The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-27

'Ap''p ~
She was somewhat surprised to find
the door unlocked and the key gone;
but it was OF no Importance. and she
ran through and quickly entered tho
inner chai.bcr by the secret entrance,
carefully shutting 1t behind her.
Purvis was unfeignedly thankful to
SEQ her once more. Il was almost be-
ginning to fear you had deserted me"
he said. He had now SO far recovered
as to have dressed himself and was
walking up and down the room rest
less and very i'll at ease.
II could not get to you before she
declared: and explained what had kept
her. and added that they had better
leave the house ut nee.
But he had another plan. mo he
said. "I1n neop my word to you and
tell the whole truth; but I will tell 1T
in the presence of the others
What is the TRUTH" she asked. al
am on fire with i1npatience to hear
it."
That woman is my wife" lie said
slowly; as his face set and he clenched
his teeth. But let us sc to them. I'll
show him up in their own house and
before every one i'll it,
"Will your" broke in a voice. and
they turned to find that Merridew had
entered by the secret door Before
Purvis could utter another syllable ho
was stunned by a heavy blow from the
same weapon which had felled him on
the previous night.
Olive screamed and tried to escape.
but Merridew seized her and clapping
his hand over her mouth stopped her
cries.
In the struggle the wig she wore
fell off. and then he recognized her.
81 might have known 1t was your
doing" he cried, his eyes flaming with
You will not escape me again,
you she divil. to come spying here!
and have the key to the mystery of
changed paper. 1t was your do
ing, of course" and in his frenzy he
shook her %viciously.
He turned and nodded to Purvis.
got him into 1t as we'll. Tell
the truth. will he? Not In this world.
by ave The truth! I'll tell you the
truth. IL you're so eager to know 1t.
And the truth Is that instead of either
of you ever having n chance of telling
you'll neither of o utter
word. truth or lies. after this"
Carried away by his fury he shook
her again more savagely than before
and thrust her from him in great viot
Dizzy and faint from his violence
Olive reeled and fell huddIed up against
the opposite wall. and covered there,
and brea.heing a last swift
prayer to Heaven. She read murder In
his eyes and knew that her laEt hour
had come.
She had fallen by chance on the wea-
pom with which he hail struck Purvis.
and as 500 S he saw that he dragged
away brutality, seized 1T, II as
she raised her hands in duplication he
struck her down.
CHAPTER Ii.
The Pains of Death.
A sensation of racking agony was
the first sign of olives return to con-
seriousness. Every pulse-beat was like
upon her brain. and every nerve and
in her body seemed to throb
in u rhLhmical spoons of torture.
Despite her strong Will, low sroans
themselves from her lips; and
I'LL thought and memory We're lost III
one absorbing and consuming sense
of suffering.
How long thai terrible agony en-
dured. she knew not: each nomen was
like al eternity of torture: and it
was q merciful relief when she fell
again into Inconsistencies. She had
from the pain.
When she came to herself the next
time the agony was not so oTermaster-
ing, but vas still 81 intense that she
prayed for death to release her as
earnestly as she a ever prayed for
life.
Slowly thought and memoir return
ed. bringing with them renewed misery
and a sense OF hopeless despair. 1t
would havo been more merciful had
murderer killed her at once. She
had endured all the pains Of death;
and now would have to pass through
them again. He would return and.
finding her alive, would use some other
torture by which to finish his MUIR
derous purpose.
AS her senses began to grow clearer
she passed from this condition OF grue-
dependency to an equally de-
spairing' review of her plight. The
irony of at! AT the very moment
when her search after the truth had
appeared to be crowned with success,
Sle Nau DeeU ~ulSCONcTeQ ana STRUCK
down. She saw with the acute clear
ness of unavailing regret the plumbers
she had made, the curse she should
have taken the means by which
could have escaped her enemy.
Her crowninE blunder had been to
again to Purvis when she had
she was suspected. Nothing
would have been easier than to have
left the house and sent for Mr.. Case
ment, Purvis also would have been
Bitterly and futilely she
herself now that all was lost.
Flad she but -
At that thought, a little faint CLEAN
OF hope flickered up. There wps still
the secret stairway by which she could
escape!
But 1t was only to mock her and In
crease her Indebtedness, For when
she tried to move she found that her
lrft arm hung powerless. while her
right was bound to her side SO tightly
mat the cord had cut into her flesh.
She lay huddled up In a heap against
the a whore Merridew had flung nor
Gown after fastening the rope round
her; u as she struggled vainly to
release herself. failing back helpless
~ at full length. the released blood In
rer Veins and arteries brought back