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I .he turned and walked, slowly away.
.. ,- .-.-4-4.‘...-.....; .1 .,....-V
-.
. ‘ . ’ i
i intent was to have one of its lights ,‘.‘ doused ”
p forever. . .
Tneman turned the corner, and soon disap-
;eared from sight, and yet. there stood Verac,
as patient and immovable as a statue. L
He could wait, now-wait as the tiger watches
for its prey; and ii -a human iace can really
preseht a tigerish ' expression, such a one rested
upon Verac’s countenance at this‘ moment.
A quarter of ‘ an hour passed. when the
‘watcher happened to glance down the street. and >
- saw the same men approaching. -
e “ That's what it means! ’ muttered Verac, as
" That
devil has been around the corner to ‘see if the
road is clear." - ‘
Alter a tnoment he added:
“ He must not see me yet,‘ but we shall meet!
I have waited long. anti now, after many years,
- ‘ I may wrest the secret trom his threat!’
The man stopped at the corner a moment, anti
then Su!lt.l!t:‘l’t.'(l leisurely toward the houst: from
whence he had come. i .
. ,'I‘he shadows of night now began to lengthen,
and Vtrac met the lamp-lighter going his rountls
while returning to the’ corner from whence he
could watch the house. ‘ '
Upon gaining his oltiposition, he found that
he had not been ti moment too quick. '
The man had entered the house, and having
evidently reported the road as clear, the woman,
Mrs. Vance. hat! come out. and was just leav-
ing the stoop as .Ventc came and saw her.
it was now a better time to dodge, and a still
better time to " pipe."
Night is it tavorable time lor the game oi
'nitte-and-st-ek in a great city.
Mrs.'Vatioe evidently telt that all danger of
being (logged was not past’, as her movements
were exceedingly cautious and wary, . .
Venn: had found an opportunity, favbrcd by
the darkness, while in a dark street, to again
make a change in his personalappcarance, and
it was done as etiectualiy and as rapidly as'a
protean artist, who has but a second to change
in the side scenes. -,
lilrs. Vance had v-'a'l::ed well uptown on the
. east side, and her follower wondered that she
had not. taken some kind of a vehicle, as, count-
ing her m:iny turnings and windings, she had
‘ covered a great deal oi ground. -
i At last site tool; acourse directly across town,
anti made no more deviations from her ct-urse
rrnti! she reached the Hudson River Railroad
Dr-pot.‘at that time located in Thirtleth Street.
"By all the gods!" muttered her follower,
upon seeing her enterthe depot, “ I believe that
I am in ltick. It's millions to millions she in-
tends to slope, and has got the heavy swag with
her!” , ,
Relying upon his disguise, as before, Verac
entered the depot at the very moment the wom-
an was making’ inquiries‘ about a train that
stopped at it certain station about twenty miles
from the city. ’ > ’ '
- The lrain left atnine-twenty, antlllrs. Vance
bought hertictset. '
When she turned away from the ticket-oiiice
there was no one in the station, and she heaved
3 heavy sigh and seated herseii to await the de-
inarture ct the‘train.‘; , N
.' Thus the moments passed, until thevdepot;
inaster 0petietl'l.lie door. and as usual called the
several stations at which the train would stop.
Mrs." Vance was among the iirst to go and se-
cure a seat in the cars.‘ ‘
The moment‘ .she had passed otit, a man
Walked by to the ticket-ofilce and purchased a
. ticket for the same ml” rat she had.
As-the last p':2-.:'i‘:.‘=.-‘:2 urned away irom the
, mile linle Vcrac c:;’;CZci’I‘- anti advanced toward
[L am; (3: 9;; i:;<;:ir:. ‘ ne two men stoudtacr:
‘to face. ' ‘ ' '
It was but a c.‘:9.t‘.t glance that the first man
.VQ33'; upon ‘.hel$t.".nit‘r, when he went out anti
tuck his seat in the ears. 1
Verse looked alter him a moment, while a
smile rjmyt ti over his it-atures, when, he,
6:30, at last bou;:iit:liis ticket and passed out tin
:29 platforms, and wullted along beside the train.
Alilof our readers are acquaintett with the
l usual scenes attending; the departure ot a rail-
iregtl train. and upon this night they were about
me some as are to he witnessed about a railroad
station. a " ‘ ‘
There were the usual han-t-sliakintzs, the hut-
ried adieus, a lewjiastv kiss’.-st, the ringing of a
bell, and soon the long train began to rrtoyc.
Verne did not get aboard until the train was
gg motion, when at the last. moment he leaped
t 3. st rnr. ‘ ‘ ‘
‘a'‘‘]‘iCov.i‘,’' he muttered. as the train thundered
on its way, “ 1 can kill two birds with one
stone; to-night may prove the most eventful oi
my whole life." ‘
And the train thundered on its way. V .
T‘ , 7 CHAPTER. xxxil.‘
ltlns. VANCE and Victor Gasquoine, as our
readers have already divined, were confederates.
As it appeared, there was at’ the time that
S‘euth iggrvvieweg the supposed heir, an open
rup ure een err.
As much is learned or the acts and motives
of bad people through their guilty conversations,
we jutlge it the most direct and brief mode 0!
explaining certain dark points in our narrative,
by relating the words that passed between the
two tschemers, during an interview which iot-
lmvet! Ga.-quoiue's ti:)n5d%Dlldl const‘iIltaiion
with his iriend, the rcnc assassin, erac.
During the consultation between the two lat-
ter, Gasquoine had oticred a large sum oi money
to Verac, IE induce hint to murder, or have
murdered, t ree persons. . , y
The three individuals thus appointed to death
by the villain Gasquoine were-in the first
p ace, Old Sleuth, the detective; in the second
place, the mysterious concealed person, the so-
called Frances Gasqtioine,,in case her where-
abouts could be discovered.
The third party doomed to death. or rather
whose death “$13 being deliberately contracted
for, was Mrs. anct-.. '
The blood-thirsty villain who sought the lives
of the three persons above. mentioned, actually
oilered a higher pt ice anti laid more store upon
the death oi thelate housekeeper than at, the
other two. '
Imrne(liateJy after the departure of the assas-
sin Verac, Mrs. Vance had ll second time ens
tered the room, and had conlronted .Gasquolne
with the chffrge that he was bargaining tor her
destruction. ’
in answer to this allegation Gasqtioine said,
coolly: - '
There is one thing certain, iitrs. Vance. you
must surrender what you have in your posses-
sion, or it is jtistpossible that some day your
name may appear in the death record." ‘
.“ Had I been as smart as I thought I was,
Victor Gasqtioine, ,1 would have known that 11
man who would procure the murder oi his own
tie-sh and blood would also, in tlieiend, bargain
tor the murder or -his accomplice. ‘
"' You are talking at random, madam, and
making charges that could only emanate irom
the brain ot it crazy woman.”
" W'eil, there is one thing I want you to un-
derstand. Victor Gasqtiotnc, that being tore-
warneti 1 am iorearmed: and I would rather
die and carry my secret with me, than surrender
it to you without the tultiliment of your con-
tract to theletter." I V
“ There are two alternatives presented, mild-
am; you must surrender or diel- or 1 must secure
those papers or zlzel I suppose I might as Wrli
say." i ' e -
, "Those papers will be produced when your
compact isiultilledl" - - o
“ You shall have twice the sum oi money i
have heretofore otiered you."' , -
" The whole estate will not satisfy me.”
" And do you really think that you can force
me to make you my wile?” ‘
" You must ftiliiil yorircouttact or bethrown
from your present high position! As your wile
it would be to my interest to hide my secrets;
as your enemy it would be my lirst purpose to
betray them." ‘ ‘
" We can compromise in some other way;
there is no necessity for you to write yourself
down my enemy." -
" You are dealing with a woman that has got
nothing further to learn in her game with you!
My patience is eithatistetl; so you see I do not
tear yoti so gr: silly, as I atiiadding to your matice
to murder me!" - ‘
'.' And you may provoke. me to do ill’:
“ Either way i am satislied, Victor Gris-
quoinel" exclaimed the woman, her eyes burn
in;: with ll ltirid light and her voice hoarse with
passion. "Ste. yes,” she rititietl, with a hiss,
" in tile 1 am your mnetcr,and my death would
; be the blow that wnuld crush you-crush you
try, izrintt you to powder!”
V'ictorgasqunine rcroilt-rl in tbe,prcsence oi
the aroused woman. A contingency had nrisrn
that he had not bargained for.
' ills intended victim had ctitiniociy mtitle prep-
arations for death, and provided tor her re-
venge from the grave.
,The'full truthlol wliat. a safeguard site hart
thrown around her his presented itself torcibly
to his mind. - I , ‘ v -' 1
At. first he hadbeen surprised at her so boldly,
, adding to the motive forkilling her, but now ‘;,-I
he saw that this boldness was only the gtound- ' 1
work or a bulwark that was to protect her lite.’ , -
In iact, her lile had suddenly become as pre-
gious to him as it could in some senses be to’
er. - " , v v ..
The scoundrel ground his teeth in baflied hate
andrage.- - -,
Then you intend to defy me?” he ex-
claimed. : . , ‘p
" Y95..I intend to defy you!” . . .
“ And betray me also, I suppose?” - . v
“ That depends on whether you seek to betray
me or not.” ‘ ' - ,
" There is no betrayal about it in my case;
you hold papers that belong to me; 1 wish your
to surreider them, and I will pay you for so
doing." . ' e. , v
“ 1 have no papers that belong to you.”
" ‘You navel" .
“ A have not. The papers, in‘niy possession,
we both schemeti to obtain.’ They are nsmuch A
mine as yours, and you knnw'itl”
Victor. Gasquoine’s tare became livid; his
leatures were contorted by the excess oi his
rage, and adangerous fury glowed in his eyes,
as he exclaimed: , , . '
:: Once for all, willyott treat on a fair basis?”
I will only treat on the basis of a fulfillment.
of your conipact." I - ,‘ . r
" T1190.‘ you she-devil," ejaculated Gasquoine.
completely beside himselt with rage, “ let the
consequences be upon your own head!” A
As the maddened villain uttered the above exit ) ii’
clamatton, hesprung to his feet. and rushing
toward Mrs. Vance, raised his hand and struck’.
her a poweriuiblow that felled her to the tioor.
Thewoman struggled to gain her leet; at the
same time she attempted to scream, but): second
blow knoctted her back insensible; >
Having gratified the wild, vengelnl passions . l '
oi the instant. the exasperated man‘ coolcgt r‘ n
suiiiciently to realize what he had done. ‘ g - ,=
,'.He remembered his victim’s words: . V
' MS’ death will makeyour destruction surel"
instantly be set about restoring her to con-
sciousness. , ,
‘ Finally he succeeded," when he s:iitt,'sooth-
lngly: ,
“ You must forgive me! I struck you in 2:
moment of uncontrollable passion, and 1 shall
regret my act the remainder oi my life!” '
Mrs. Vance replied, in a peculiar tone of voice: j
“ Yes, Victor Gasquoine, you will regret
that blow the remainder of your life, surely!"
nhe turned to leave the room. ,
The man who had struck her bid her stay one
moment. ‘ .,
Site refused, and ten minutes later she lett-
the house. - , . . ‘.
Site was in the street heinre Gasquoine fully
realized her intentions; then he lolluwcd her,
and was thrown oil the track, as recorded,
while the more wily Verac bring upon her trial,
and tracked her to the depot and upon the train,
as described. , ‘ -
‘ " .CHAPTER XXX1ll. ‘ ,. y
la‘ was.near midnight when tlietr.-titi upon 1
which Mrs. Vance had taken passage came to a
‘limit ill. the station tor which she had bought a
c ‘e . , -
Taking the small satchel in her iiantl, she:leiL"- -
::]"l,1;h5‘t;=(1jl',‘ cameroutyvupon the.’ platform, and ,
it Was 21 gloomy prospect presented as she
stepped irom the train down upon the station
pirttlorni. ; , ' , -
The night had clouded over, a steady-rain had’
set in, and occasional iiliul blasts of wind made
the iuijacent sign-boards rattle. , ‘
The woman shudtiered, as she drew her tell,
down over her lace while passinv the station
reflector. . - " ,
“ Mercy! what a terrible night for a two-mile
“',"”‘ “Wig a lonely road!" kill.’ mtitteretl, ad-
Iilng. nudibii’: “ But it matters not-I must gr.
171059 Papers niusr be removed."' I
‘ As the woman gave utterance tnthis exclama-
H011. 11 (lurk lltrure was standing Wlllill1l'o.P slu-
llon door, anti not more than four lee! distant.
A moment passed. and tiien the train, with is V
shrill whistle, proceeded on its wu '.
he station-rr.asler advanced toward the late
U"W8l9T. ns the train moved oil. and said: .
" it you have far to go, madnln, i can pro
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