Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-08-06
CHAPTER v.-tContinued.l

# I am to 90 on keeping them quiet,
Shall require a higher sum to do so.'
As the words left his mouth, Cecil saw
him in his true colors for the first time.
ia was at the mercy Of an unprincipled
rogue and thief.
You are lying" he said, forcing him
self to remain quiet. you cannot
+righten me-you can do me no HARM"
Smvthe turned on him abruptly.
Hyhat do you know of your early
,hildhocd?" he inquired. what do you
remember of your parents? Nothing
absolutely nothing"
Cecil was silent-it was true, he knew
nothing Yet Zinga could not have de
rpiyed the lawyers evidence had beer
nroved in detail. Once more he regained
courage
Il am not afraid of your plot" he said.
Smythe smiled.
Il am not telling you any stories. I
have evidence, and l can sell what |
know for 10000. If you care to pay
une more, I'll keep it to myself"
What is the nature of your evidence ?"
asked Cecil, huskily. cat least, should
know what / am offered for my money"
its the strongest l can bring l have
found your true parents-you are not
the child Zinga stole. He lied because
he knew he would get reward be-
lieyed his story-everyone did. But since
] have found out tnat the child he stole
died. The Duke of Estercourt is not eX-
isting-the title is extinct.
you can prove this, without q ques-
tion!"
Certainly
Can you give me, personally, any
proof
"zinga is outside-he can tell you that
what l say is true"
Very WE'LL said Cecil, rising. I viii
see him. After l have heard his story,
I will give you my answer. Send for
HIM"
The detective bowed and went out. and
Cecil stood, pale and anxious, awaiting
his return.
An hour later they had gone, and Cecil
was alone.
Standing there in the morning light
with the sun rays streaming in through
the easement on to his white face, he
recalled all they had said-every word
to the bitter end.
Then, with a shrill, hoarse cry-the cry
of. a great, crushing agony-he sank
down and buried his face in his hands
No longer had he any doubt 1t was
true They had tricled him. For the
sake of filling up their own greedy
pockets they had chosen to make a pup
pet of him, to ruin him, and break his
heart and that of the woman he loved
The mark on his eye-it was that which
had wrought the evil. After the real
child had died, the gYpsies had burned
that mark into his forehead. so that they
could pass him off "a the heir Then he
had run away, and by the aid of that
alone they had found him after all these
years.
He believed it all. lie could not doubt
it. There was truth in every word of it,
and he was lost
Tie cry broke shuddeTinglv from him
he was lost OF what avail to show up
these scoundrels? Of what avail to seek
the protection NJ the law? The law
could not let him keep his dukedom; it
could not bestow as g gift the title he
had no right to bear. What use to drag
from them the name of the villain who
had stirred them on to tell him the truth
what use to make ole protest, when it
was the truth?
All all was lost. No longer Duke Of
Istercowt, no longer the possossor of a
fortune-he was the son of obscure, com
mon people who had sold him TO a gypsy;
he WIS an outcast- more, a thief, for lie
had taken what was not his own, he had
deceived the world
1t was not my fault" he cried, in his
anguish. L knew not what l did. Oh,
1T was vile and wicked Of them to DO it
did not know"
All was lost, for Viola could never be
his now: The fear that had chung To
him like shadow these last few day
had assumed a definite horrible form
The happiness had been too great, too
wonderful to last, and POW it was dead
and gone.
Cecils hands clenehed IS he lifted his
lace from them, gray and pallid almost
with the pallor of death, and his eyes
stared into vacancy with miserable,
blank stare He saw Niola's face,
far off, asin a dream and she seemed
TO lie gazing at him with anguished eyes
whist she foated farther and farther
from him, borne away by an invisible
hand.
He grew dizzy. Instinctively ne
cltched the arm of the chair on which
lie sat and tried to keep his senses, tried
10 think calmly. He remembered what
>mythe had said-that if he chose TO
pay the secret should never be known.
lie knew that she, whom he loved with
h's very soul. to save whom moment
pam he would have given years OF his
lie, would suffer She loved him, and
ior the reason that she had never loved
i'eiore, she would feel the agony of part
ing as the very sting Of death. Yet ne
could save her Smvthe had said SO.
Money could avert this cruel blow and
give her and him their happiness for
eFermore. Money could purchase the
'F'ng he-money and an unforgvable
sin
The weight of the temptation almost
crushed him into Inconsistencies. Why
should he hesitate? his evil spirit asked
MN. He was not defrauding any being
cut Of position or wealth. If he re-
hoanced it all it would pass to the
crown. Why should he hesitate to con
tnue the fraud?
CO.., / cannot give her up" he moaned
lola, Viola wife of NV sOuI I cannot