The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-06-30

verton never looked up. He was Ian
guidly interested by the papers in his
hand. and page after page was turned
as he followed the argument of the
! lawyer. At least, | thought, when he
, had finished the document and the
cigar he will go to his room. but before
he had reached the end of either there
came remarkable development which
turned our thoughts into quite another
channel
Several times l had observed that
| Milvert2 IN looked at his watch. and
once he had risen and sat down again.
with gesture of impatience The idea,
however. that he might have an APP
( pointment at so strange an hour never
occurred to me until faint sound
! reached my ears from the veranda out
side. Milverton dropped his papers and
sat rigid in his chair The sound was
repeated. and then there came a gen
tie tap at the door. Milverton rose and
opened it,
Well said he CURLY, you are near
~ half an hour late"
SO this was the explanation of the
unlocked door and of the nocturnal
vigil of Mlverton. There was the gen
tie rustic of a woman's dress. had
closed the slit between the curtains as
| Milverton's face had turned in our di-
rection, but now I ventured very care
fully to open it once more He had re-
sumed his seat, the cigar still project
ing ut an insolent angle from the cor
ner of his mouth. In front of him. in
the full glare of the electric light. there
! stood tall, slim. dark woman. a veil
over her face, mantle drawn round
her chin. Her breath came quick and
fast, and every inch of the 1.-THE figure
was Quiverng with strong emotion.
| WELL" said Milverton. you've
made me lose a good nights rest. my
dear. l hope you'll prove worth it.
You couldn't come any other time
eh?"
The woman shook her head
well. if you couldn't you couldn't.
If the countess is a hard mistress you
have your chance to get level with her
lAON. DlSSS the Sn Will are you
shivering about? That's right. Pull
yourself together. Now let us get
down to business" He took a note
/ book from the drawer of his desk.
''You say that you have five letters
which compromise the Countess DIAL
bert. You want to sell them. / want
to buy them. So far so good 1t only
remains to fix price. l should want
to inspect the letters, of course. If
they are really good specimens Great
heavens. Is it you?'
The woman. without word, had
raised her veil and dropped the man
tie from her chin 1t was a dark,
handsome. clear cut face which con-
fronted AIilverton-a face with curv-
ed nose. strong, dark eyebrows shad-
ing hard, glittering eyes, and IA straight,
thin Tipped mouth. set in a dangerous
smile.
at is l." she said-"the woman whose
life you have ruined"
Milverton laughed, but fear vibrated
in his voice. "You were so very obsti-
nate said he. why did you drive
me to such extremities? put the price
well within your means. You would
not pay"
80 you sent the letters to my hus-
band, and he-the noblest gentleman
that ever lived. man whose boots l
was never worthy to lace-he broke his
gallant heart and died You remem-
Der that last night, when l came
through that door, begged and pray
ed you for mercy, and you laughed in
my face as you are trying to laugh
now, only your coward heart cannot
keep your lips from twitching? Yes
you never thought to see me here
again, but it was that night which
taught me how l could meet you face
to face and alone. Well, Charles Mil
verton, what have you to say"
Don't imagine that you can bully
me-" said he, rising to his feet 81
have only to raise my voice and could
call my servants and have you arrest
ed. But l will make allowance for
your natural anger. Leave the room at
once as you came, and l will say no
more"
The woman stood with her hand
buried in her bosom and the same
deadly smile on her thin lips.
you will ruin no more lives as you
have ruined mine. You will wiring no
more hearts as you wrung mine. |
will free the world of a poisonous
thing. Take that, you Homeland that
and that--and that-and that!'
She had drawn a little cleaning re-
volver and emptied barrel after barrel !.
into Milverton's body, the muzzle with
in two feet of his shirt front. = He
shrank away and then fell forward
upon the table, coughing furiously and
clawing among the papers. Then he
staggered TO his feet, received another
shot and rolled upon the floor. you've
done mer' he cried and lay still. The
woman looked at him intently and
ground her heel into his upturned face.
She looked again, but there was no
sound or movement l heard a sharp
rustic the night air blew into the heat
ed room ana the avenger was gone.
No interference upon our part could
have saved the man from his fate, but
as the woman poured bullet after bull