The Indianapolis journal., 1904-06-04

| With steady motion Lorelie lifted the
! glass, taking a longer time over the action
than was necessary, as If even the fore
taste or drinking were a pleasure not to be
/ curtailed. Ivar was watching her with an
/ expression the like of which she had never
before seen on his face.
/ Her lips touched the edge of the glass,
and there rested a moment: and then, with
out having tasted the wine, she raised the
/ glass and held il between her half-closed
| eyes and the lamp above. an action that dis
played 10 the fun the beauty of her rounded
/ arm and bust
/ How bright and clear it isr' she muir
INJURED. in softly modulated voice by
the way she added. suddenly opening her
| eyes wide, what wine do you call thiS?'
"A choice vintage. Malvaza; one of the
rarest of the Madeiras," replied the earl.
Lorelie lowered the glass quickly, in real
or feigned disappointment.
| "O-ohE she murmured, pouting. "A
| pity-that! / cannot bear Malvazia: il al
| ways gives me the headache. / must re-
| frain from drinking. And yet" she added.
inhaling the fragrance, 1.-The bouquet is
| tempting"
She toyed a moment or two with the glass,
as II about to drink, but finally set il down
| upon the table, glancing at the two men
| with a silvery laugh. Her radiant air con-
| trasted strangely with the sonibre spirit
which seemed TO enwrap both of them.
This is very. pretty chamber" she said.
posing her head upon her hands, and af
| fecting to survey the crypt with interest.
Nothing very terrible about it, after all.
] might have spared myself the letter 10
What is that?" said the earl. with
quick, nervous start.
''Peccavi, l have done very wrong,
! admit" said Lorelie, with a sweet smile.
Il have ventured TO disobey your com
mand that L should tell nobody of this,
our midnight adventure: for. as one never
| haunts of the dead, could not refrain from
communicating with DR.. R0thwell on the
matter He is aware of this visit of ours
lord, In thus taking precautions TO secure
our safe return"
Never did human countenance change so
| quickly as did that of the earl at these
words. He glanced at Ivar. Dismay was
reflected in the eyes of each.
Here Is the note l received from him
this afternoon" continued Lorelie imper-
tion and tossing il carelessly upon the
table. You observe his words. Dear
II l do not meet YOU at the porch of Raven
\ nall tomorrow morning at s. will come
and nd seek you in the vault
1t, sneered the earl
Not at all. Dr. Rothwell knows his
way TO this crypt as well as YOU or Ivar:
lie made secret visit here on April 10 of
this year. the night on which Ivar returned
home from the continent
Godfrey was at Ravenhall that night, :"
muttered the vlscount uneasily.
He was herein this vault. / repeat at
} I'm the morning. And the scene he wit
messed was past belief. 1t would do YOU
good, Ivar. to listen to his story. Ii would
really interest you; YOU perhaps, more
than any other person."
1t Is no exaggeration to say that at these
words Ivar became green with fear. He
turned his face from the earl in order to
conceal his agitation. The scret which he
had believed TO be locked within his own
breast was known to Others-Was being
limited at In the presence of his father the
very person from whom he most desired to
conceal eS,Il it. How much did LoreIie know?
- nA<rf2 nrIc
perhaps, that would bring him TO ruin
'1var. see. is persuaded of the truth of
my statement. You are more skeptical, my
lord, but you shall be convinced"
She detached the velvet bow from her
neckband and flung it lightly beside God
freyS note
"Cut the threads of that: unfold the vel
vet, and you will find that its shape corre-
spends exactly with the little rent at the
foot OF that curtain. 1t was DIR. Roth
well who cut off this piece of velvet. bring
ing IL away with him 10 prove-if proof
should be requred-that he has stood In
the secret crypt of the Ravengars DO
you still doubt me- my lord or do you re-
quire further proof?'
On the contrary he was so certain of the
truth of her words that he did not attempt
to verify them, bat stood, lingering the
velvet bow with dark expression of coun-
tenance.
Looking upon Lorelie as an enemy to be
silenced at all costs he had brought her to
this vault intending that she should never
leave II. 1var was a reluctant accomplce,
scientious scruples, hut from the dangerous
| consequences attending the commission of
such a deed. The disappearance of the
new viSeounteSs on the second day OF her
coming to Ravenhail would be an event
that could not fail 10 bring suspicion and in
quiry in its train.
taken steps for its Illustration, had fear
lessly accompanied them to the destined
scene of her death. And here she was, a
slender, fragile woman, in a lonely situa-
ton. with no one TO hear her cry for help.
in the presence of two men desrous of her
DEATH and yet. thanks to her forethought.
as safe as If attended ~ an armed escort
Her calm air, her radiant beauty, added
fuel TO the earls secret rage. IL he had fol-
lowed his first impulse he would have
seized her I'm his arms and twining his
fingers around her throat have silenced
her forever. But prudence compelled him
to refrain from violence. The thought of
having 10 face on the morrow the stern
inquring eyes of Godfrey acted as a potent
check.
Fortunately for himself he had not pro-
ceeded TO the length of openly avowing his
awful purpose: he was therefore free 20
deny IL. IN she had any suspicion as he
was strongly disposed To believe she had.
Besides. what mattered her suspicion? She
had no real proof to offer the world. Op-
posed to her single testimony was the Joint
testimony or himself and her husband
He began TO breathe freely again. The
matter might yet end well as regarded his
! own Safety-the only consideration that
troubled him.
Lorene. knowing the cause OF his mortih-
cation. sat at in her chair secretly
enjoying her triumph.
At last, feiSning TO be angry, she ex-
| claimed:
How silent you arei Are you going 10 let
me depart from this vault without enlight-
enirg me as TO its mysteries? Come. Ivar
play the part OF cicerone. Draw aside the
curtain from each aicove, and give me the
names and biographies of the cofined
dead l am in an historic genealogic mood. "
Ivar, not knowing whether 10 obey
glanced irresolutely TO his father.
Crafty the curious fool the earl NUT
tered moodily.
With an i'll grace at having TO obey the
wife whom he hated. and troubled by a
secret foreboding that his guilty secret was
about TO tFansplre IYar approached the
alcove nearest the door. and lifting the vel
! vet drapery, disclosed a deep recess the
walls OF which We're pierced with inches
| containing collins.