Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-26

Balm. that someone had changed
bodies on EN-"
THAT'S what made you so cussed
curious. was it, ADAM" barxed the
sheriff.
There was no exchange of bodies"
said Kent But there was a change
in the body ITSELF
What kind of a change asked
Sedgwick.-
HAS it ever occurred to you to
think that. after death, the hair
grows fast?'A
1--WE heard 1t said. said Lawyer
Balm, that it grows faster than in
life"
And that it grows. not only on the
head, button the face as well?"
THE face! A woman's face?" ex.
claimed Sedgwick.
No, a mans"
What man?''
1.-THE man In the coffin"
Have you lost your mind, chet7
The body in the coffin was that Of
the woman who met eme at the enc
trance to the Nook
mo. 1t was the body of the man
who, dressed in woman's clothing, met
you at the Nook and knocked you
down with a stone flung overland as
not one woman in a thousand could
have thrown 1t. That, in itself, ought
to have suggested the secret to me,
long before discovered It."
But how did you discover it?" in
CURED Sedgwick in bewilderment.
Since you didn't see the growth OF
beard on the dead face yourself?''
BY the cut on the cheek. You see,
the sheriff had failed to foresee that
telltale beard. So, when in Difference
to Mr.. Bain's protest against burial
without a formal view of the body.
they opened up the casket and saw
the obvious change in the face, there
was nothing for the officials to do
but remedy their carelessness. They
had the body taken to the house and
did the best they could. That cut. on
the cheek was razor cut. Having
realized that much I had to deal
thenceforth with the mystery of a
dead man masquerading as a woman.
and being abetted in the deception
by the officers of the law
"Astraea a mani" broke in Preston
Jax, his chin In a spasm. mo won
der she-hwput up such a fight. who
was her
My son. wilfrid Blair" said Alex
ander Blair.
Sedgwick took a swift involuntary
step toward Marjorie. but Kent was
before him, setting firm hand ON
his shoulder.
Not now, Frank, he said Then,
turning to the girl-widow: "You see,
Mrs. Blair" he said very gently, 1T
isn't so bad as you feared. There
was no other woman in the case, no
disgrace, no shame. You need feel
nothing but pity for an unhappy
wrecked mind, for which death was
the happiest refuge. .
Marjorie blair sat very still and
white. Let me thinki" she whisp-
cred. Let me think.''
But the mans voice!" exclaimed
Jax. THE voice of the man on the
cliff
"Wilfrid Blairs," said Kent. I'm
the final moment he came to himself.
At last he resumed his voice. Up to
then he had been. in voice. manner.
thought. purpose, unconsciously play
ing a part" {
"Astraeay said sedgwick and Jax
in a breath.
yes. 1t was one of those strange
and complete assumptions OF person
ality which puzzle the alienists. Will
frid Blair's diseased mind had fas-
tened upon the strange history of his
ancestress. and brooded on it until
he became convinced that her spirit
was reincarnated in himself. I'm
doubtedly his striking likeness to the
portrait of Camilla Grosvenor pow
erfully aided the obsession There
were her letters, in the library, to
give color to his unconscious imita-
ton. AS is common in this form of
dementia he was secretive: but there
can be no doubt that from the time
when he recognized in Preston Jax's
advertisement. the call of Astraeas
kindred soul, Hermann Won Miltz, his
one Overwhelming desire was to re-
enact the drama of the last century,
in his own assumed personality. Jax
has told us how cleverly and secretly
the plan for the double suicide was
matured. This obsession must have
been of long standing"
I'VE thought it melancholia. said
Alexander Blair. LAS you say, he had
been secretive. Very silent. too.
We kept Gansett Jim with him as a
sort of body-guard.
Marjorie Blair got to her feet. She
was ghost-white, but her voice and
eyes were steady as she faced Kent.
81 must understand this ALL" she
said. "Wilfrid's body is where?"
"In Annalaka churchyard.'
Then who-what is buried In his
grave at Hedgerow House?"
Nothing" said Alexander Blair.
"A mock funeral"
-
tTo BE. Continued Tomorow.)