The Conshohocken Recorder, March 15, 1895

              THE RECORDER.
NO. 1405 CONSHOHOCKEN, Mil DAY, MAR II 15, 1895. $1.00 FER YEAR
/. HN COPrRiCiHllP lb94 0» TMt AUTHOR
S
i
lu the world.
"I inn Sony for that," said Olivia,
with u touch of pity, "because B'elix is
dead "
"Felix dead!" said Rose incredulous-ly.
"Then who is the man?"
"This man is my lovor, Francis Bri-arfh'ld,
who returned from Chile on tho
6th of Juno. "
CHAPTER XIL
For tho moment I felt but little sur-prise,
as 1 thought Olivia was but inok-in;
r the same mistake she hud mode
formerly. Yet when 1 noted that she
knew the true date erf her lover's return
and remarked tho strange expression on
the faco of Rose I became instinctively
convinced that she spoke the truth. It
was Francis liriartield who stood before
me, and the dead man was Felix. How
the change Of personality had taken
place I was unable to guess, but never-theless
felt thai it was true.
Rose Gernon, with a look of disap-pointed
rage, was tho first to speak.
She stumped her foot and laughed scorn-fully
"This is ridiculous!" she suid con-temptuously.
"It was Francis who
died. He"
"Francis did not die, as yon well
know." interrupted the young mail.
"Felix fell into his own trap, and for
safety I assumed his name. I believe
you were aware of this all along."
"How can that be? And if I really
did know you wero Francis, why did
yon not say so?"
"Because I did not wish to betray
myself. For aught I know you slew my
brother and wero quite capable of ac-cusing
me of his murder.''
Rose evaded this question, and toss-ing
her head, with a sneer, moved to-ward
the door. Before she could reach
'■ I blocked her passage.
' 'Not yet, Miss Uernon,'' said I mean-ly.
' 'Though we have discovered Fe-t<>
be Francis, we do not know how
former met with his death. "
"I cannot tell you. "
"I think you can," said Olivia quick-ly,
"seeing Felix, by your own confes-sion,
made all arrangements with you. "
"And yet Felix is dead," scoffed
Rose.
"Ho fell into his own trap."
"I don't know how ho died," sho
said resolutely. "As regards that I ain
as Ignorant as you are, though I believe
Francis killed him."
"Ah! Yon then acknowledge me to
be Francis?"
1 acknowledge nothing. Let me
pass, Mr. Denham. I have to attend to
my busine
"Not till you tell me where your so
Called father, Strent, is to be found."
"1 don't know," ihe said sullenly.
"Yea, you do," persisted Olivia,
"and you shall Dot leave this room till
you tell all."
"If I do not go to the theater, I shall
bo rained."
"That does not mutter to us," said
Francis nicivil, -sly.
The woman looked at our tbroo faces
and seeing therein no hope of mercy
compromised the matter.
"Let mo havo a night to think over
It," she entreated anxiously.
"No," said Francis and Olivia in one
breath "You must toll all now. "
"Thero is no time," she urged "I
am late as it is. I must go."
"Let mo speak, Briarfield," I inter-posed,
seeing ho was about to refuse
again. "Wo do not want to mako a
public* scandal of this—as yet. "
Francis consulted Olivia with a look
and turned to me.
"You know more about this case
than any one else," he said quietly.
"Miss Bellin and myself are quite pre-pared
to leave the matter in your
banda"
"Very good. Then Miss Gernon can
go to her duties. I undertake that she
■hall be forthcoming tomorrow. Oh,
yes. Miss Gernon," I added ironically.
"I have made all my plans. Knowing
you wero mixed up in this case, I en-gaged
a detective to look after you."
"A detective I" sho said, with a ter-rified
look.
"Yes! Ono of tho smartest detective
of Scotland Yari. Permit mo to escort
you to the stage door of the thoater and
introduce you to this gentleman. Per-form
your part tonight and go borne
Tomorrow come to these rooms at noon
and tell us all you know. I am not
afraid of your escaping, as my detective
will watch von till wo see you again."
"Suppose 1 refusol" said Rose vicious-ly.
"In that case I'll havo you arrested
at onoe as an accessory to the murder
cfPeu id."
"Yi i strong for me," sin
said si "I accept your c
lions. Tonii : row I'll come here at 12
•'clock Can 1 go now?"
"Certainly—provided you accept nic
aS.TOBT. psciil r " ^_^
'-As y .a please," she replied disdain-fully.
"As |.,r yon, Miss Bellln," she
added, turning toward Olivia, "I wish
you joy of yon bargain. That man is
Francis Briarlield sure enough. I knew
it all along and played on his fears for
my own ends. Ho is a coward, and Fe-lix
was worth a dozen of him. For you,
Mr. Briarfield, I havo nothing but con-tempt.
"
With this parting shaft she sailed out
of the door, closely followed by ma
The detective was waiting on tho other
tide of the street and followed us close-ly.
Rose glanced unoasily from side to
aide, but not one word would sho speak,
nor did I wish her to talk, having quite
enough on my mind for the present.
When we arrived at tho stage door of
the Frivolity theater, sho halted on the
Btop. In tho light shed from the lamp
above I could see her scornful face.
"What I huve promised I shall do,
Mr. Denham,"sho said spitefully, "but
tomorrow I can tell you nothing. With
all your clevernoss as a spy you havo
discovered nothing but a mare's nc-r. "
When sho entered tho theater, I turn-ed
round to the detective, whom I found
at my elbow.
"You know what yon havo to do?" I
said imperatively.
"Yes, sir. I saw her faco in the light
You can depend upon me. I shan't lose
sight of her."
"Sho is to como to Mr. Brinrfield's
rooms tomorrow at noon."
"That's all right, sir. I'll sco sho is
there."
"Good Be very careful.. She, is a
.•lever woman and would baffle tho dvvil
himself."
"Sho won't baffle me," said the de-fective
confidently and so departed on
his mission.
Having thus provided for the safe
keeping of Rose Gernon, I returned to
Briarfleld's rooms and found him alone.
Miss Bellin had taken her departure
during my absence.'"^ ■ - - • -
"VJhero >s she?" I asked, glancing
round
"Olivia has gone homo," explained
Francis. "If 6ho is back before 9, her
mother will never hear of this escapade,
so I put her in a cab and sont her off."
"All tho better," said I, taking a
seat. "Now that wo aro alono I wish
to hear the story of your transformation
from Francis to Felix."
"I told you I was Frauds all along,"
lie taid reproachfully.
"Yes, in gnob a way that I thought
you wero Felix," I answered ironically.
"I told you I vat Francis all along," he
tnId reproachfully.
"You might have trusted me, Briarfield.
It would have been better for us nil."
"I havo no doubt it would," answer-ed
Francis gloomily, "but I was afraid
lest you should think I had killed
Felix."
"I knew you wero incapable of such
• thing."
"Thank you," he said gratefully.
"Had I known you were so true a
friend, I should have made you my oon-fldant
As it was, when I remembered
my wild threats of killing Felix, I
dreaded lest, finding him dead, you
might accuse me of his murder."
"Who killed him?"
"I don't know. When I saw him, he
was dead.''
"And Strent and R< »•?<".
"Th.y had left the bout*"
"What i: .'.•• was this?"
"About 0 In lie morning."
"And I v. I not op till 10 o'clock.
You hud p'uuty of time to fy. Bat
what pni it to your hi id I > place I..
<!' rl ' alix in your '. id?"
"It' 'tory, and I hardly
know il yon will understand my mo-tives."
"Yes, I da Y in were afraid of beta .-
accused of the crime. It was foolish of
yon to mistrust mo. I would havo aided
rather than blamed you."
"I see that now. It was kind of you
to try to avenge my death. Unfor-
•ur industry was danger-ous
to me, and 1 had to bailie it"
"Yon certainly did so very adroitly.
But tell me the story. I am anxious to
know what took pluoe."
Francis was quite unnerred bv tl
lijte^ interview and before oontinuinu
f.iiii-.i M '-oi .mi a giass 01 cranny.
Then, pushing the bottle towar e, he
began his strange narrative w ithout fur-ther
i'
"When l went o b •! thai night," he
I I not :.ii ep f II I
i kopi w udering If yo ur the-ory
could be 1 ' ml the
treaohi ry of Felix. U H were, l consid-ered
how 1 - bould punh i i ther.
While thus thin] lug l I 11 as! ■ ip and
didn't wake np till close on 6 o
in the moral ■'•'i my I
on me with full force, and you know
how uiuob bags 1 tl that
hour than in i'i * Idaj light
no chance of further Bleep, sol put i
niy clothes and went down stairs, The
'first thing I Haw was my brother
lying dead on the floor."
"Had you any Idea who killed him?"
"Not the slightest I thought il was
either Strent or the girl, so I went in
search of them. They had fled, for I
found my horse gone, so this flight con-firmed
mo in my suspicion. At first I
determined to wake you up and explain
all, but remembering my foolish talk of
the previous night I thought you might
think mo guilty of my brother's death."
"That was a foolish idea. "
"Well, put yourself in my place, and
you would huve thought as I. "
"Not a bit of it. I should havo had
moro moral courage.''
"I hadn't at that moment. I thought
you would denounce me and I would
be hanged, so took steps to secure my
own safety. I went outside and found
my brother's horse at the i ido of the
house'. Strent and hisdaughti r had tak-en
mine and overlooked my brother's I
tho hurry of their guilty flight I raw
a means of escape and took it."
"But What about the substitution of
yourself for Felix?"
"I did that to throw off the
tn -.ill liat your Idi a w is right
that Felix was masquerading as]
thought I might go back with safi ty i
myself. Felix was far cleverer thai I.
and it was certain that he had pr n .
some i. at ins t ir the absence of bi
self while he passed himself off as i: .
The whole plot unrolled itself in a u.o-ment
before me, and I saw in oai
through lay my only chance of r-..I -ty. "
"It would havo been far easier Ii
have trusted to niy friendship "
"I see that now," said Francis peni-tently,
"but I did not then. I wanted
to leave the house without your wak-ing,
so took tho body of Felix softly up
stairs, undressed it and laid it in my
bed Then I folded up my clothes on
the chair beside the bed and dressed
myself in his suit"
''Andthe pearl ring?"
"I had to part with that so as to car-ry
out tho deception; therefore I slipped
it on the finger of the dead man. Then
I locked the door of my bedroom and
came down stairs again. In u few min-utes
I was on my way to Marshmin-ster."
"How did you get tho horse back to
Fnndy's stables, and what made you
think of going to Bellin Hall?"
"As to the first, I found Fnndy's
name on the saddle, so knew Felix had
hired the horse. I took it back to the
stables, and. owing to my resemblance
to Felix, easily managed to deceive tho
hostler. Then, as Folix in bis letter had
told mo he was staying at Bellin Hall,
I went then . "
"Was there any suspicion?"
"None at all. I told a footman T I 1
been out for a morning ride and i
him to brim.' mo a brandy and soda to
my room. I needed tho drink after all
I had gune through, but my prill
reason for asking him was to find out
my room."
"How so?"
"Well, I made him carry tho tray up
Stairs in front of me. Of course he look
it to the room of Felix, and thus I gain-ed
my point without exciting suspicion
All tho baggage, clothes, etc., of Felix
were in the room. I knew all about
tin m, as I had seen them plenty of
times. Then I dressed in a morning suit
and went down stairs to find Olivia."
"Did she guess the truth?"
"Not at first, but she saw i |
something wrong as she kept i erring
to events of the previous week a'-out
Which I knew nothing. Laekily
Bellin did not come down til- al. . at,
so I was able to tell her all when i io
ierr a its left the room."
"Had sho recognized that Felix was
masquerading as you?"
"She had :me or Ii■■-, but WBS not
quite certain. When I told her all that
had ocourrcc, she lielievid meat e:iee.
In some instinctive way she knew that
I was re illy la r lover. Then we 1 I to
work to ■■ . i.ica ores formysafety.
Olivia ' i 111 was appi m d to be
in Pa. is ' t I Intel .:, s Btrangi
show l i el ■ letters co it wa - decided
is wi.-est I i ip thai fiction. She
told I t hail taki u place dm Ing
•
[ WaS tl :..:..
Folix."
"Tli :. I id im i ti d
Felix."
" y, , Yon s ■-, I told the truth, d
■odiil Olivia, win 1 said I WSJ
But of course, as 1 had 11
with tli" dead man. we -a-\ w! i re •
were making your mistak I
thought you'd take my (
to he: i
"Seeingthat, Eriarflcld, y< nought to
have i ild me alLV
"Olivia suggested as r
afrnid Wl
and see the. inn, I ai'
grace in order to get i 1
/*»to uw uuruig ■-" mgni ana tnrew rt
into B p<»il l f the inn. "
"I kiiou tliat pool," said I grimly,
"and traced your trail thereto."
"I am afraid Id I it badly," said
Francis, wit Ii a shU III r "It WBS a har-tal
k, yi i y, as 1 tb
when J id Et day you
would tl ink II was a dream orahal-
Inoinal in."
"I did very nearly," I answered
gravely. "_\:..i what about Paris?"
"Oh, that ■ ■' ry ■ asyl Whi n you
said y. m < re ig thi re to 1'
!■' i ; i yi II to London by the
same tra • d over to Paris at
ono. -\i the Hotel des Etrao. is 1
found Felix ha I brl d the manager to
send on tin io Olivia. He, of
10, til mght ! WBS Felix and talked
quite o] u y I 'ore me. Felix had in-vented
a\ ry i ,;- plot to enlist
tho mans t is service. What it
was I need not tell yon, but I told tho
manager w hut l vt . ,ti d, and he did it
well. Of coarse 1 paid him lavishly."
"You n ..i he tl Ived me by say-ing
you I::: : 1 II ,-. weeks in Paris?"
"Ye.-, and about my going to Italy.
Of course when you saw me you thought
I was really Felix, and that you wero
out of your mind. "
"How oould I do otherwise when
your statements wan backed up by tho
manager! 1 did not know what to make
ot it. '
"Well, that's all I have totell,"said
Francis, "and a lot of trouble it has
been. I wish I had told you all at first. "
"What about Hi Gernon?"
"Oh, she found me out and made be
li"ve I was Fi lix. Sho wanted to marry
me, as you saw. I had great trouble with
her.
"We'll settle her tomorrow, " said I
grimly. "But, incis,whodoyon
think killi d your hi
"I can't say. I don't i Ten know how-he
died."
"He died, "said I, "from a wound
in the hand inflicted by a poisoned ar-rowhead
which •:■; - taken from Bellin
Hull."
"And wdio wonnci d him?" demand
ed Francis, turaj i g | . le.
"We'll find thai i n! I :. :'rc. .'
I iswnod, "from Le: e Strent, alias li...
Gernon." . - ..._ (
CHAPTER XIIL
After all, it is true that the in.ex-pected
always happens. In my unravel-ing
of the Fen inn mystery I never for
a moment expecti d to find that Francis
was alive I was even ignorant that
Folix had been to the inn on that night.
Ho had ridden round tho back way of
the house, and as my room was over
the front door I had not heard his ar-rival.
Under these circumstances it
was easy for me to make the mistake
and think the dead man was Francis,
particularly us I was misled by the
marvelous resemblance between the
brothers, and, moreover, saw the pi ail
ring on tli" finger of the corpse. My
mistake was a perfectly i X0U8able one,
and I had been i n rn ad in such or-i
■ f/ashii n In
whioU ' . n safety, !: ] t
up the 6 i.
Now Ik. —that Fr icifl
wai alive a as re cards
the nai . .. \. io had commit-ted
thi i . .'. quite In thi
dark. I' i ; n .
I confess,
evi u to
or Strent . u, B •
other was In the inn al that time. .-
had vanished, but no doubt she I
1 *»' whrroMl ' ^..oaegttaii
llohren Ii""-, ... rt mek. i
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