The Washington times., 1918-07-29
The WTOIUesOfNeW York;
:, A sToRWsOF LOVE EANDMYsTT'RY
Lillian Scents a DeUlish Plot in tile
Administration of Drugs From
Poisonous Herbs

name, come without delay. Shis did
not mean to run the risk OF ihfs not
coming that day: there ar times
, when q mans help and adv ice be-
come absolutely necessary T. "a wo-
man, and this YVES one OF h4,m.
cheered and fortified by be c. walk,
she returned to the Towers. 1t was
close upon 10 when she ente red the
morning room to find a com t5rtable
breakfast ready, but Esther bad not
yet appeared.
While waiting. a sudden thought
struck her. and she made ber way
TO the dining hall. where tho family
pictures hung. She went Jtraight
to the portrait of Harold b DrradaIe
and cast hasty glance owe It.
The Seal OF the BOrTad hles.
Good heavens" she>cried, -rrecoil-
ing in terrified amaze. --
For her eyes had fallisn rbon the
hand The ring that hid been
family represented upt.n The little
finger had disappeared. while now,
, upon the third finger f.pIDeared the
signet ring of the Boz 'radaIes, the
9 riffin of the crest CLEARLY fndi-
ca ted
Ind Lillian knew who was the
EpOaSessor of that part acular ring.
During the night be picture of
Hz,Oh Borradale h. ID been fur
-theT tampered with that was a
matter of certainty. Lillian ex-
! anLined the hand yer Y closely; It
\was no question OF supernatural
Interference; the paint was still
wet where the aIterati pms had been
ma de. A few touches olaly had done
alA that was reQuired-the abolition
of the ring from the little finger
theN substitution of the heavier
circAst upon the third, with the
grifd n of the seal boldly suggest
ed. tn e work hal been carried out
by no. unskilled hand.
The face was untouched, It re-
manned the saI be as Lillian had
seen 1t the nfI hit before. Also
nothing ad been done to the por-
trait OF Airs, B orradale; looking
closely at Z the Ia tier Lillian could
not restrain her a, lmiration for the
remarkable manne in which the
strange scheme had been carried
out.
"It is her portrs it." she NUT
tered, "the creature in woman's
form that I diufned that day at
Adderley, whose preSence I have
often felt a. I feb it last night.
She is the real Curse of the Bor-
radaIes, but what she is or why
she il allowed to e1ist--that is the
unfathomed mystery. Yet 1t is
with her that we must contendw
Ponderiags-0Ver many things
new train of th,pught which the
sight OF the BoFr.ldal signet ring
painted upon HaroNdas index finger
ia the picture had jnduced-Lilian
made her way back TO the morning
room where she founGIEsther await
ing her.
After breakfast they took a
stroll upon the terrace, and Lillian
told Esther OF the ma she had
seen standing by the dCNor of the
turFet. 81 am sure het was a
gypsy" she concluded.
They examined the door and
found IL locked. "Of courstN" Ssaid
said Lillian. persons having "a key
or in league with the person now
in those rooms."-she indicated the
shuttered windows-"can enter the
house without hinderance, unless 5
they were seen and suspected b.
any of your outdoor servants. Are
they all trustworthy?"
Servants Not To he Trusted.
81 cannot say" Esther looked !
doubtful. Nearly all the old serv-
ants have been sent away, and the
new men have been engaged by
Harold. do not like them, though
they are not uncouth creatures like
Paul. The only man servant in the
house in whom have any real con-
fidence is the butler, but he is an
old man, and not very strong. Sew
eral times he has complained to me
OF the new servants, but what could
/ do? The women who I trusted have
been given notice, as you know,
and soon there will not be one OF
the old lot left"
at seems to me, Esther" said
Lillian. almost severely. that you
have not been mistress Of your own
house"
To Be Continued Tomorrow