Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-01

villainy to perpetrate." The words were
hotly spoken, and with sudden start
she laughed even more angrily than be-
fore and cried: Il think I understand.
You mean me to kill myself with this. y
and her fingers closed round the haft OF
the dagger.
"God forbid" exclaimed, earnestly. 81
have no such thought, Test me as you
| will Let me help you"
| MY sincerity appeared to have some eff
feet upon her. She laid down the dagger
and looked at me very stead1iy ana with
renewed curiosity. II don't understand
change I'm Beppo Serrano TOWARD me?'
! "You appear to know me well. Do you
mean that you know me by the name you
have now spoken three times?
| She made a gesture OF impotence. Wno
else do you pretend to be-"
| The mystery was deepening. How
| could she know me. Cuthbert Dalrymple.
| by such a name and as an ltalian: AND
| then some glimmering OF the truth began
| to break in upon my bewildered wits.
The blow 1 had received in the italian
| quarter must have destroyed my memory.
The growth Of my beard had proved that
a long interval had elapsed since the at
i tack, and in the meantime something
being mistaken for this Italian, Beppo
Serrano, the name by which she knew
| me now.
| What could have occurred in the in
| terval to cause such q mistake? The
| though appalled, me. L, staggered back
against the wall and put my hand to my
| head in utter desolation and bewilder-
ment If what she said were the truth.
must, indeed, have been mad: l must
have been a different man altogether;
some scoundrelly Italian, whose mere ere
presence had been enough to steep her
very soul in dread and loathing Of me.
| "You do not answer my question:" she
said. breaking the long silence.
Her voice recalled me. I would at least
learn from her so much as she could tell
me. but would hold my secret from her
until 1 knew more. I answered her this
time in Italian. II make no pretense.
| What place is this?'
| so you have not quite forgotten your
| own tongue" she said. THAT part OF the
pretense is over at any rate" Her tone
was one of scornful disdain. DO you adj
| NIT that you are Beppo Serrano!
| "Whatever you declare to be the truth
will admit What house is this?'
| You do not know that 1t is cottage
on my estate? You have never seen me
before, you said: you do not know there
| fore that am Masita Correggio: that L
was brought here tonight on the pretense
| that my brother was in danger; That the
MAGISTRATE, Signor Vicino. was mere when
you and the others arrived; that you with
them dragged me to this room. and that
| YOU with your own hands bound me and
ordered me under pain of death to Keep
SILENT
| be imagined IT have received blow on
the head and my memory has suffered. 1
remember nothing Of what you say. 90
not even know where the estate Is OF
which you speak"
your evil cunning" she burst out with
| great heat you will pretend you do not
| know we are in Sicily; that you nave
never heard of Carlo Beltano. the leader
of your band; nor of Moita, ms sister'
and your affianced wife; nor OF Giuseppe,
nor of Ahmet the Turk: nor Breva, nor
| Pepita. You know knothing, Of course.
You have never been on Beltanos lsiano,
| I suppose? Such lies would be worthy or
you. You have some motive TOT tne mem an an
Say what your fresh purpose Is with me
and carry it out You have, at least, the
| reputation Of courage-the courage or
wild beast, maybe; but yet enough to let
you tell the truth and let me know the
| worst
| with what profound dismay listened
as she reeled of these facts in the form
| Of indignant questions cannot descr1pe.
| Every reference was, OF course, utterly
strange to me, and the mention or them
stirred no answering memory. That she
was speaking the truth. or what she be-
lieved to be the truth, was without ques-
| ton. I did not doubt her for a moment.
| although her story showed that while
had lost my identity I had 5ourneyed
-
Italy; had built up for myself a new
character as a member OF some band,
| and had wooed and won the love or the
woman she called Molta. Apparently my
| new career was that or Slclnan oeS-
| perado and scOundrel.
The reference which touched me most
closely at that moment was the mention
of the woman to whom was said to be
afianced, and this was due to my newly
aroused feelings for the beautiful gtrl
<1,,o told mo n
| But 1 was soon sufficiently master OF
myself to be able to answer calmly. L
have already told you the worst Of my
| purpose in regard to you. 1t Is to help
| you. All ask Is that you put me to the
| test. You believe that you are in some
danger from the man you have men
| toned, Carlo Beltano? You are in none
from me. Do you wish to leave here?''
But at this protested desire to assist
her her face hardened. "You have some
secret scheme against me. Some ambush
| into which you would lead me. l know
you too we'll to trust myself to you"
| Your words leave no doubt that you
| believe you have reason to dlstrust me-
| It must be as you will. But you are free
| to leave here and If can help you to
safety, 1 declare to you on my honor
that you may rely upon me-.
II do not believe you. Stand away
| from the door and let me pass, II you
are not lying to me-"
l went at once to the other end of the
room. She picked up the dagger from the
| bed and then took the lamp, keeping her
| eyes on me the whole time as she went
| slowly to the door.
1 let her go and made no effort to follow
her down the rickety stairway. L heard
| her move along the passage from the
stairs to the door and try to open 1t. She
failed and them called to me. "You have
| the key of this. Throw it down."
81 have no key" I replied.
"Yet it is locked. You are deceiving
me-
IT have not locked it. know nothing
| of it. If you wish, l will break it open
| for you 1 am not deceiving YOU"
She made no reply, and l heard her
enter the room where the dead man lay.
| The next instant she screamed, and l
knew she had seen the body.
I ran down then. She was standing by
| the side Of the body with the lamp in her
| hand; her face was as white as salt. and
| she was trembling so violently that
| feared the lamp would fall from her
| hand.
| '"rhis is your work. them she cried.
| "You are a murderer. You have muir
dered Signor Vicino. Your knife has his
| blood upon the blade"
l had no answer. 1 could not deny the
charge I did not know. She paused as
| If expecting denial, and when l held my
| tongue she shuddered and flung the knife
| from her. as II 1t were a thing accursed
Placing the lamp on the table she fell
| back against the wall and stared at me.
| her hands pressed against her laborfng
bosom.
| you sent me down that I should see
this" she murmured. in low tone.