Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-10

pcTSOu. CeluOIu nave ] Seeu NJ kiW'
full a figure. so womanly prescnc
and 40 beautiful n face. She was
blond, golden haired. blue eyed. az
would no doubt have had the perfcc
complexion which goes with such co
oring had not her recent expcrienc
left her drawn and haggard. Her SUI
ferings were physical az well as MOI
tai. for over one eye rose hdeon
plum colorcd swelling, which her mai
n tall, austpre woman, was bathing Il
siduously with vinegar and water. r.
lady lay back exhausted upon cOuc
but her quick observant gaze as We
entered tho room and the alert OK
precision Of her beautiful features
showed that neither her wits nor hei
courage had been shaken by her terri
bic experience She was envclopcd in
loose dressing gown of blue and sill
YER, but black seQuin covered dinner
dress was hung upon the couch beside
her.
Il have told you all that happened,
Mr.. Hopkins she said YEARLY.
could you not repeat II for me? We'll,
If you think 1t necessary I will tell
these gentlemen what occurred. Have
they been in the dining room yeti"
II thought they had better hear youl
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
shuddercd and buried her face in her
hands. AS she did so tho loose gown
fell back from her forearms. Holmes
uttered an exclamation.
you have other injuries. madam.
What IL this?" Two vivid red spots
stood out on one Of the white, round
limbs. She hastily covered it.
ut is nothing 1t has no connection
with this hideous business tonight. II
you and your friend will sit down,
will tell You all can.
II am the wife Of Sir Eustace Brnck.
enstall. I have been married about a
year. I suppose there Is no use Of my at
tempting to conceal that our mnrriag &c
has not been happy one. fear that
all our neighbors would tell you that
even II were TO attempt TO deny It.
Perhaps the fault may be partly mine
I was brought up in the freer. less
conventional atmosphere Of South Aus
tralia. and this English life. with it,
prophecies and its prlmness. is not con
genial to mo. Put the main reason
lies in the one fact which IL notorious
to every ono. and that Is that Sir Eus
tace was II confirmed drunkard. To hi
with such n man for an hour Ia un
pleasant. Can you imagine what i
means for n sensitive and high spirited
woman to be tied TO him for day nnt
night? 1t Ia sacrilege, crime. Z
vilainy to hold that such a marriage Is
laws Of yours will bring n 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:
IL will tell You about last night Yor
| are aware. perhaps. that in this house
| all the servants sleep in the modern
wing This central block is made ny
| 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 cOult
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 pas
10. The servants had already gone t
their quarters. Only my maid was up
and she had remained in her room n
the top OF the house until needed he
services. sat until after II In thi
room, absorbed in book then walk
ed round to see that all was right be
fore went upstairs. 1t was my Gus
tom to do this myself for. as hav
explained, Sir Eustace was not Away
to be trusted. I went into the kitchen
the buffers pantry. the gun room, til
billiard room. the drawing room an,
finally the dining room. As ar
preached the window. which ia covere
with thick curtains. l suddenly felt tn
wind blow upon my face and realize
that 1t was open. I flung the curtai
aside and found myself face TO fac
with a broad shouldered. elderly maj
who had just stepped into the room
The window is long French ont
which really forms n door leading I
the lawn. held my bedroom candl
lit in my hand, and by its light benin
the first man ] saw two others. VIII
were In the net Of entering. steppe
back. but the fellow was on me in a
instant. lie caught me first by tn
wrist and then by the throat | 0pene
my mouth to scream. but he struck nj
a savage blow with his fist over III
eye and felled me to the ground.
must have been unconscious for a fe,
minutes. for when I came TO myse
found that they had torn down III
bell rope and had secured me tight
to the oaken chair which stands at III
head Of the dining table. was
0rmly bound that could not move. an
a handkerchief round my mouth pr
vented me from uttering a sound.
was at this instant that my unfortv
nate husband entered the room. H
had evidently heard some suspicio,
sounds. and he came prepared for sue
| q scene a. he found. He was dresse