The Washington times., 1918-05-30
Part one-(Continued)

She had begged Grimstead to let
her send for me, for yOuN may
imagine how she longed for com
panionship: but for long while he
had refused. They needed Etoo
many assistants as It was, and he
did not wholly trust Tweedledum
and Tweedledee-what names to
use in such a connection!-and Mon
Grief, all of whom he had been
obliged to employ at one time or
another. These men never knew
all that knew, but they were paid
servants and did their cruel work
as well as he wished them to.
AT last, when he found that Ger
trude could restrain Cyril as no
one else could, he yielded, and al
. lowed, her to telegraph for. me. He
would mot, however, give her any
money! she had found out by now
that though the money was no
myth there was none to be put at
her disposition Grimstead had
been very reticent with her as to
the family history Of her husband,
and she did not know that the
three brotAers were being main
tanned by Mrs. Borradale any more
than. Mrs. BnTradsle could have
known that Cyril had been secretly
married. aAll these things dis
covered for myself later. Gertrude
knew only that there was money.
and that it was jealousy guarded
by her elder brother, whose pc
culiar property it was supposed to
be.
Adupts SELF To Circumstance.
And so, Esther. 7 came to that
horrible house. You may imagine
what it was like. I suppose 1 made
myself useful-what was the good
OF kicking against the pricks? At
least ! had my freedom to go and
come, and I was paid for my SER
vices. Without me ! do not think
that Gertrude could have lived.
Perhaps IL would have been better
for her. poor girl. il she had died
at once. She was practically a
prisoner IN i that house. for she
never went beyond the grounds OF
Adderley, TO which she had direct
access by the secret passage. She
was ashamed OF herself, ] think;
she was a very sensitive girl, and
she felt the horror and degrada-
ton Of her position very acutely.
often tried to induce her to escape
from it, but she never would
so time went on, and then the
! catsstE5P 5Ph6s ,penuEseds Which cost,
Cyrii BIS he. II u hada not been
thar Il reacted on Gertrude
should have been glad; perhaps she
would have felt herself free. It
happened like this:
"The Curse-I viii call him So
was always kept in close confne-
ment-sometimes at the manor and
sometimes in the outlying house.
For some reason which have
never fathomed-it must belong to
that deeper secret Of which he
spoken-it seemed to be necessary
that at stated times he should be
taken to the Manor: when there. he
was usually confined in a suite OF
rooms or cells beneath the house,
and in one OF these, which COM
municated by an iron door with the
vault into which my sister led you,
the treasure had been concealed.
How il came there or to whom it
originally belonged, have never
discovered, -anE more than I can
say why a door was ever made
opening AlLU Lne Nau1L.
His Name Was Forbidden.
Now Cyril and Basil were always
consumed with jealousy on this sub
feet. They were never allowed TO
see their brother; his existence was
not mentioned to them. But they
know OF the treasure and desired il.
The lust Of gold seemed to have
been part Of their mania More
than once Cyril had tried to possess d.
himself OF It: he had been found
wancering-tO all appearances aim
lessly, but really with the cunning
Of his madness-in those secret
places, and he had been beaten back
with lashes from a long whip.
zone night he escaped. Gertrude
followed --hina.-for--she knew the
danger into which he was running.
His mind had been dwelling much
upon the treasure during those
days. She sped as quickly as she
could along that long, dark tunnel.
knowing that at any moment she
might 6nd herself in the clutches
OF the Horror-you know what he
is like, Tor you have seen him.
And so. finding al the doors open,
she came TO the cellar in which
the treasure was kept. And there
On, Esther. I will not attempt to /
describe TO you che scene upon
which she came
Her husband, Cyril, was in the |
clutches Of the Curse He had 4
seized 4 box OF gold. and had been
making of with il when he was 1
overtaken. ] told you once that /
the Curse hao the strength OF ten
rlen-and Cyril was a man OF no /
physique Gertrude shrank /
into a dark corner and tainted; il
was TO that weakness that she
owed her life. for she remained
there unperceived. cyril was
stranEled: she had heard his death
screams. seen his death struggle.
Help came, and the creature was
beaten oh-but il was too late,
Cyril's throat was marked. even as
mine has been. And ror the Curse
II was his first taste Of blood From
that day he became dangerous as
be had never been before.
Never Recovered From shock.
But. alas Tor my poor sister!
She recovered her health, but the
Ehoek--eombined. probably, with
The terror OF the life she had been
Iiving-ehected her brain. and she
became liable 10 those rfts OF mad
ness which were mentioBed the
ether day in court Grimstead
wished me TO leave her at AddeTIey
he WAS afraid. I suppose. or reve-