Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-11
; A Woman's Enchantment
) By WILLIAM LIE QUEUX
y by liam lie ?u.u1,
Copyright 1909. by William LIE 9u.u1,
0mNa99afaae0 g080ess6s.sesE 49,
CHAPTER xxxIv-continued.

- teesssS-ssSS'SS
CHAPTER XXXIV-Contiuue
You see he exclaimed, Il had hon
estly believed what Lydia had told me.
But the whole plot had. l afterward dis
covered. really been formed to get rid of
Marie Lebas in the most sec ct and
mysterious manner possible. Lydia came
back from Hastings next day. pretending
to he appalled, by what had happened, and
suggested that she should remain I'M
known and unrecognized by entering the
service of Madame Perrin as shirt and
collar dresser. / had no idea that the
woman was married. or that her hus-
band. the ex-professor. was one of the
cleverest and most artistic criminals OF
modern times. I discovered his existence
only a fortnight ago by watching her
movements. His name is Pilade Bran
chini and he"
1--WE know cried Myra. ''Mr. Raiston
has already tod us of him He knew
him N Vienna"
"Then, Mr. Ralston.' exclaimed Gar
shore, you perhaps know that the eS-
professor is an expert photographer ana
we'll versed in the science of decipherins
ancient manuscripts and records pre-
served in state archives ana private
imminent rooms?
NO" 1 responded, Il did not know
that have always belie s,s,dsa ,nat a at
the University of Bucharest
so he was. But he also professor
of history there" Garshore responded
From exhaustive inquiries l have SINCE
elected several startling and amazing
| facts. Greciano Died with exactly the
same symptoms as poor Marie Leoas. l
| had believed mine to be a master nina
where chicanery and fraud were con
cernad. but compared with Pllaoe bfah-
chni I am. as yet. tyro.
II hold certain discriminating documents
| which 1 found in your. possession, MI;
Garshore" | said in hard. determined
| voice; documents which show you your
| self to be posoner."
"Be patient" he ureed land I will eX-
| plain everything. Fearing treachery: tne
| maid. Lebas. on the evening of her deatn
posted letter to me which ala NO.
| receive until the following, day. see: !,
| have 1t herein her own handwriting,
! he added, exhibiting 1t. Read and you
will see that she confesses to having III
| Vienna discovered Branchinl In the act
Of making some mysterious distlilatloh
while her mistress was out. week later
| she found upon his table some grayish
| powder il. a small phial. and. taking II
up was >out to smell 1t. whereupon the
man spran , forward in horror and oiur.,
ed out that it was a compound that Wcuid
III
DAYS afterward there occurred the mys-
! terious death OF Prince Paul, accomplish
ed without a doubt, by the secret but
pot ent poison which Branchini had been
able to manufacture IT m ire lormuia
contained in certain ancient documents
A few wears before as lie admitted to
Lydia, he had discovered these by acct
dent in the course of his photographed
studies in an old booksh p In back
street in acknowledgements which at
had evidently been
distracted from the state archives al
Venice These had given into his I'M
scrupnlons hands an all-petent power
the secret of poison Impossible OF de-
:. ction.''
But the documents were in your pos
session. l repeated.
IT know" he answered. That, TOO,
| I'll explain"
But why was the life of Marie Lebas
taken in that manner and suspicion
| ,hrcwn upon my friend Gough?"
| "Ah. the ingenuity of that Italian,
Branchini. was little short of demoniacal,
! and in his wife he had an apt and clever
| accomplice 1t appears that the unfcr-
tunate Marie had only few months ago
| related in confidence to her mistress what
| she actually knew concerning BrancLlnls
! crime In Vienna Lydia at once told her
to charge Mr.. Cough with the murder.
heated quarrel. BY this she saw that
! she might shield her husband. All went
well. Information was given to MI
| Winch, and the warrant issued for the
| arrest, but suddenly Marie and the ltal-
| ian quarreled-"
The Italian.' interrupted. Was he
short and stout, with a large fabby
| face?' / asked, recollecting this mystert-
Gus Italian had seen meeting Lydia in
| Soho.
Yes. that describes Branchini." was
Garshore's response. well. the maid
and the husband had slight quarrel
and she threatened to leave madame S
| service. Then it was that Branchini'
| living in hiding in London, and the mas
! ter mind behind all the actions Of the
clever Lydia. continued the plot which
| had for its motive the maids mysterious
death and the silencng- of her fpS
IN alliance. and the only person
they then feared was Marie-hence was
the fatal powder placed within the smell
ing bottle which her mistress knew her
to be SO very fond of using BY this
they not only got rid of what tn Y
thought was the only person who had
knowledge that Branchini was well
yersed in the science of toxicology. but
also they placed still stronger suspicious
upon Granny Cough.
"All this is utterly astounding" declar-
ed Granny. Il had no idea of the exist
ence of such plot against me. l only
knew I was innocent of the death of
Marie Lebas. and in the hope that some
LUCKY tIut might present llst!' III c'Ho,
he said, turning to me, Il sugg sted you
should go to Nine. Perrin. who is always
a good riend to compatriots in trouble"
Neither had t. said Garshora. until,
by watching Lydia unexpectedly d'scov-
cred the secret existence of her husband.
I found that he lived in small fiat In
Rivermead Mansions, at the foot O.
| Barnes bridge. and into the place one
night during his absence | succeeded in
entering and discovering the actual parch-
ment records frcm which n had prepared
| his deadly compound. 1t was these
manuscripts which Mr.. Kalston discover
ed In my possession on the very night
| that I, with the assistance of a friend
who is chemist, was trying as an in
| teresting experiment to prepare some of
, the poison. You ask the reason / did
| this? Well, I will tell you Earlier that
evening l had received a surprise visi:
| from the fair Lydia. who wanted my
| mo or car to take her down to ST. Alhans.
| Upon my writing table there stool a silver
| bowl of roses, and after she had gone
by mere chance placed them upon the
| floor while ] spread out upon the table a
/ big map which l wanted to examine
Scarcely had l done when my Irish
| terrier Tim entered the room. shifted
| them inquisit.vely. and lew moments
later rolled over upon the floor. dead.
The woman knew how fond am OF roses
and those flowers had been prepared for
me, She and her precious husband had