Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-17

the subject. Beatrice. seeing Idris interest
! in the stranger. proceeded TO enlighten him
| so FAR as she was able.
Mademoiselle Riviere is a lady. appar-
emily of independent means. She came to
Ormsby about four months ago. taking for
her residence The Cedars a villa on the
North road. She lives quiet and secluded
life. Her name indicates French national
ity, but beyond that fact no one knows
anything of her origin and antecedents
Godfrey once attended her professionally
and she impressed him as being lady of
birth and refinement; but added Beatrice,
COMPRISING her lips. II do not like her.
The tone in which she delivered herself
OF this last sentiment somewhat vexed
ldris. but whatever might be the cause of
her dislike he felt that it did not originate
from Jealousy of the strangers beauty
Beatrice was too high-minded to be actu-
ated by so paltry a motive. For his own
part he could not associate anything bad
with the sad grave eyes of Lorelie Riviere.
Beatrice, in her judgment of the others
character. must surely be the victim of
some misrepresentation
But-but-waS she the musician he
asked.
1T seems So replied Beatrice. moving
into the nave. There is no one in the
organ loft now. But here comes the boy
who blows He will tell U.S. Roger, was it
Mademoiselle Riviere who was playing just
now?"
The lad gave an affirmative nod. and ex-
hibited with pleasure the coin he had re-
received as fee
Comes here often" he said Calls at
our cottage when she wants me to blow
loris was silent. marveling that one so
young should play with a touch SO mas
terly; marvelfng still more that her music
should have wrought upon him an impress
sion so weird.
He moved around the church with Beat
rice. and then mounted the stairs leading
to the gallery. feigning to be interested in
what he saw, In reality seeing nothing but
the beautiful face Of Lofelie Riviere.
IN IN t ,e. seat fronting the organ was a
DOOR, left behind probably by an oversight
idrls lifted the volume, handsome one,
bound In vellum and gold, and was much
surprised at the title
"Paulus Diaconus de Gestis Tappoba raor
um.' he read aloud
nat a dreadful tit1et' murmured Be
atr1ce. What does it mean?"
1T is Paul Warnefrids History of the
with once In lifetime. Quite thrfline
work, no doubt, to antiquaries of the dry.
as,dust order. burt I cannot imagine a lady
taxing to this style of literature To begin
stands that language"
Perhaps the book does not belong to
Mademoiselle Riviere.'
The margin of almost every page con-
talnS notes in Iady's handwritiug-obvi-
ousy the remarks of one who understands
the work. She seems to have been a dill
gent student" continued Idris observing
the numerous annotations "Ah. what is
this? The Fatal Skull written across the
title page. On other pages are the initials
F. s., presumably standing for the same
words, Fatal Skull See here F. s. and
here again. F. s. 3"
THE Fatal Skull said Beatrice in Won
derment. What is meant by that?'
AT Beatrice's request Idris translated
some of the passages marked with the let
tiers IF. S." but he failed to grasp their
significance, there being no connection
whatever between a skull and the subject
matter of the paragraph. Then becoming
conscious that it an u7chivalrous pro-
ceeding to pry into an absent lady's book,
he the point of closing it, when his
eye was caught by the following words
written upon the fly leaf:
Lorelie Riviere,
16, Place Graslin,
Nantes.
'16, Place Graslin?'' murmured 1dris in
great surprise. Heavens. 1t was before
the door of 49, Place rasln. that NJ. Du-
chesne was murdered twenty-seven years
ago.
(To be continued Monday