frs . Above them
snow shining in the sun There are
men about digging men
with deep blue eyes and fiaxen hair
They wear close-fitting TUNES
Their legs are bare, crossed by thongs OF
leather - They talk a strange IAN
guage Now they stop digging
: laugh and drink mead from OK