Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-03-02


determine whether he could have es-
capped with his life. Having reached
the bottom of the cliff. the party were
surprised TO find no traces of the body.
and we all followed the incline to the
point where It had disappeared from
my view. A short distance beyond
this there was n fork I'm the possible
route, one branch leading to n gradual
rise, upon attaining which he would
have soon stopped; the other leading
to the edge Of a crevasse into which
he would have fallen to an unknown
depth.
Every member of the party agreed
that Wallace must have slid into the
crcvasse. AS for me, l said nothing.
thinking the chances either way were
even. We returned to Interlaken, and
the party reported the result of their
Investigations, with the opinion that
the body, being I'm the crcvasSc. could
not easily be recovered. l resolved to
await developments. IL Wallace had
escaped we should hear from him with
In reasonable time.
A few days later an old gentleman
| came up to me while I was standing
beside my telescope and asked me II
the place from which the American
/ had fallen was visible from where we
stood. / assured him that it was and
directed my telescope toward 1t. He
! put his eye TO the glass and since 1t
was in the center OF the field of view
seemed to recognize 1t at once.
eff any one had been looking through
your glass nj the time the accident
occurred, would he have seen it?'' he
| asked.
Certainly" l replied.
"Can figures and faces be distin-
guished up there through your tele-
scope so as to know them?"
"NOt surely"
could you see an act in which two
figures were involved?'
Not very clearly"
Something In the mans voice was
familiar to me. AS he turned and
faced me / saw that he was made
up as the theatrical people say. Then
something suddenly burst upon me.
Was it a droop of one shoulder? Was
It the interest he had manifested in
the tragedy? l could not tell, but l
knew the old man was young Wallace
disguised.
Il was loking through my glass"
said. when that tragedy occurred"
felt grip on my arm. and the man
was fairly glaring at me.
Were you? What did you see?' he
said trying to master his emotion.
told him what had seen as | have
told it here. He would not permit me
to leave out the slightest detail. When
l had finished l added:
You are Mr.. Wallace, and you were
pushed over that cliff. l saw enough
to convince me that what l witnessed
, was an attempted murder. Now tel
me of the mans motive"
He told me that Miss Clark was NJ
, American millionairess; that he ha'
known her at home and they had re
Gently become engaged. In Paris J..
, Verian had been introduced to tn
girl, had Joined the party with whom
she was travelling and had been trying
to win her. Doubtless recognizing tina
Wallace was the main obstacle in til
= way of getting her and her millions
: he had attempted to put him out o
the way.
> Wallace had landed where | SUI
:. posed he would land, being only shall
:, en- up by the glance he had made q
the bottom of the cliff. Realizing tha
IL he accused lie Verian of trying
murder him he would have no ev
:. dence of the fact, he had disguise
. himself and returned with n view
watching his rival without bein
known to him. He had not yet mad
:, himself known TO Miss Clark. bein
!, DESTROYS to discover how she felt {
- ward his would be murderer. Fro
what he had observed he feared tn:
y lie Verian was making some headwa
in his suit, but could not tell. III
fiancee had been apparently muC
shocked.
Having learned that l would be all
~ to testify, Mr.. Wallace resolved
ne make himself known to lie Veri;
and Miss Clark. He came to see L
the next day and described the see
as it occurred at the j. hotel. He hi
~ taken a private parlor and sent mt
=. sage to lie Verian and Miss Clark I'll
" IL they would come to the apartme
Oe they would learn something of Geor
~ Wallace.
10 They came. the girl looking hopef
ly anxious. the man very much n
-, tated Wallace. who was dressed
;e an old man. threw off his disguise n
stood before them as himself. 7
-, girl started toward him with a cry Il
~, fell in a swoon in his arms. The N
ma stood looking like serpent about
-, strike n final blow for life.