The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-07-05

q ladies dressing rOOm-SOme smOlder-
ing ashes on the hearth. a lounge piled
up with cushions. but no person. The
sound | had heard had not issued from
this room. yet something withheld me
from seeking further. | paused just In
side the door and when the match
went out in my hand remained SILVER
ing there In the darkness. a prey to
sensations more nearly approaching
those of fear than any ! had ever be-
, fore experienced in my whole life.
Why | did not know. There seemed
to be no reason for this excess Of
feeling. had no dread of attack. My
apprehension was of another sort.
Besides. any attack here must come
from the rear-from the open door
way in which stood-and my dread
lay before me. in the room itself.
which. as have already said, ap-
peared to be totally empty. had for
gotten the intruder. The interest which
had carried me thus far had become
lost in fresher one of which the be-
ginning and ending lay hidden within
the four walls | now stared upon. I'M
seeing Not to see and yet to feel
did that make the horror? If so an
her lighted match must help me out.
struck one while the thought was
hot within me and again took a look
at the room.
noted but one thing new. but that
made me reel back till | was half.
way into the hail. Then certain
logged persistency possess came to
my rescne. ana re-entered the room
at q leap ana stood before the lounge
and irs pile of cushions. They were
numerous-ali that the room con-
tanned and more Chairs had been
stripped. window seats denuded and
the whole collection disposed here In
y set way which struck me as un.
natural.
But at this point my second match
went out.
Thoroughly reused now you will
say by WHARF. felt my way out of
the room and to the head of the stair.
case. I remembered the candle and
candlestick | had heard thrown down
on the lower floor by Carmel CuniDer-
land. | would secure them and come
back and settle these uncanny doubts.
had a hunt for the candlestick and
still longer one for the candle. but
finally | recovered both and. lighting
the latter. felt myself for the first
time more or less master of the situa-
ton.
Rapidly regaining the room in which
my interest was now centred. | set
the candlestick down on the dresser
and approached the lounge. Hardly
knowing what I feared or what ex-
pected to find. ! tore off one of the
cushions and flung II behind me.
More cushions were revealed. but that
was not all
Escaping from the edge of one of
them | saw shiny tress of woman's
hair. gave gasp and pulled off
more cushions. Then | fell on my
knees. struck down by the greatest
horror which man can feel. Death
lay before me-violent. uncalled for
death-and the victim was woman.
II was she-she indeed Dead
Adelaide. the woman ! had planned to
wrong that very night and who had
thus wronged me! For a moment !
could take in nothing but this one
astounding fact; then the how and
why woke in maddening curiosity
within me.
But beyond the ever accusing. pro-
tuberant stare those features told
nothing. and. steeling myself to the
situation. ! made what observation
could Of her condition and the sur
rounding circumstances. for this was
my betrothed wife. Whatever my tn
tentions. however far my love had
strayed under the spell cast over me
by her sister-the young girl who had
Just passed out-Adelaide and had
been engaged for many months. Our
wedding day was even set.
But that was all over now-ended,
as her life was ended. suddenly, In
conprehensibly and BY no stroke Of
God. Even the jewel on her finger
was gone. the token Of our betrothal
This was 10 be expected She would