Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-30

SYNOPSIS.
Dixon bruce, returning to Lonlen from Madeira
ebg o %b ene an BRIDE and he,
sister Edith. Mrs. Seiby's fatheh LETT very large
Which is to g e The ea
whom his sisters have not 4see4 Tor years On
board the ship Is Nine Sara and
sister. but whom bruce decides 10 dangerous
woman.
becomes convinced that she is dangerous He
visits her ahop and sees her IN eoclefy ,a MIS-.
selby and her sister Edith have consulted Mme'
Edith is mysteriously poisoaed and dies. Druce
mystery. ' Both suspect Nine. Sara. Mrs selby's
brother writes to bruce that he y IN London.
In uncomfortable excitement hastily DIS
patched two kilograms, one to Selby and
the other to vandeleur, begging of them to
be with me, without fail, as soon az posi-
ble So the man had never been In Eng
land at all. The situation was more be-
wildering than ever. One thing, at least,
was probable-Edith Dallas death was not
due to. her stepbrother Soon after $50
Selby arrived and Vandeleur walked In ten
minutes later. l told them what had oc-
Cured and showed them the letter. In half
an hours time we reached the hotel. and
on stating who / was we were shown into
a room on the first floor by Sflva's private
servant. Resting in an armchair, as we
entered, sat a man; his face was terribly
thin. The eyes and cheeks were so sunken
that the face had almost the appearance of
a skull He made no effort TO rise when
we entered. and glanced from one OF us
to the other with the utmost astonishment
at once introduced myself and explained
who we were. He then waved his hand
for his man to retire. -
"You have heard the news, OF course,
Mr.. SilvaY' I said. 4
News! what?" He glanced up to me
and seemed to read somethingsan my race
He started back in his chair.
"Ciood heavens!' he replied. DO you al
lude-t my sisters? Tell me quickly are
they alive?"
"Your elder sister died on the 10Th of
July and there is every reason to believe
that her death was caused by foul play.
As l uttered these words the change that
passed over his face was fearful 70 Wit
ness. He did not speak, but remained mo
tionless His claw-like hands clutched the
arms of the chair, his eyes We're fixed ana
staring, as though they would start from
their hollow sockets, the color or his SKIN
was like clay. ! heard Selby breathe quick
ly behind me- and Vandeleur stepped to-
ward the man and laid his hand on his
shoulder. =
''Tell us what you know Of this matter" >,
he said sharply. a..
invalid began in a tremulous voice:
.Listen closely, for you must act quickly.
I am indirectly responsible for this fearful
thing My life has been a wild and wasted
one and now ! am dying. The doctors tell
me / cannot live a month. for l have
large aneurism of the heart; Eighteen
months ago was in Rio. l was living fast
and gambled heavily. Among my fellow
gs mblers was a man much older than my
self His name was Jose AranjQ.- He was,
IL anything, greater gambler fhan l. One
night we played alone. The stakes ran
high until they reached a big figure. BY
daylight l had lost to him nearly f2nO0O.
Though 1 am a rich man in point OF in
come under my uncle's will, could not
pay a twentieth part of that sum. This
man knew my financial positions and. in
addition to sum of IS, 600 paid down. I
gave him a document. / must have been
mad to do so. The document was this-it
was duly witnessed and attesfed by law
yer-that, in the event Of myEsurvWing my
two sisters and thus inheriting the whole of
my uncle's vast wealth, half million
should go to Jose Aranjo. i felt I was
breaking up at the time, and the schances
Of my inheriting the money were small.
Immediately after the completion Of the
document this man left Rio. and l then
heard a great deal about him that l had
not previously known. He was a man of
the queerest antecedents, partly Indian.
partly Italian. He had spent many years