Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, July 17, 1897, Page 6

CHAPTER XIX—(Continued.) ey are both gone frantic togeth- cried Miss Hit, in consternation; then, seeing the French maid, who had been drawn thither by the piercing screams, standing in the hall, she add- ed “Ma’amselle Fifine, name, Colonel Greville has been in his dressing soom for the last hour. Go at once to your lady’s chamber and see what has happened there.” The French maid either did not dare i peremptory command, » she might have been moved by y to know the cause of the out- ery. or both motives might have actu- ated her at once, for at rate, she also hastened up the sta but soon rushed down, her face blanched with if that is your or e euri Ma’amselle, no screams nor if yon please. I won't have them! ‘Tell me at once—is it the Vene- tian mirror or the Etruscan vase?” adame il est mort!” screamed the “Ww hat?’ echoed Miss Hit, in surprise. “It is death! it is m—u—r—d—e—r!” answered the French woman, throwing up her arms and prolonging the last word to a perfect howl of terror, At the same instant, also, Mandy found her voice, and began to shriek: ! my poor young mis- I should lib to see de murdered young mis- As ebber My poor But no one attended to her. With one impulse of horror and affright all rushed up stairs and into the bride’s chamber! And there, in that fatal room, a scene met the eyes that baffles all de- scription—a scene calculated to turn each gazer into stone! Yes, the cham- ber bore the dreadful signs of murder, and of that awful struggle for life that must have preceded the murder. The bed not been occupied. It was un- disturbed, neat and smooth, as when its dri aDErleS touches of } piece at furl violent contes flying throu; life, had caught at eac! ceived the finishing *s neat fingers. But ture bore the marks s though the vic- tim, had been wrenched from its pla its lace valance, half dragged off, bore the marks of gory fingers. The easy chair had been thrown down, and on its white cover glowed the prints of crim- son hands. The lace curtains of one window were stripped off, and its folds glued together where they had ped by bloody fingers. And so with every other erticle in the room. “Oh, heaven of mercies! what is the meaning of all this?) Where is Astrea? Where is Colonel Greville” cried Miss Hit, in wild affright, as she hurried to the open window from which hung the rent and spotted curtain. The window cpened upon the upper porch, from which steps led down into the shrub- beri Miss Hit, followed by all the domes: ed through it, and looked in “turns around, half-fear: ing to discover the body of the mur- dered body of the victim bride. She found the window sill, the floor of the porch and the steps ding down to the shrubberies, all thickly-spotted wit! Dblood! The shrubberies _ themselves were beaten and trampled down, and a furrow ran throvgh them from the foot of the ste toward the water's edge. as though some inanimate body had been dragged along! and, oh! worse than all, hanging on the thorn bushes on either side, were shreds of muslin, from some wo- to pursue this ome sight of even alled woman bur- should be t greater hor fast i m, eall- ing wildly on the name of Astrea. and calling in vain. On reaching the cham- ber, she rushed through all its signs of crime, to the back door, connecting it with the lad; ing room; but this she found, ened on the same side; this ely surprised her at the time, she passed through, hurrying on toward the gentleman’s dressing room, whose door was also fastened on this side. Quickly shooting back the bolt, she rushed into the presence of Col. Greville, who was quietly in the act of receiving a fresh pocket handkerchief from the hands of his valet. He turned in some surprise to meet the horror-stricken countenance of the old lady, exclaiming “What is the matter, M Are any of the maids i “Oh, Colonel Fulke! Ww here ped Miss Hit. what about As- med Colonel Greville, in sudden ¢ Trails striding toward the com- municating door of their apartments, “Stop, Fulke Greville! she is not there! as you must know too well! I ask you where she is? Cain! where is Murder, where is thy vie- Murderer, where is thy vic- “Miss Hit! ‘murderer? Are you mad, or what ts the meaning of all this?’ cried the colonel, sweeping her from his path and striding through all the suite of rooms until he stood, the center of a group of affrighted servants, in the midst of the defaced and blood-stained chamber. “In the name of Heaven, what is all this? My wife, where is my wife?’ ex- claimed the shocked and terrified hus- ‘band, as with a face white as one of death, he gazed around upon the bloody tokens of guilt. “Where? we ask you where, murder- er! hypocrite! monster! that you are! where have you hidden her dead body?” shrieked Miss Hit, frantic with rage. grief and despair. But without heeding her wild appeal, ‘the frenzied man rushed past the group of panic-stricken servants and through the ragged and gory ndow out upon the porch, where the trail of blood met his appalled gaze! Following this, he rushed down the steps and through the beaten shrubberies and along the leafy furrow, toward the water’s edge. 3 CONDEMNED $ --TO-- $ at WEALTH. 4 Meanwhile Miss Hit, through plunged in the deepest despair, recovered self- control sufficient to take upon her the direction of affairs and give her orders with sufficient clearness. “He ought not to be suffered to leave the island. John, do you hurry down to } the beach, take the boat and go across | the water to Burnstop. Major Burns is a justice of the peace; tell him what has happened here and ask him to come over immediately, and bring as many constables as he may think necessary! Hurry.” John flew to do her bidding. then she she turned to another servant— “James, call the coachman and the gardener, and take them with you, and make a thorough search for the body through the island. Hasten!” James rushed out to execute these or- ders. Mandy, you must remain in this room with me, for I shall stay here to watch that nothing is changed until the mag- istrate arrives.” Mandy immediately left the group of awe-stricken servants and went and stood behind the chair of her mistress. “And now, Monsjeur,” she said, dressing the French cook, “you will please to take all these people away with you and keep them in order until the arrival of the magistrate.” The Frenchman testified his obedi- ence by a succession of bows, and beck- ened his attendants to follow him from the room. When Miss Hit was left alone with ndy in the fatal chamber, she leaned k in her chair and closed her eyes, as if to shut out the scene of blood around her. Monsieur le Chef had no trouble in keeping the servants in order; they crept down to the lower regions of the house, where they remained in panic- stricken silence, or oke to each other only in terrified whispers. The coachman and the gardener, with their a beating the bush es in every direction, searching for the body of the murdered bride, or some in- dication of its fate. Col. Greville, in an agony of grief, was flying about the isl- and on the same quest. Things were in this condition when Major Furns, accompanied by another strate, Who happened to be staying s house, and also by a pair of coun- constables, arrived upon the scene of And shed to meet them. eville, they tell me! id Major Burns, a haired, fiery Irish- ¢ tolonel Greville 1 “What is this It cannot be true: little, red-faced, gray man. “It is true!” cried the colonel, with a groan of anguish. “But, surely, you don’t meat, really, that—that—' sped the little magis- trate, in consternation. “She—my bride! my wife! has been murdered! assassinated! in her room!” aimed Colonel Greville, wildly. ‘Great Lord of Heaven! by whom?’ “We do not know! Would to Heaven we did!” “Where is her body? Show it to us! And, Mix! rvn and fetch the coroner at once!’ exclaimed the mag’ e, ad- dressing first the bereaved husband and then one of the attendant consta- bles. i The man started to run upon his er- rand, but was immediately recalled by a distracting gesture from Colonel Gre- ville, who said, in a despairing voiee— “Tt is useless! quite useless! her body has been carried off and concealed, or destroyed.” “Great Heaven! when was this done?” “Last night!” “Last night? | And where were you at that hour, s' Colonel Geovitie started at the ques- The voice that put it was strange one. He looked up at the qu tioner. He was a stranger—being a tall, well proportioned young man, with good features, fair complexion, yellow hair and blue eyes. “Oh!—this is my brother magistrate— rather a young man for the office—but an efficient one, for all that! I should have introduced him before, but, really, the shock of this affair drove eve thing else out of my mind! Mr. Erling- ford—Colonel Greville,” said the maj Mr. Erlingford very slightly lifted hat, keeping his eyes steadily 2nd al- most insultingly fixed upon the face of his new acquaintance. Colonel Greville bowed. He had no hat to lift. He had rushed wildly from the house without one. “You say that the body has not been found? How can you be so sure. then, that a murder has been committed at all?’ queried the little major. Colonel Greville started again! An expression of sudden hope flushed from face for an instant, and then faded y again as he groaned forth the an- swer— “Oh, sir! the evidences of the crime are but too conclusive!” “T would ask, sir, where you, the nat- ural protector of your bride, were, last night, while this crime was being per- petrated?” meaningly inquired Mr. Er- lingford. For an instant the instinct of habitual pride caused Col. Greyille to lift his eyes in haughty astorishment at the in- solence of this demand; but in the next, the rushing consciousness of his awful bereavement overwhelmed this feeling, and again he groaned in answering— “J must have been in my own apart- ment, net in hers; I would to Heaven I had been!” A smile of derisive incredulity passed over the younger magistrate's face as he said— “Rather an incredible story, under the circumstances, sir.” Again the flush of pride flashed up for a moment from Fulke Greville’s soul, but again it was quenched in his great sorrow. “Come! let us hurry on to the house! Perhaps, after all, there 2as been no murder done, and it is all a false alarm!” said the little major, hopefully. it They walked up the broad, elm-sbad- man | ed avenue to the house, and proseetiea| ond vik the floor. The examination at once to the fatal bridal chamber. CHAPTER XX. Here all paused in the center of the room and looked around. A feeling of deadly faintness came over the strong- est man present. Had the body of the victim only been missing, there had been no proof of crime. But there was no mistaking the awful language of those bloody tokens! Murder had been done! And there had but too evidently been a violent and protracted struggle between the victim and the assasssin! The overturned chairs, the dressing ta- ble wrenched from its place, the white draperies of the room rent away by the clutch of crimson fingers, the blood- sprinkled walls, the blood-stained floor, all cried aloud to earth and heaven of the desperate struggle for life that had preceded the violent death. The magistrate stood dumb with hor- ror and amazement for some minutes. Mr. Erlingford was the first to break the spell. “Here has been no silent assassina- tion. She was not murdered in her sleep, nor even in her bed. You all per- ceive that that has not been disturbed! She was evidently first struck while sit- ting in that easy chair, previous to re- tiring! She must have been struck from behind, and, in starting up violently, overturned her chair! And observe how we can track her steps by the blood. as she fled for life from the chair to that door, from the door to the dressing ta- ble, from the dressing table to the win- dow! Sce the prints of her small fin- gers on the curtaips as she grasped them! Oh! here must have been a fear: ful struggle. before life was yielded!— here must have been heavy falls and piercing shrieks that were heard all over the house. Did no one hear them?” inquired the young magistrate, in conclusion. ‘No, sir; I did not,” answered each one that was present. “Miss Powers, did you hear no dis- turbance in the night?’ “None, but a very slight noise in front of the house below my windows, which might have been made by a cat sing.” Yet, judging by these signs, the con- flict must have been loud and alarming! Where do you sleep, Miss Powe: z “In the room above this.” “Do you sleep soundly ?” *“T usually do; but last night T was nervous and wakeful, or I should not have heard the slight sound that I did. I am sure if there had been such a struggle you speak of, I should have heard it, i nearly sunrise. “Does any one sleep in the rooms be- low these?” “No, sir; ro they are the drawing Vho sleeps on this floor?” No one but Col. Greville and his wife, that was!” andswered Miss Hit, with a burst of weeping, for her nerves had been quite ov And you tell us, si ”’ said the mag- ate, turning and addressing himself te the colonel, “that you did not pass the night in your wife’s chamber last be?" did net,” moaned Fulke Greville. “Will you tell us: where you did pass significantly inquired Erlingford. In my own dressing room.” “Humph! But, pa ng over for the present, the singularity of the circuin- stance of your doing so, allow me to ask—does your dressing room communi- cate with this chamber?” “Certainly, though there is one inter- yening apartment—my wife’s dressing room; but all communicate by doors, my cha amber being the back one of the suite.” “And you say that, with ene rcom in- tervenipg between you, you heard no unusual noise that night?” “Not the slightest.” “Humph! Look arcund upon these signs of struggle and violence, and tell me if you think such a desperate con- flict could have gone on without your hearing it—without every ore in the house being aroused by it?’ ; certainly not! The noise that must have attended such a struggle must have been loud enough to have oused the heayiest sleeper in the re- mciest part of the building.” “Then how do you account for the fact that neither yourself, who was re- moved but one room off, nor any other peo in the house, seems to have heard any unusual sound?” “I cannot account in any manner for anything that has occurred in this fatal event,” replied the colonel, in despair. “Let Mrs. Greville’s maid be called up,” said Mr. Erlingford. A messenger started in search of her. But here the elder magistrate spoke up: “It seems to me, Erlingford, that we are proceeding very irregularly in the investigation of this affair. There has been a most heinous and atrocious mur- der perpetrated, and we are proceeding to examine the servants of the house, by taking their mere statements, unsup- perted by oath. This should not be.” “I beg your pardon, sir; you have had more experience on the bench than my- self. Pray take the direction of the in- vestigation and conduct it as you sec fit. I will give you all the assistance in my power,: fed replied Erlingford. Major Burns picked up the ov: erturned easy chair, drew it to a writing table and seated himself, saying to one of the constables: “Mix, you can play the clerk upon this occasion. Take pen and ink and make notes of the present condition of this chamber and its furniture.” Mix seated himself, pen in hand, and began carefully to glance around and carermly. to take notes. i te, turaing to the other 1dson, clear this room of every in- dividual except my assistants and Colo- nel Greville. Then assemble all the household in the next room, from whence I can send for each witness as IT may want him or her. Let no one leave this house upon any pretense whatever.” CHAPTER XZI. Hudson immediately obeyed the com- mand of Major Burns, as given at the close of the last chapter. The room was cleared of all persons with the ex- ception of the two magistrates, who were seated at the table, Mix, the clerk, who was busy writing, Hudson, the con- stable, who kept the door leading into the adjoining room where the house- hold was assembled, and Colonel Gre- ville, who was walking distractedly up | seated in the same chair!” proce 5 “We will hear Colonel Greville’s ev oa first,” said tie presiding magi trate. The elegant little Bible, the bridal present that lay upon the disfigured edressing table, was brought forward for the purpose, ané the oath administered to Colonel Greville. Mix, who had got through taking notes of the room, prepared now to take down the evidence in writing. “Colonel Greville, will you tell us at what hour you last saw your wife alive?” inquired th emagistrate. “At about half-past ten o'clock last night.” “Where and under what circumstan- ces?” “In the drawirg room of this house; we had passed the evening together, } ard at about ter o’cloek we had @ glass: of ‘vine and some fruit. Her maid soon: after appeared with a taper ,and she arose and retired. That was the last time I saw her in Tit “Did you part amicably?” “Most amicably, of course; but it was no parting; as I expected to follow her, and did follow her im a very few min- utes.” “And yet you say that you passed the night in your own dressing room. Have you any objection to explaining the eir- cumstanee?” “None at all, so far as T understand it myself. My wife had been gone, as I said, but a few minutes, when my own servant appeared ard said, ‘your apartments are ready, sir.’ F went to my dressing room, dismissed iy ser- vant and threw myself for a moment into wy arm chair. Gentlemen!” said the colonel, looking solemnly frony one to the other—“I am on my oath, were it not for that, I should think it necessary to assure you by my honor as an Officer and a gentleman, that the extraordinary circumstance I am about to relate is strictly true!—that from the moment I threw myself into my arm ebair,.a pro- found sleep overcame my senses, and I knew no more until I awoke very late this morning and found myself stilt ‘The magistrates looked at exch other and at the witness—Major Burns’ hon- est countenance expressing unmeasured astonishment, Mr. Erlingford’s exhibit- ing scornful incredulity. “You can retire, if you please,” sail the latter. Colonel Greville bowed and Ieft the room. The constable who kept the door cpened it and summoned the woman, who entered the room weeping. “Your name, I believe, is Fifine—— “Josephine, Monsieur, Josephine La- porte,” interrupted the Frenchwoman. “You were the attendant of the de- ceased 2?” “Yes, Monsieur; I was so unfortutr ate.” “When did you see Mrs. Greville last alive?” “A little after half-past ten o'clock. Monsieur.” “Where did you see her?” “TI attended Madame at that hour to her bedchamber. I assisted her to un- dress and put on a wrapper. Then she sat down in the e chair—the same one Monsieur le Magistrate occupies now. And she took a little Bible in her hands—the same that Monsieur Ie not- arie holds now—to read a chapter, as was always her custom, before saying her evening prayers. Then she said: ‘You may retire, and I will ring, as usu- al, when I require you in the morning.’ I eurtsyed and went out, and that was the last I ever saw of madame alive.” “After retiring, did you hear any un- vsual sound in the night?" “No, Monsieur.” “Where do you sleep?” “Quite at the top of the house. Ip the attic over the room of Madame Hit.” “You were among the first that dis- covered the murder, I believe?” “Yes, Monsieur, I was: ‘T morning Madaine Hit told me that Madame Gre ville’s deor was open, and that Mon- sieur le Colonel was in his dressing room, and she directed me to take up hot water to Madame. I obeyed, and discovered the room in its present state of violent disorder. And then I gave the alarm, and that is all I know of this affair tragique.” “Do you happen to know whether there was any ill-feeling between Colo- nel Greville and his wife?” “No, Monsieur, I do not. The Freichwoman was permitted to retire, and Miss Mehitable Powers was called up for examination. She came in with her huge form shaking with emotion, and her big face red and swollen with weeping. Yet she strove for self-possession, and at- tained composure while giving her evi- dence. Her testimony merely corrob- orated that of others, in the particulars relating to the hour at which the bride had retired to her chamber in her usual good health, and the hour at which the murder was first discovered in the morning. When this part of her testi- mony had been taken down, the magis- trate inquired: “Are you aware of any misunder- standing that might have existed be- tween Colonel Greville and his de- ceased bride?” Here Miss Hit’s composure was en- tirely overthrown. She burst into a passion of tears, and, amid choking sobs, exclaimed: “T had rather bite off my tongue than enswer that question! I had! I but justice must be done, if the heay fall! Yes, gentlemen! yes! there was ill-feeling between them; at least. I mean on his part and toward her. For. as to her, poor child! she just worship- ped the grcund he trod oni and she always did, ever since I knew thew both! But the more she loved him. gen- tlemen, the more he hated her!” At this strange statement, which no doubt Miss Hit believed to be strictly true, the younger magistrate pricked up his ears. and the older one inquired: “What reason have you for believing that Colonel Greville hated his young bride? Can a man be sc unnatural 4s to hate an amiable young creature who dotes upon him, as you say this unfor- tunate lady did upon her husband?” “Why, yes, sir; for, though I am a maiden lady, and should know but little of such affairs, yet I fancy that when a wowan is forced upon a man against his will, he hates her, even if she is an angel, especially when he is as haughty and self-willed as our Fulke Greville.” “And do you really mean to say that this poor young lady was actuaully forced upon the acceptance of Colonel Greville?” inquired the deeply-shocked old magistrate. “Ah, sir; I fear, indeed, that there was but little doubt of it.” “And you believe this to be true?” pe! am very sorry to admit that 1 do, ir. “Wll you be so good as to state the facts that lead you to this conclusion?” “Yes, sir. Gentlemen!” sald Miss Hit, wiping her red eyes and looking around dimly upon the magistrate amd his as- sistants, “what I am geing to él you. I have never yet breathed to apy hu- man ear! I should not breathe # word of it now but that I am on oatls, and compelled to speak the whole truth, that the ends of justice may be sutis- fied. I know, then, that the poor, de- ceased lady was forced upon the ac- ceptance of Colonel Greville by these circumstances. They were both the adopted children of Captaim Fuljoy. Tt was the dearest wish of the old men’s heart to have the two married, so that he could leave property undivided to them both—so—” “A moment, Miss Powers! Do not let us get on too fast. How dovyeu know that it was the dearest wish of Captain Fuljoy that his two wards should inter- marry?’ inquired Major Burns. “Because, sir, the captain has ex- pressed such a wish to me, often and often, and beeause I overheard a con- versation between the captain and Colo- Greville upon the subject, which I was about to report to you when you interrupted me.” “I beg your pardon, Pray go on new.” “Well, as I remarked before, I have never breathed a word of this versation to human ear. No one least suspici about it. Nor should I now, “To the point, Miss Powe point, if you p e,” said Major Burns, impatiently interrupting the old lady’s garrulity. “Yes, sir; well, then, it was last Christmas was three years ago, that the captain first broached the subject of the proposed marriage to Colonel Greville. then Mr. Fulke. It was night, and’ I was in the Iarge china closet adjoining the dining room, where Captain Fuljoy and Mr. Fulke were still lingering over their wine, for dinner had been late that afternoon.” “Yes, well?” “I was busy arranging the china and glass. upon shelves r I can never trust Mandy to do so care] she would break her weight in——” “Never mind Mandy’s carelessness, Miss Powers; pray keep to the point.” “Well, then, I was still busy, when the captain began to talk of what was not intended for my s. or anybody else’s Dat Fulke’s. Now, I am not 1 urally am eavesdropper. meanne for I think it is “the | “Miss Powers! M Powers! you a not here to defend yourself against any such charge! Therefore, will you be good enough to keep to the point?’ ex- claimed the irascible little Irishman. “Tam keeping to the point, if you please, sir; brit I am not going to let anyone believe that I remained there listening to conversation that was not intended for My ears if I could help it. So, as I was about to say, that I could not prevent myself from hearing what followed, because the china closet had but one outlet, and that was through the dining room; and as I did not like to break in upon the gentlemen over their wine, I was forced to rem where I was and hear everything.” “What did you hear?” “What Ir never repeated before, would not repeat now, Miss Powers! and if I were not upon my oath to speak the whole truth.” “Ugh! ugh! ugh!” groaned Major Burns, wiping his red face in an ex- cited manner—“shall we ever get to the gist of this woman’s evidence! What was it you heard? Will you tell us or not?” Miss Hit, for a moment, looked as if she would not; for anger begets anger. And she was very much offended at the ajor’s impatient interruptions. How- she thought better of it, and re- plied: “I heard the captain propose to Mr. Fulke t he—Mr. Fulke—should mar- ry Dane You remember, maior, that Do go on!” Fulke laughed at the ‘if it had been a mere But when the proposal, a of the old man’s. tain seriously pressed it upon him, i he resented it n affront. But the cap- tain persevered, telling him that, as he had won Dane: affection, he bound in honor to marry her. Bat Mr. Fulke did not see mto see that, and affirmed that he had never sought to win her affections, and that if he had done so it was rot his fauli, and tha the was not to be held respensible for the psequences, or words to that effect. The captain did not yield a-point; he pleaded little Daney’s cause with much more warmth than delicacy, and the more earnest the captain became, the firmer grew Mr. Fulke. He scemed to harden into rock, and he told his uncle plainly that nothingon carth would e er induce him to marry Daney. That her social position was beneath him, and her personal appearance was dis: greeable to him; or, as I said before, wirds to the very same effect. Then the captain, mistaken old man, tried to bribe him, promising to adopt Daney legally, and to give her his own name and leave her half his fortune, and Mr. Fulke the other half if he would marry her; but Mr. Fulke only more emphat- jeally reiterated what he had said be- fore, that nothing on earth would ever induce him to marry Daney, for that he could not tolerate her as a wife. Then the captaia grew very angry, threat- ened to disinherit him and ordered him out of the house. While the captain was stamping up and down the fleor, and the young man was standing with his back toward me, saying something by way of leave-taking to his excited uncle, I siezed the opportunity to slip unobserved from the china closet. 1 was still lingering in the hall, arranging the chairs when, a few minutes after, the young man came out. He did not see me, but as he passed he smiled and muttéred to himself words that I have never forgotten and never shall forget to the last day of my life.” “What were those words?” “Tf I were weak enough to marry that girl for her fortune, I should cer- tainly be wicked enough to murder her tor freedom!” “Gracious Heavens!” ejaculated the terribly-startled Major Burns. “Yes, sir! those were the words. Mr. Fulke left the house the same night. You may judge how these words came back to my mind when, three weeks ago, I heard the marriage was to come off. You may judge how they have haurted me since the events of last night. Sir, it half-kills me to say it, but T have mo more doubt that Face Gre- vile has made away with hi¢ wife than I have of my own existeree!” iss Powers, we do not wisl to hear any opinions of yours. Witnesses should deal only in facts. You may retire.” ’ When Miss Hit left the rooy& Mr. Erlingford turned to Major Buras nd said: ‘“d “I think, sir, the evidence given by the last witness calls for the issue of a warrant for the arrest of Col. Fulke Greville.” - “I think so, too! sadly assented the majo to the clerk, he added: immediately, Mix.” “It is already made, sir,” said clerk, auding up the document for nature. “So prompt! There, immediately, Hudson,” said the major, aflixing lis name to the document. and handing it to the constable, who imn:e- diately left the ehamber. “You are wanted, if you please, sir.” said Officer Hud is his hand upon the eofonel’s: shoulder | and exh‘b- iting his warrant. The colowel Jooked up from th wilderment of his great sorrow, wi out comprehending a werd that was said to him. nd the constable had to repeat his words and call his ntion to the warrant before he fairly under- stood their purport. And then, but for the depth of an- i he suffered, he must have smiled hat seemed to him the absurdity of rest. “A pair of Dogberrie” feel obliged to arres they think that I will do as other,” he muttered, as he followed th -onstable to the presen of, tlie magistrate. I think so, tong nd, Gccntch ‘Make one out the then, serve it T suppose they 1 im the act of si x x search-warrant, authorizing Offi- ae Hudson to examine the apartments and effects of Colonel Greville. He put the paper into the hands of Hu with orders to proceed uporm it immedi- ately:. And as that officer started upon his mission, the magistrate turned to the colonel and said: “Colonel Greville, T am: extremely grieved by the painful duty forced npo me,.but the sad truth is that the general circumstances’ attending’ t painful affair, and the particular charge Iodged against vy Miss Powers, left me no option but to issue the wi ant upon whicl: you are brought before us. I repeat, Tam (extremely grieved that it ld be so.” the spoken h fatal event of which you so filled my soul with have sorrow that I have no room feft for a3 other emotion, not even that of regret for my own arrest upon so mad a charge.” “L think, Col. Greville, whem you sh have heard the e ers, upon which this ws ediately ued, you will ue to regard the charge reasonable one. Let Mi: Mehit: able Powers be ealled Now Colonel hear that Miss Hit had any e give that could im any way him. And he was curious to knew that evidence could be. Miss Hit came in t with ex of Eb her head Ey ing helpl back and her eyes as- kanee: with anguish, as if appealing to all present against the fmsupportable weight of her pri nt position and duty. “ft cannot help it, Fulke Grevi cannot help it. I had rather died sass stand here, knowink what I know: to give evidence inst you; but it i duty,. that the ends of justice ma answered. he sobbed. yourself to the mag Miss Powers, not to the ac rid Major Burns, gravely. s Hit made a grimace at him by of reply, and then proceeded to give in her evidence, which, it fered in no respect from that offered i her first examination, need not be re- peated here. When it was finished, the elder magistrate inquired “Would you like to cross-examine the witness. Colonel Greville?” “Certainly not—her tements a correct. I admit the facts, but——” “Colonel G Ne, a man of your eult- ure and experience should know better than to make dangerous admissions. Even justice doe: and Quite the contra “I make no admission that e¢ sibly criminate me, since I criminal. I was about to say t mit the fa of her statement. be all but I deny the inference she has drawn from them. It is true that, three years ago, when Dane} Ia petulant was but a s youth, I did reject her hand when it v offered me by our mutual guardian. True, also, that I used the words imputed to me, and said t ‘if I could be weak enough to ma that girl for fortune, I eculd be wicked enough to murder her for freed The words were strong; but I spo the events equal impossibilities. I have never been weak enough for the first act, and never could be wicked enough for the second. After a thr: years’ absence, a few weeks since, gain, under another name. The child had developed into a most beautiful woman; and I admired and loved her. I married her from the pur- est and most disinterested moti I did not even know until after the cere- mony was perfornied, that our gnardi- an had executed a deed, reserving for himself only a life-interest in his es- tates, and settling them equally upon myself and my wife, or wholly upon the survivor, should either of us sur- vive the other. “Settling the whole upon the sur- pb should either survive the oth- r,”’ repeated Mr. Erlingford, ominous- ly’ shaking his head. “IT have warned you, Col. Greville, against making these imprudent revela- tiops. The law no more requires a man to criminate himself than it requires him to hang himself. Both ere to be considered suicidal,” said the epider magistrate. But before Colonel Greville coi ply to this remark, a bustle was in the next room, the connecting doSr was thrown open, and Officer Hudson appeared, followed by an eager crewd, and bearing in his hands a gentleman’s dress coat, upon which all eyes were fixed in consternation. “What have you got there, aa inquired the magistrate. To Be Continued. ‘To Curtail Professional Jealousy. The Imperial opera at Vienna, in the hope of stopping jealousies among the stars, has just issued a new ‘tion, per- mitting no more than three recalls after the close of acts, except in the case of first nights and special engagements of foreign artists. =