Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1907-08-16

can learn, since the day OF his fathers
funeral"
A stifed sob came from the bed.
And that vile wretch, Wylie, is now
the master of Penrhyddyn, where 1 had
once hoped to be queen"
If ever man sold himself to the Evil
One to obtain all his wishes, that man is
Wylie !" said Mrs. Freeman, emphatically.
For every one of his vile schemes have
turned up trumps."
How about Constance's fortune?"
"She has lost every penny of it."
Il am glad of that. am glad that
almost the same day that blighted my life
blighted hers tool"
do not be so malicious, Eeonore Be
sides, you have no reason to be in this
case, for Miss Grierson would have lent
Sir Launce the money to pay off the
mortgage if she had not been carried off
| just at the time. She had arranged 1t
| all with some lawyers But as soon as
she was out of the way, Wylie went to
them, and said that Miss Grierson had
changed her mind, and the money was not
to be paid"
"And it was IL who contrived her
abduction-who was the means of pre-
venting this; and he made me the tool to
work my own destruction. From whom
| did you hear all this?"
From Mr.. Stafford. AS soon as Miss
| Grierson was released and came home
and told how your letter had led her into
the ambuscade, he rushed down to Bromp-
| ton in a terrible rage, and l happened
| to be in the house"
There was a long silence, and then
Eleonore said, II shall sell off my furni
ture- everything at Brompton-turn it
all into money; and l want you to see to
it at once for me-"
She was naturally very exhausted after
this conversation, and fell, soon after she
had spoken those last words, into a deep
| sleep.
Where can the nurse bey muttered
| Mrs. Freeman to herself. "She ought to
have been back long ago. 1 must 60 out
before the shops shut, and shall have to
go at once. She'seems very sound asleep;
! think l might venture to leave her."
| She had not left the room more than
ten minutes when Eleonore awoke. All
was still, the nurse had not returned, and
the patient was alone. The room was very
dim and shadowy, illumined as 1t was
only by rushlight.
She called Freeman" and when no
answer came, she raised herself upon her
elbow, and looked round the room. Even
that effort was too much for her.
How strange her face felt She put
her hand across it. A thrill shot through
her. Was she in dream, or had her
sense of touch deceived her? The skin
was no longer smooth and soft, but rug,
ged and uneven. She looked at her hands
they were reduced to skin and bone and.
by the dim light, she could just perceive
| some spots upon them. What sickness
had she been attacked with?
"Ah great heavens, could it be that?"
Excitement gave her strength, and she
struggled out of bed and staggered to the
dressing table. There was no looking
glass upon it-none to be seen anywhere.
Trembling and nerveless, she sank
upon chair. She looked at her hands
| again. There was no mistaking the
marks this time. Oh, for mirror of
some kind, that she might know the
worst
| The toilette glass must be hidden some
where. Holding on to the walls and fur
niture, she looks about the room. At
last she finds it concealed beneath the
bed. She drags it out, and sets it upon
the table.
| With trembling hands, she swings the
face of the glass towards her. One look
"a shrek of horror-an unearthly cry
a horror more than human upon her quiv-
ering face-and shuddering from head to
foot, she gazes upon her own reflection.
| The fell disease has concentrated all its
ravages in her face, which is blotched,
scanned, Scared and ploughed by it.
| 1t cannot be her face-the face that
was the god of her ldolatry-the face
whose fascination no man ever could re-
sist-this hideous thing fills her soul with
terror! She strikes at the fearful reflec-
tion, and the glass falls shIyered upon
the floor.
| After this she is seized with delirium
has to be watched night and day, and
| held down forcibly, to prevent her dashing
her head against the wall, or rending
herself with her nails.
There Is one name ever upon her Inns
I-Wylie. He Is omnipresent to her mad
ness-ever standing at the foot of the bed
mocking her; and then she shrieks, and
struggles to seize upon him, until ex-
haustlon paralyzes her; but she still NUT
ters threats as she lies back upon her
pillow.
All this time her life hangs upon
thread. The doctor says that 1t is impos-
sible for her to recover. After a while
the delirium exhausts itself, and then she
lies for upwards of week in state of
coma.
After this she slowly begins to rally;
the crisis is past. She will live. But no
shadow of her former self remains Sho