The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-14

under circumstances that would permit no suspicion.
 Tn truth. however, this murderous er- rand was destined to be the last of the many that the housekeeper had done for Ferrand He had decided that the time had come to get rid of her. So when the assassin upset the boat, the other one ap- preached only to pick him up, and both women were left to whirl down the tide, being watched cold-bloodedly by the mur- de1ers until they sank.
 Ferrand has taken effective precautions to prevent the assassins from knowing who he was The death of Madame Sera- phine removed his accomplice, who might have turned on him some day. Now there remained only one other being who had guilty knowledge of his crimes, and hlm he did not fear, since betrayal would mean his own destruction. That accomplce was Dr. Polidori.
 Yet even while he was rubbing his hands with satisfaction Dr. Polidori, tracked by Rudolph's spies, who had seen him with Ferrand, was in their hands. They had caught him in the very com mission or a cTlIHe-tllS pOisohlliS Ol O AiSAA man at the orders of his young wife.
 Once in the power of Rudolph and real izng that the scaffold was certain if the Grand Duke chose to give him up to jus tice. he surrendered Ferrand without hes itation.
 He confessed that the brother of the Countess Fermont had not committed sui eide but had been murdered by Ferrand and himself that they might appropriate the fortune in the notarys hands. He furnished proof that Ferrand's charge against Germain had been made solely to hide another embezzlement of trust funds. With these confessions and with docu- ments that he surrendered, he gave the Grand Duke enough evidence to assure the conviction of the lawyer on capital charges.
 But this was not Rudophs design, im- bued as he was with the determination to punish criminals and crime in his own way.
 Holding the fear of death over Polidori, he made him the instrument Taking elaborate precautions against his escape, he sent the Italian into Ferrand's house to begin novel anS effective punishment. Meantime he had learned of the kid naping of La Goualeuse. His agents traced her to Saint LaZare. There they learned that Madame Seraphine had taken her away and almost simultaneously with their report came the news of the drown ing.
 The Grand Duke was stricken with grief. He realized with surprise that the beautiful and unhappy young girl had grown very dear to him-an emotion that he could not analyze further than to mourn as if he had lost a beloved child.
 While he was still overcome he received the news of the attack on Sarah. Al though she was alive still it was certain that she was doomed, and she begged Ru- dolph to fulfill a dying request and grant her an interview.
 He went at once, deeply as he hated her
 Lady Sarah was determined to fulfill her ambition before she died. In the past months it had slowly become a mania with her to wear crown. Now that she was dying it was her one liam ing desire-a madness that kept her alive and gave her strength to play her great card.
 Even more beautiful than when she first lured the young Prince, she faced Rudolph with a light of triumph in her dark eyes.
 "Rudolphl' she cried almost as soon as he entered. Our child is not dead!
 The Grand Duke leaped to his feet and said with trembling voice: You are trying to deceive mei'
 There! The proofs! Stained with my blood!'' said Sarah pointing to the frag- mentary confession of the Screech Owl. Rudolph turned white. He staggered and the paper dropped from his hands. He looked at Sarah with growing hor- TOT.
 q wrote to you that our child was dead" said Sarah, "because l wished to revenge myself on you When she was 4 old T n Sera- phine. the widow of the old servant, to firing up I placed 100000 francs with lawyer. Jacques Ferrand, for her support. At the end of year they wrote to me that she was dead. Recently, when my husband died and, almost at the same tune. you became a widower, I determined to produce young girl and declare that she was our daughter knowing that you would legitimatize her by marrying me. In looking for an a girl, Providence led me to an old woman called Screech OWL I showed her this picture She recognized it as that of girl given to her by convict. who had obtained her from Mime. Seraphine.'
 Rudolph stared at the picture. There could be no mistake. Twelve years, though there were 12 years of unthinkable suffering, had only emphasized the beauty of the child.
 He began to sob-terrible sobs that shook him as an epochal tempest shakes rocks.
 "The Goualeuse-our child-and they have killed her!" gasped he at last
 Sarah looked at him with lips apart and stony face.
 Yes, accursed woman," said he, fore ing himself to speak commercially, although his brain was a-whirl "they have Killed her. Good and provident mother, do you know what this child was?'
 In flood of passionate words he poured out the story of poor La Goualeuse. 'Die, wretch. die!' he screamed, frightful with rage. when he had ended 'Die!' and rushed from the room, leaving Sarah in sensible.
 Overwhelmed with fury, he drove straight to the house of Jaques Ferrand, meaning to kill the lawyer with his own hand It was no longer the Grand Duke of Gerolstein doing justice. It was father seeking the life of wretch "ho had killed his child's soul and body.
 But the colder, sterner and far more impressiye justice that he had set into motion against the villain was before him. For Jacques Ferrand all the torture and anguish that he had caused his victims through many years had been compressed for him into a few days by terrible in- genuity.
 Polidori had been granted a reprieve by the Grand Duke on condition that he go to Ferrand. tell him how he had been betrayed and inform him that he could save his life by doing minutely what the Grand Duke had planned for him. Ferrand went almost mad when he learned the conditions But on the other