Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-14

CHAPTER Nx-continued.

CHAPTER xXx-continued.
81 went away-what else could 90!
On the other side of the door, however,
I stopped for moment and listened
and heard him say:
"'You are pale, dearest--you danced
too much, fear; let me pour you d
glass of wine
"He moved toward the closet in the
wall. Immediately after, the click OF
glass against glass was distinctly au-
dible. turned and walked away
81 flung myself upon my bed In the
countess,s closet, but not to sleep.
felt that she would ring for me di-
rectly-that she could not prepare her
self for bed unassisted; but no sum-
mons came. In the gray dawn l arose
and looked into her chamber. She was
not there. rushed to her boudoirI
flung back the heavy curtain from lts
Threshold Oh, mon Dieu! she lay
stretched upon her sofa, In ner rlcn
BALL dress, with all her jewels spar
king and shining upon her-madame,
behold how I tremble as tell you
this. for the horror Of 1t will never
leave me, / think!-one hand holding
something to her side, her gold halr
flowing over the silken pillow. her
ewes closed, her soft flesh already like
ice-dead, madame-stone dead!
"The something In her hand was the
empty laudanum vial which had seen
behind the picture. few to the closet
in the wall The Venetian glass ana
the decanter were both gone! l. ran
shrieking to the doors; the count came
so did the other servants, all save
one-Adolphe! He had fed the house
leaving behind him a letter for his
master, in which he said that, having
discovered the countess's unhappy
passion for himself, he could not In
honor, abide longer under the counts 8
roof. She had threatened to kill her
self II he left her, but all the same ne
must go. Oh, II was Infamous!
monsieur, you cannot believe it! !
said to the count. She mated Aqoipne,
and he has killed her! VINO put ne
put that vial in her dead hand, hoping
to screen himself by making others
think her a suicide? Where is the wine
that he placed in the closet yonder-
examine 1t, monsieur, and you will hnd
that she has been fourly dealt with
We two were alone in the countess's
chamber when / said this. He seized
me fiercely by the throat.
"Fool!' he Kissed, dare TO accuse
my good Adolphe Of such q thlng-
dare to breathe your vile suspicious 10
any living being, and / will crush you
as / would a gnat! Help me TO snieo
that wretched woman's name from dis
grace. instead Of setting inquiry afoot
by such gabbiing as this. She died py
her own hand, because my valet would
not reciprocate her unhappy passion.
There has been no wine In the closet
Won rave! You never saw this laud-
anum vial until 1t was found In her
grasp. On your peril, do not repeat
those mad lies!' =,
"The look which he gave me-ah, I
cannot describe it! 1t chilled my blood;
II shut my mouth. was paralyzea
with terror Of this man. l knew az
once that Adolphe was his tool; tnat
together they had killed the countess.
"Well. she was buried in Pere La
chaise. The count wept and raved
and tore his hair; his extravagant
grief was the talk Of all Paris. AS for
me, I fed to my own people at Verr-
eres. and there / fell i'll, and lay for
long time at deaths door. After
while / returned to Paris. and again
became a lady's maid; and three years
ago I entered the service or madame,
your mother. At Baden-Baden l saw
Count Stahl for the first time since
the Countess Olga's death. Afterwaro
beautiful rich American. You sailed
for New York, and I went with you;
and there, oh heaven! there in your
fathers house, / beheld that miscre-
ant, Adolphe, again!"
Finette had poured out this story In
a breathless, excited way, her voice
full of long-represed fear and nate
and the woman to whom the recltai
was made had listened, motionless and
silent as carven stone. Now, however
she gave a sudden start.
ain INV fathers house, Finette?"
"Yes. madame. He called himsel1
Raron Strozzi. 1t was he who sought
to marry Mademoiselle Beatrix, your
cousin. Madame, his name was not
Strozzi, but Adolphe Sassard; and ne
was no baron, but the former vaaet OF
monsieur the count ] saw him, put ne
did not see me-"
Ethel flung out her hands.
"Finette, Finette! why did you not
tell these things long ago?"
who would have believed me, mad.
anne? What proof had l 10 support
INV statements? ! had not the courage
to openly brave those two bad men. l
was q stranger and a servant. Your
mother would have called me a mad
woman, and turned me into the street,
The count would have killed me, for
aught / know. In my own way
tried to save you, madame, but you
would not let me. And now nave
told you all this, that you might see
your own peril. He tired OF the Coun-
tess Olga; when her fortune was spent
and she became a burden on his hands
he destroyed her He has tired OF you;
your fortune is gone-will he not at
tempt to destroy you? Madame en-
treat you, be on your guard"
Ethel stared in dumb horror and al
fright at her waiting maid.
Listen, madame! there Is an &C.
tress at the Varieties Theatre called
Mademoiselle Nicole. The count Is hel
devoted admirer. She Is very rich, and
IL Is whispered about Paris that she
really loves him. If he were free, ne
would, without doubt, marry her, fol
the sake of her great wealth. Is 1t no,
probable that he may make an enor'
for freedom, with such a prize before
him? Today, unfortunately, he recog-
nized me here. He will command you
to discharge me at once. He hates me
he fears me; he cannot breathe Freely
while I am under this roof"
Ethel shuddered, and clutchec FL
nette. as II she already felt the hand o.
violence. s IA,
II am doomed" she whispered, will
pale lips. He will kill me, even as IN
killed her!"
CHAPTER XXXII.
Da.iI