Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-01

and fro on one side of the lawn.
Not even the coronet to console me
now she murmured, darkly. "A fitting
punishment this for my long and guilty
silence, Justice, justice, now thy scourge
is coming upon me!
Ivar did not follow his wife, but sat
motionless for some moments, staring
after her in blank dismay, and completely
confounded by the startling hints that
she had let fall.
'Idris Marville not dead" he muttered
removing with his handkerchief the cold
moisture that glistened on his forehead.
That fellow he! Living here at Ormsby
in the same house with Beatrice! And
Lorelie suspects! Suspects? She knows.
By God! supposing she tells him! But,
bah! she will nOt-she dare not-declare
it; she stands to lose too much" Here
called her words to the effect that she
would do nothing detrimental to his in
terests. The meaning of this assurance
was obvious, and Ivar breathed more
freely. She'll keep the secret for her
own sake. She'll not be so mad as to cut
her own throat. In marrying her I've
stopped her mouth. But if she had known
as much year ago as she knows to-
day.
The smile had returned to Lorelies lips
by the time she reached Idris and Bea-
tr1ce, and at her invitation they repaired
to the drawing room Lord Walden, with
black feeling of hatred in his heart
against both his wife and Idris, slowly
Followed without speaking and flung him.
self on a distant ottoman, as if desiring
no companionship but his own
ldr,s, thus ignored by the viscount
could but ignore him in turn He had
never beheld a more sullen and a more
ungracious clown than Lorelie's husband
ana ne much regretted that he had not
loIIowed his first impulse to depart.
The drawing room was handsome
apartment, containing many evidences of
taste and wealth. Lorelie took a pride in
pointing out her treasures
MY 1ather, she remarked, observing
Beatrice's eyes set upon a portrait in oils
representing a handsome man in the uni
form OF a French military officer
-idrls viewed with interest the likeness
or the man who for about the space of a
inmate had flashed across his childhoods
days.
A man who will ever command my re-
spect' he murmured, "since in rescuing
my father from prison he was forced by
mat act to become an exile from his ma
tive land
:, An expression of pain passed over Lore
lies face
you are saying"
Forgive me. I promised never to al
Jude to that event, and am breakine NV
word. l apologize
AND he wondered. as he had often
wondered, why reference to this mat
Ter should trouble her. She had no
cause to be ashamed of her ia theirs deeJ
Capt. Rochefort's act in favor of a friend
whom he believed to be innocent was. from
luris point of view. gallant and romantic
enterprise, and in the judgment of most
persons would deserve conformation If not
approval. - NV
AFTER the portrait OF Capt Rochefor..
what most interested Beatrice was an
antIaue vase standing upon the carved
mantel 1t was of gold set with nrecious
stones. and the interior was concealed FROM
view by tight-f1tting lid.
w nat pretty vase she said and with
mantn1 sanction she lifted it from the
over her. She placed the urn unon tho
'epie'' ana IN moment the feeling was
gone. She took up the vase again. and tho
any S,ipie Cd sensation returned. Was this
que to something exhaled from the interior
OF the urn? She drew a deep brea th
.nrough her nostrils. but failed to detect
. uzzied and annoyed. Beatrice became
ih ..1ry curious to learn it's contents.
Inc lid fits very tightly" She said ID
VI , Et Lorehe How do you remove 1t?''
r,;aS secured by hidden Spring." re-
t.eu tne Vlcountess. IF you can discover
the secret you will be doing me favor for
have never been able to omen II nnvSaif >,
men you do not know what trea sure II
may contain smiled Beatrice, "Attar of
ioses, spices from Arabia, pearls from the
orient may Turk within" She shooL the
urn, and faint sound Accommodates .he
something inside '"''S
ID am a. nun OF curiosity myself to know
hn,,r. ~ IS, sad Lorelie, Il have spent
iio LUIS In trying to discover the spring.
Then 1t is useless for me to try-
But though Beatrice spoke TINS she
nevertheless made the attempt towing Wit h
t .me vase ana pressing various figures sculp-
The Jewels sparkled like wicked ewes. seem.
ing 10 mock her endeavors The sound
caused py the shaking of the urn was like
.me eoiiision OF paper pellets, shavings OF
III, fhnr ,A,%z
nght And all the time while handling the
vase Beatrice was conscious of a strange
1eeing OF repulsion. What caused 1t she
coulo not tell the fact was certain, the
reason inexplicable Wv
is this vase an heirIoom?" she asked
deslrous OF learning whence Lorelie had
obtained 1t, and yet not liking to appear too
The vicountess hesitated a moment owl
IDENTIFY adverse to replying and then stoon-
ed over Beatrice and kissed her
VIII you think me discourteous Bea-
by it?'' o-''
While speaking she glanced aside at Ivar
VINO, from his position on the couch. was
watching the scene with so perturbed an
ar that Idris was led to believe there was
some some strange secret connected with this
Vase-a secret known to both husband and
Wi1e- Great as was his love for Lorelie
Iuris was compelled to admit that she was
very mysterious in some of her ways
Then strange thing happened.
Idris, keenly attentive to all that was
passing, observed a curious expression
stealing over Beatrice's face Once before
ne mad seen this expression. namely at the
tme when she gave her opinion on the
piece OF steel taken from the Vikings skull.
The pupils of her eyes were contracted.
and set with bright fxity of gaze upon
the jeweled urn. The rigidity of her figure
indicated cataleptic state.
Her lips parted. and in a voice strangely
unlike her own. she said:
The asEes of the dead!'
AT this Lorelie gave a faint cry and drew
away the vase, glancing again at War,
Then. with her hands, she closed the ewes
OF Beatrice and shook her gently. Beatrice
opened her eyes again, and looked around
with the surprised air of one aroused sud-
denly from sleep.
DO you know what you have been say
iEg?" Lorelie asked.
"No-what?"
That this is a funereal urn"
Have l been self-hypnotized again. =.
Again." repeated Lorelie. do you often
| fall into this state?'
"Occasionally-when gazing too long at
some bright object; and then the object
seems to whisper it's history to me, or
rather, as Godfrey more sensibly remarks,
my mind begins to weave all kinds of fan
| cies around It,"
why, you must be clairvoyante' -
| said Lorelie studying the other intently
THE ashes of the dead? Yes, this may
be crematory vase. What do you say.
Ivar?' she added, turning to the WIS.,