The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-11-22

/
Lady Brackenstall was no ordinary
person. Seldom have l seen so grace
full a figure, so womanly a presence
and so beautiful face. She was a
blond, golden haired, blue eyed, and
would no doubt have had the perfect
complexion which goes with such col
oring had not her recent experience
left her drawn and haggard. Her suf
ferings We're physical as well as men
tai, for over one eye rose hideous,
plum colored swelling, which her maid,
a TALL austere woman, was bathing as
siduously with vinegar and water. The
lady lay back exhausted upon couch,
entered the room and the alert ex-
preston of her beautiful features
showed that neither her wits nor her
| courage had been shaken by her terri
BILE experience. She was enveloped in
loose dressing gown Of blue and sill
yer, but black sequin covered dinner
dress was hung upon the couch beside
her.
II have told you all that happened,
".
Gould you not repeat it for me? Well,
| if you think it necessary l will tell
these gentlemen what occurred Have
they been in the dining room YETI"
Il thought they had better hear your
ladyship's story first"
II shall be glad when you can ar
range matters. 1t is horrible to me to
think Of him still lying there" She
| shuddered and buried her face in her
hands. AS she did so the loose gown
fell back from her forearms. Holmes
| uttered an exclamation.
You have other injuries, madam!
What is this?" Two vivid red spots
stood out on one Of the white, round
limbs. She hastily covered it.
sit is nothing. 1t has no connection
with this hideous business tonight. If
you and your friend will sit down,
will tell you all can.
~ am the wife of Sir Eustace Brack-
/ enstall. I have been married about a
year suppose there is no use of my at
tempting to conceal that our marriage
has not been happy one. fear that
Il u
even if We're to attempt to deny it.
Perhaps the fault may be partly nine
I was brought up in the freer, less
| conventional atmosphere of South Aus
tralia, and this English life, with its
proprieties and its primness, is not con-
genial to me. But the main reason
lies In the one fact which Is notorious
L m hot &c hot
tace was confirmed drunkard. To be
with such man for an hour Is I'M
pleasant. Can you imagine what it
means for sensitive and high spirited
woman to be tied to him for day and
night? 1t is sacrilege, a crime, a
villainy, to hold that such marriage is
binding. l say that these monstrous
laws of yours will bring curse upon
the land God will not let such wicked
| ness endure" For an instant she sat
up, her cheeks flushed and her eyes
blazing from under the terrible mark
upon her brow. Then the strong,
| soothing hand of the austere maid
! drew her head down on to the cushion,
and the wild anger died away into
passionate sobbing. At last she con-
| tinued:
II will tell you about last night. You
are aware, perhaps, that in this house
all the servants sleep in the modern
wing This central block is made up
Of the dwelling rooms, with the kitchen
behind and our bedroom above. My
maid Theresa, sleeps above my room.
| There is no one else, and no sound could
alarm those who are in the farther
wing. This must have been we'll known
| to the robbers or they would not have
acted as they did.
"Sir Eustace retired about half past
| 10. The servants had already gone to
their quarters Only my maid was up,
and she had remained in her room at
the top of the house until l needed her
services. sat until after II in this
room, absorbed in book; then walk
ed round to see that all was right be-
fore l went upstairs. 1t was my GUS
| tom to do this myself, for, as l have
explained, Sir Eustace was not always
to be trusted. went into the kitchen,
the buffers pantry, the gun room, the
billiard room, the drawing room and
finally the dining room. AS l APP
preached the window, which is covered
with thick curtains, l suddenly felt the
wind blow upon my face and realized
that it was open. / flung the curtain
aside and found myself face to face
with a broad shouldered, elderly man,
who had just stepped into the room.
The window is long French one,
which really forms door leading to
the lawn. l held my bedroom candle
lit in my hand, and by it's light behind
the first man l saw two others, who
We're In the act of entering. stepped
back, but the fellow was on me in an
instant. He caught me first by the
wrist and then by the throat. l opened
my mouth to scream, but he struck me
savage blow with his fist over the
eye and felled me to the ground. /
must have been unconscious for a few
minutes, for when l came to myself
| I found hot b,Il