Year: 1879

pale, and with haggard expression in
her beautiful eyes.


s'It was very kind of your son to re-
member me, and these are very beautiful
indeed. I suppose he is quite man
| now!'


| But the gypsy made no reply, and his
eyes were riveted upon Lulu"


Again she spoke to him, surprised at
this strange look, and then from his lips
burst the question:


"Where did you get that charm, lady2''


Supported by gold chain of rare
workmanship that encircled her neck,
hung massive gold heart, with single
ruby of rare size in the center, and upon
this the eyes Of the gypsy were fixed
with a startled look.


''This beautiful charm," and Lulu
raised 1t in her fngers-''it was given to
me by my governess a month ago."


Lady, l would know that gold heart
with its single red eye among million;
| it is the death-charm.


| The man spoke in hoarse tones, and his
manner startled Lulu, who said quickly,
1.-THE death charm2 What can you
mean2"


"Ladr, let me see it, please. "
| Impressed Icy his manner Lulu nnfas-
| tened the clasp and handed it to him.
! For moment he gazed intently upon
it, and then, to the surprise of the maid
en- touched a spring, the existence OF
which she knew not Of, and it flew open
like locket. =
"I knew I was not mistaken-it is the
| death charm. See here, lady-do you
see these little marks that look like en-
craving! Well, they are holes through
the gold back, as you see when I hold il
| mp to the light. There, you see this
sponge within this wire case?-this is
saturated il deadly poison-poison that
you inhale day by day, until you gradu-
ally die, and none know the cause of your
death. Lady, the one who gave you this
wished to murder you"
AS white as snow, and trembling with
| excitement, Lulu cried:
"No, no, no! 1t was given me by my
dear governess, Viola Hale"


"VioIa Hale. The first name is hers;
she must be the one who is your foe,
lady. Is the woman you speak of in this
house2"


As the gypsy spoke the governess glid-
ed into the room, and as her eyes fell up-
on the tall form near Lulu, she stopped,
turned livid, and with cry upon her
lips, sank upon the floor.


"Oh, sir, call the servants, for she has
tainted" cried Lulu in alarm.


'Lady, let her lie there while tell you
that she is not worthy of a kind thought
That woman is my wife."


s.Your wife?" whispered Lulu.


eyes, lady, she is, like myself, a gyp-
sy, and at IA years Of age became my
wife and queen of the band but the year
after the birth OF our boy, whose life you
have saved, she ran away from me to go
with an Italian prince, and when she had
squandered his money she left him, too,
to attach herself to a Spaniard, a sorcer-
er, and the man who made this death
charm hold in my hand. She killed
him with his own poisons, and came back
to me, processing repentance. Alas. it
was from a desire to get her boy; as I
still doubted her, she gave me this very
charm to wear around my neck, telling
me II would bring back my love for her.


Accidentally l found paper one day
that told me the secret of the death charm
and its poison, and accused her of her
treachery, and so great was her assumed
grief that [ did not make known her in
tent to kill me to my band.


"The following day she disappeared
and carried the charm with her. Since
then l have never known what became of
her; but, thank heaven, I came here to-
day."


In horror Lulu had listened to the
awful story, and then she felt that it was
all true, for it came to her now how her
old nurse had said the governess wanted
to marry Fred De Lancy herself; then
how she had insisted that for love of her
the death charm should be worn day and
night, and from the time she had put it
on her health began to fail.


"Oh how could she be so wicked?"
cried the girl.


''It is her nature, lady. Ahi che is
recovering consciousness, and the gypsy
chief stepped toward the PROSTATE
woman, and, in his own language, spoke
to her sternly.


With every nerve qrivering, and her
black eyes looking wild with terror, the
woman arose and stood before her mas
ter, thoroughly conquered.


''Lady, farewell. Please send this
woman's things to this address in the
city," and Carl handed Lulu card,
while lie continued: Keep that DEATH
charm, but take from it that deadly poi
son. Keep it as souvenir that Captain
Carl repaid the service you did his son.


Then turning to the guilty. trembling
woman, he said to her simply:


sCome!'


Without a word, and with bowed head
she followed him, and Lulu was left
alone in horror and grief. Thus her
father found her, and from her lips
heard the terrible story. He folded his
daughter in his arms in rapture at her
escape. while he said:


81 do believe her guilty now, Lulu, for
remember | believe she loved me at
first vet her manner changed as soon os