Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-25

soAAo WIN, Dy tne way, has Withheld
all This from his pages. a woman OF the
most extraordinary charm and mag
netism. Not beautiful In the strict
sense OF the word, she had a gift be
yond beauty. and she led men in
chains. Her husband appears 30 have
been a weaknng who counted for
nothing In her life after the birth of
, her children Seeking distraction, she
flung herself into mysticism and be-
came the priestess Of a cult of star
worshipers, which Included many of
the more cultivated people OF this re-
g1on- Among them was a young Ger
man mystic and philosopher who had
lied to this country TO escape punish
ment 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 handwriting
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 a mystic
one. But It was none the less fatal
1t eliminated in a tragedy of which
the details are lost. Perhaps IL was
an elopement that they planned; per-
haps a double suicide. with the idea
that their souls would be united in
death There are hints OF that in the
old letters in the historians possession
and In the library at Hedgerow house.
This much is known: The couple en-
barked together in a small boat. Won
Miltz was never again heard of. Ca
milla Grosvenor's body came ashore In
Lonesome Cove. She was the Cove's
earliest recorded victim. The sketch
which that mischief monger. Elder
bennett, left at your door. Sedgwick.
supposing IT TO be a likeness of the
unfortunate creature he had seen on
the road to your house. is a Charles
Elliott sketch for the portrait OF Ca
milla Grosvenor''
My Godr' Jax burst out. WAS IL a
ghost I met up with that night on
HawidIl heiehts?'
"As near as you are ever likely TO
encounter, probably" answered Kent.
Now, I'm going - make a long jump
down 10 the present. First, then. 1
want you to follow with me thu course
of a figure that leaves Hedgerow
house on the late afternoon Of July 3.
BY chance. the figure is not seen, ex-
cept at a distance by Gansett Jim, who
suspected nothing then. Otherwise IL
would have been stopped. as it wears
Mrs. Blair's necklace and rings"
Dressing the part OF Astraea,"
guessed Lawyer Balm.
Precisely. Our jeweled figure, in a
dress that is an old one OF Mrs. Blair's
and with package in hand. makes its
way across country to the coast
ITO join me-" said Preston Jax.
ITO join you. Chance brings the
wayfarer face to face with that gen.
tleman OF the peekaboo mind. Elder
bennett They talk. The stranger
asks-quite by chance. though the ell
der assumed it was otherwise-about
the home of Francis Sedgwick. At
the entrance to Sedgwick's place the
pair met. There was curious en-
counter. ending I'm Sedgwick's demand
ing an explanation of the rose topazes,
which he knew TO be Mrs. Blair's."
How did he know that:" demanded
Alexander Blair.
Because l had worn them when L
sat to him for my picture" said Mar
Jorie Blair quietly.
The stranger" continued Kent, re
fused to give Sedgwick any expiana-
hon. and when he threatened TO fol-
low stunned him with II rock and es-
capped. Some distance down the road
the wayfarer encountered Simon p.
Groot, the itinerant merchant Sedg-
wick afterward met him and made in
quiries. but obtained no satisfaction.
"Sedgwick was back in his house by
o o'clock. and we have a witness here
who was talking with the wearer OF
the necklace at that hour. Jax, let us
have your statement"
Holding the copy OF the confession
in his hand in case OF confusion of
memory. the starmaster told of his
of the swift savage at
tack. OF the appalling incident of the
manacles. of the wild race across the
heights and OF the final tragedy.
I've thought and wondered and fig I
ured day and night" he said in con- /
clusion. "and can't get at what that I
rope and the handouts meant"
The handouts must have come from |
that dreadful collection OF Captain /
Hogg's things In the big hallway at
Hedgerow house." said Marjorie Blair.
Yes" assented Kent, and the dim
clew to their purpose goes back again.
| fancy. TO the strange mysticism OF
the original Astraea. The disordered
mind. with which we have TO deal,
seems to have been guarding against
any such separation as divided In
death Astraea from her Hermann"
'It was the other man that killed
her." said Preston Jax, "the man
heard yell when she went over. But
what became of him.
Simon p. Groot spoke OF hearing
hat mans scream, too" confirmed
Balm. Have you got any Chew 10 him,