Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-30

would believe anything they say. Carlotta
because | know what You were in the Old
days But however dreadful your ex-
ieFienccs have been. you. at any rate,
snatched Il brief happ:na IS. You married
the man Of your choice. How did YOU
manage to osca?e?"
oh. don't ask me-" Carlotta F!avio sad
bitterly. If you only knew everything
you would see that you were far better off
In your prison than | was with my liberty.
DO You kn w that l was five times tried for
my lie? Do you know that for four years
/ was tie most eXecTat"d woman n south
Italy But | am not going into that now.
l want t know what brings you here this
evening. Why you should come al such an
inconycn.ent tima?'
But why Inconvenience" Mrs. DeIahay
protested. I'VE were fond of one another
in the old times. And what more natural
than l should seek cut my sister at the
frst opportunity? Lat you are changed
Doubtless your msfortun.s have soured
you. / have had my misfOrtunes, too. Of
course you have heard lately good deal
about MIR. Louis Delahay-I mean the I'M
fortunate artist who was found murdered
in his studio the other night?"
Countess FlaviO started. her lips grew
white
Who has not heard o. it?" she said
The papers are full of the tragedy. Peo-
PIE are talking about nothing else. But you
are not going u tell me that there is any
COnreCtion-''
Indeed l am" Maria went on. LAS
Sdtu just now, Tor years | was better
than prisoner. l should be a prisoner
st!ll If our parents had lived. Then finally
when l found my freedom. l made a dis
cpvcTy that there was absolutely no mon v
left. ] was forced to get my own living
had nothing beyond my brush. and things
We're going from bad to worse with me
when l made the acquaintance Of Lou .
DeIahay. We always liked one another
from the first. and when he asked me I }
marry him l gladly consented 1t seemed
to me that the way was opening up for a
happy mddle-aSe. 1t seemed to me that
fate had got tired of pers ecutng me at
last. | married Louis Delahay and we
came back to England
You married Delahay?" the countess
said mechanically, and you came back to
England? l am trying u realize it. | read
the account of the inquest. | know that
people are saying that Delahay's wife is
responsible Tor his death; but | id not
dream then that it was my own sister
whom folks were cOndemning. l cannot
believe 1t now. But why did you 60 out
that evening. If you had remained in your
room nobody would have been"
Il left the hotel to come here" Maria re-
/ Piled. But l found that you were not in
| London And now l am going to tell you
why 1t IS that | have refused to speak
why II is that | have allowed people to re-
gard me as perjurer. You say you read
the account of the inquest. Do you recol-
lect what a poor creature called Stevens
SaidE lie sWore, and, what Is more he
believed every word he said, that he saw
Louis and myself together in Fitzjohn
Square early on that fatal morning. Come
II You read the paper carefully, you must
have seen that. 1t was the most sensa-
tiJnal piece of evidence given at the in
quest The man picked me out in court;
and said positively that he had seen me
with Louis. But he didn't, as YOU know
perfectly WELL
AS l know perfectly well?" the coun-
tess Stammered. What have | got 10 do
with It? Where do come imp
Maria Dclahay threw up her hands " II
an impatient gesture. There was a steady
CLEAN in her eyes now. She had los. all
her listless manner.
Il was not there" she said because |
was somewhere else. That James Stevens
saw some one with my husband on that
morning is absolutely certain. Il 5 absn-
lut@ly certain, too, that he did not sec me-
| Then who did he see whose likeness u me
IS great to deceive Il pair of keen
eyes under a brilliant electric light? 1t
was you, you. Carlotta, who were walking
with my husband at that nOur III the morn
ing. Now tell me what il all means
n