The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-22

liz III 80UWE&&N< n$N3
at . funeral"
II know what use she had FOR 'em.' :
muttsrsd Preston JRx. cArsssing his
wrist. ITS simply q case OF crazy
womans isn't 1t. Professor Kentf"
"No. Not Il pau nsesn thst you.
aaeaalAnt was . Grassy WOMAN said
Kent patiently. ~
then who, ar.heGven'ss name II or
was Astraea7" cried Gedgwiok.
Astraea Is. take II, . lady long
since dead. A very strange ana inter-
esting lady who adopted that name
for her own peculiar pursuits along
our friend Jax's lines OF interest"
They call themselves all sorts OF
graphically. II had q follower once
that used to sign herself Carrie Ma
ton. and she wasn't the real Carrie
at all. No name 10 sacred to 'em
when they go dippy over the stars"
Then the woman OF Lonesome Cove
borrowed that name from some old
recordf" asked Sedgwick.
Follow me through a page of un-
written local history" said Chester
ming Of this story goes back some
seventy-five years. when there lived.
not far from Hogs Hagen, in a
house which has since been destroyed,
an older sister of Captain Hogg, who
married into the Grosvenor family.
She was, from the evidence of the
Grosvenor family historian, who, by
the way, has withheld all this from
his pages, a woman of the most ex-
| traordinary charm and magnetism.
Not beautiful, in the strict sense of the
word, she had q gift beyond beauty.
and she led men in chains. Her hus-
band appears to have been a weak
ling who counted for nothing In her
| life after the birth of her children.
Seeking distraction, she flung her
self into mysticism and became the
priestest of a cult of starworshipers,
which included many of the more
cultivated people of this region.
Among them was a young German
mystic and philosopher, who had fled
to this country to escape punishment
for political offenses. Hermann Won
Miltz was his name"
That's why she called me Her
MANN" broke In Preston. in an awed
half whisper.
Don't jump to wild conclusions, "
said Kent smilingly. Some of their
correspondence Is still extant. She
signed herself Astraea, in handwrit-
| ing similar to the signature of that
note OF yours, Jax. There seems to
have been no guilt between them, as
| the law judges guilt. The bond was
mystic one. But It was none the
less fatal. 1t eliminated ina tragedy
of which the details are lost. Perhaps
It was an elopement that they plan
ned; perhaps double suicide, with
the idea that their souls would be
united in death. There are hints of
that In the old letters in the histo-
rian's possession and in the library
at Hedgerow House. This much is
known: The couple embarked to-
gether In q small boat. Won Miltz
was never again heard of. Camilla
/ Grovesnor's body came ashore In
Lonesome Cove. She was the Cove
earliest recorded victim. The sketch
which that mischief-monger. Elder
bennett. left at your door, Sedgwick,
supposing 1t to be ~ likeness OF the
unfortunate creature he had seen on
/ the road to your house. IS q Charles
Elliott sketch for the portrait. OF Ca
m!lia Grosvenor."
"My God!' lax burst out, twas it
/ a ghost I met up with that night on
| Hawkiii Heightsf"
I ''As near a ghost as you are likely
/ 70 encounter. probably" answered
Kent
I But. see here" said Adam Balm,
| I'm a lawyer. The law doesn't deal
| with ghosts or nearghosts. Are you
! trying TO tell US. Professor Kent. that
| the soul OF this long-dead Astraea-
4 Camilla Grosvenor. came back to in
4 habit the body Of the Jane Doe OF
I Lonesome Cove"
Not precisely that. either. Every
thing is strictly within the limits OF
the laws cognlzance, Mr.. Balm. as
you will see. Now I'm going to make
a long jump down to the present If
l fail TO keep the trail clear, any
where. you are any Of you at liberty
to interrupt me. First, then, I want
you to follow with me the course of a
figure that leaves Hedgerow House
on the late afternoon OF July fifth.
BY chance, the figure Is not seen, ex-
cept at a distance by Gansett Jim.
who suspected nothing. then. Other
wise Ii would have been stopped, as
it wears Mrs Blairs necklace and
rings"
Dressing khe part OF Astraea."
guessed Lawyer Balm.
Precisely. Our jeweled figure,
in dress that is an old one OF Mrs.
makes its way across country to the
coast"
ITO Join me-" said Preston Jax.
ITO Join you. Chance brings the
wayfare face to face with that gen.
wayfarer face to face with that gen.
bennett. They talk. The stranger
asks-Quite by chance, though the
Elder assumed 1t was otherwise
about the home OF Francis Sedgwick.
At the entrance to Sedgwick's place
the pair met. There was a. curious
encounter, ending in Sedgwick's de-
manding an explanation Of the rose
topazes, which he knew TO be Mrs.
Blairs.''
How did he know that7" de-
manded Alexander Blair.
Because I had worn them when
sat to him." said Marjorie Blair
quietly.
"You sat to Sedgwick! For your
picture? Why didn't you tell me
this?"
mo. explanation was due you. IT
was . matter Of chance. our ac-
quaintance. Mr.. Sedgwtck did not
even know who / was"
"Nor who his other visitor was.
* supposed" said Blair with a saw
age sneer.
NO." said sedgwick. NOR do
know to this day."
THE stranger" continued Kent.
refused to give Sedgwick any ex-
PLANTATION, and when he threatened
to follow. stunned him with a rock,
and escaped. Some distance down
the road the wayfarer encountered