The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-06-14

Ills catl4 HASA
'.Deed r she asked in q low voice
mo, = he answered In a whisper
only unconscious.
And he will not der
The man in black shrugged hi
shoulders.
Are you satisfied with mea HAY,
played my part well?"
Yes, you deserve to be star
Philip st. Afghan will not now dare
marry Marion Gaylord"
They continued their conversation
in low tones moment longer the
woman apparently objecting to q
compliance with his wishes; but the
4 man soon compelled acquiescance,
evidently BY threats
Together they left the room and
i passed into the lobby The woman
descended the steps, silently entered
the conveyance awaiting her and was
1 driven away. The black cavalier
! then stepped from the door. CURLY
I declined all offers of a carriage. and
walked rapidly in the opposite di-
+ rection.
John and Peter, in compliance
with their instructions, stopped be-
fore the entrance of the cemetery;
! their silent passenger alighted and
walked up the broad path to the
same grave from which she had APP
parently come
The drivers, their curiosity whet-
ted to high degree. tarried to watch
her. She paused before the same
magnificent and lofty monument,
turned and removed the black satin
mask. A grinning DEATHS head, ris-
ing above her sombre costume, show
ed plainly in the bright moonlight.
John and Peter, utterng cries of ter
ror, jumped on their vehicle, and
giving the horse a sharp cut with
the whip drove rapidly away as If
expecting pursuit.
The woman then removed the sec
ond, the deaths head mask, and con-
cealed II In her pocket. Her own
face although she was still young,
apparently not much over twenty
years, was almost as ugly as the
mask.
She was about to leave the grave
and step behind nearby shrub I'm
til her companion could come for
her, which according to appointment
was to be in a few minutes, but she
found herself held back. Something
was pulling at the border Of her
dress: it was not a thorn or nail on
which she was caught was no in
animate object that tore and pulled
SO violently at her gown, uttering
such mournful, weird, uncanny
sounds and means.
Unspeakable horror took posses
sion Of the woman, who was already
excited and unnerved by her sur
Foundings, the hour and the scene
through which she had passed To
her agitated and overweight brain
there was but one solution of this
mystery. 1t must be Hortense st.
Afghan, who, lying in her grave, was
trying to pull down into it the wo
man who had sought to represent
her and terrify her former husband.
Uttering piercing shrek she tore
herself forcibly away, and rushed
from the grave like one bereft of
reason; through the gate she darted.
past the low wall of the cemetery
and ran along a narrow path that
led to the outskirts of the city.
Three minutes after. the black
camino, still wearing his mask, des--d
cended from a carriage which stop
ped in front of the cemetery. Ex-
changing a few words with his coach
man, whose livery was hidden under
a long cloak, he hastily entered the
burying- ground.
He looked around, evidently in
search of his former companion, but
saw no one. He called in low tones.
but received no answer. The only
sound he heard was a peculiar whin-
ming; the only living object he saw
was little dog running among the
mounds. After calling three times
and receiving no response, he NUT
tered refiectiyely: THE girl has de-
eelved me after all. She certainly
has not been in the cemetery a sec
ond time; probably she was afraid.
Well, when her money gives out she
via let me hear from her."
Convinced that longer waiting
would be unavailing he left the GEM
etery, re-entered his carriage and
was driven home,
The dancers, unaware of the start
ling events that were transpiring so
near them. continued their gayeties,
and the pleasures OF the ballroom
were at their height when the mid
night hour struck, the signal for all |
masks to be removed.
Two lovers, who were promenad- |
ing the corridors, whispering sweet
to each other, at that mo-
ment pushed open the door of the
room where Philip st. Afghan still !
lay insensible
The vounp w0man screamnd. fha |