Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-07

~ I'VE winters evening, a lew weeks at
WI ter the events narrated in the last
HnJ0IM chapter, two women sat in the Countess
V4lSsAJ of Heatherstone's boudoir The room
was on the first floor and looked over
the marshes to the sea. A door open
ed from it into another apartment which was
used as a dining.foom. Another door opened
from this into bedroom, the same room where
Jordson had tried his prentice hand at burglary
For two years the whole world to the Countess
of Heatherstone had consisted of these three
rooms and the semicircle of country which she
could from her windows
She never descended from her apartments I'd
the whirl of society that moved through the
palatial reception-rooms beneath her. She had
no part in her husbands life. She received no
visitors save those of her own family Strangers
coming to the house for the first time scarcely
knew of her existence For all practical pur
poses she might have been dead. Her son, the
only thing she loved on earth was dead.
Lady Heatherstone was comparatively healthy
woman ard the doctor promised her long years
of life But two years previously terrible and
loathsome disease had attacked her, and left
such frghtful ravages on her face that she would
not even let her husband look upon it. For two
years no living soul had seen beneath the black
silk hood that yelled it from the crown of her
head to her shoulders. Lady Heatherstone never
unveiled, save when she was alone
In this manner she had resolved to live until
death released her. 1t was a living death but
she had not the strength to face the world again.
In years gone by she had been the most beauti-
| full woman in the county. Now the veriest scare
crow among women could thank God that she
had not the face of the great Countess of Heath
erstone
On this particular evening, Lady Agnes Clife
had looked in to chat with her stepmother for
few minutes before going to bed. The Countess
sat at large rosewood and ormolu table, arr
ranging a pile of russia and morocco leather
cases in front of her. In one hand she held
pencil, and, opening one case after another, she
ticked off the various items piece of paper.
Lady Agnes sat couple of yards away, and
watched her stepmother listlessly. Her face was
very white and tired. All the brightness SEEM
ed TO have died out of it. Life had begun to
deal hardly with this young girl who had hither
to known so little of sorrow The first blow
fell when Lord 0vercliffe was killed; the second
when Arthur Holme said Goodbye" to her for
ever; the third, thousand times more terrible,
more certain and more irrevocable, when she
heard that his yacht had been found drifting
off the Essex coast and that the dead body of
Outen had been picked up near the mouth of the
Long Haven creek.
It was quite clear to her that Holme was dead,
| though the inquest on Outen gave no clue to the
mystery of the death of either man. There was
no doubt that the sailor had been drowned, and
the Coroner's jury expressed no further opinion
on the matter,
The Countess Of Heatherstone knew her step
daughters story, and was not ill-pleased with
the termination of unpromsing a loveaffar.
She cared very little for the girls future happi-
ness. but the traditions of the great Heather
stone family had been ground into her soul, and
she had no sympathy with mesalliance. She
was not altogether sorry that cloud was botting
out some Of the sunshine of fair young life.
The clouds were very dark above her own head,
and the thought of another woman's happiness
was gall to her.
This evening, however, she had Nno thought
for ANYTHING but the blue, crimson, and green
leather cases in front of her. They were of all
shapes and sizes, but each one was stamped with
| the Heatherstone crest and coronet. A few, more
faded than the Others and relics of more osten-
tatious period, were impressed with the full ar
mortal bearings of the family-coat-of-arm crest,
coronet, supporters and motto.
| Eyev one Of these cases, and there were one
hundred and fifteen in all, contained Jewels.
Snecmens of nearly every gem of the earth were
hidden in these little leather shrines and flashed
one bv one into view the Countess raised the
! covers and checked the contents on her piece of
paper.
| / LADY Agnes WaucneQ ner sJepHlOLhSI III ellence.
Like most women she loved jewels, but her
thoughts were far away, and she scarcely
noticed the flash of emeralds, diamonds and ru-
bies as case after case was opened and closed.
! At last the Countess finished her task, and,
folding up the piece of paper, she went to an
escritore, and placed it in one of the drawers.
"They're all here, Agnes" she said They go
to the bank tomorrow. Your father insists upon
it,"
0He is probably right" Lady Agnes replied.
"After what has happened it would be unsafe to
leave them here"
''Yes, it would certainly be unsafe. They will
come again for them.
0Of course il is better to put them in the
bank said Lady Agnes quietly; "they are deter
mined to have them, and they will take your life
Il it stands in their way"
The Countess opened one Of the drawers of the
escritoire and pulled out something that gttered.
II was a large nickelplated revolver, no toy, but
serviceahle weapon.
'I keep this for them," she said; lit is loaded.
and lies under my pillow at night. | pray for
them to come i do not want the jewels removed
to place Of safety They viii not come if the
bait is taken away. And Overcliffe has yet to be
avenged"
A look of fear crossed Lady Agnes's face. She