'THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING. DECEMBER 4, 1S10
u
O YNOPSIS: 'Damaris Ellwood, a young '
Englishwoman, resolves to hide her
identhv and live for a time among the
employes of Iter large edttdH mills in order
that she may learn to understand the working
people and appreciate , the trials they are
forced to undergo. She is an orphan, and has
for companions at her home "an mcli , Joseph
Ellwood; and Mrs. Mitchinson, a chaperon.
There is a close understanding between the
uncle and the chaperon; and whtli they openly
oppose the girl's tlans. it is evident that , they t
ere not averse'to her losing herself for a time. '
Before site goes, however f there is a mxsterU
cus burglary, the evident intent of which is to
secure sfime secret family papers which. have -been
closely guarded since the death of Miss -Ellwood'
s father.
'Once Missi Ellwood leaves her home her
, : tempt to hide herself is only too successful. ;
: nrti
I If I IM P
fill 4 . I
wm
-Ml II
y
(CONTINUED FROM LAST Wggg.) :
CHAPTER XVIII
(Continued)
I . V
ft
'1
...
HQ Accomplished her Jour
ney without lifiy troubl.
and arrived In due time at '
her destination:- it wm
only Just aha waa allfht-.
ing that It occurred to her
that as this waa Saturday -
, afternoon the lawyers' of
fice! would ha closed. fcnt-1
ford's advice still weighed '
with htr enough to make
her dedlde she would sea
Mr, Whit befora appear- '
ing at- Ardlngley Houae.
For on! thin, Mr. White
would be able to send a
maid home for euitabia ap
parel, and Mrs, i While '
would be able to lend her
a room to perform her '
toilet in.
Iter nWest path to the .
Whites' lay through 'the
churchyard, and as she
w crossing It she went a
little out of her way so as
to past hear the spot In
which her father lay burled, the grav only distin
guished from those around by the greater beauty of
the flowers ori it The rnarble cross wis no more
elaborate than those on many othef fravee around,
and there wat bo elaboration of ornament, tor
Damaris did not think It eeernly ' to endeavor to .
obtrude Into the solemnltle of death the trivial human
distinctions of wealth and Tank, But how as she
approached the grave Something Strange In its appear -snce
at once strucfc her, .
"Why. they've been digging there," she muttered,
in bewildered atnazement; V'it'l been dug Up." 6h9
stared at the fresh-turned earth. "Why whatwhat '
she muttered, . , , .
In mingled fear and amazement sh went xearer1
fctill, and, bending down, wal able to make out even
in the gloom that a fresh Inscription had been chiseled
on the base of the cross. This is what she read just
beneath, the Inscription to the memory ef her father
that she herself had had put. there;
' : ; ' Also lies burled here ' ,
, DAMAIU9 ELLWOOD,
Only and beloved daughter of the above,' Who,
lamented by all . who knew her, pasted ewsy Ih the
flower of her youth at the age If a, on Thurday,
October 14. , ' . .. .t . . -
And then followed a teit that )amaris' d,ased eyes
took in without comprehending. '.-.
"Thursday, October H," she muttered. ''Six weeka '
ago! What! did I die Hi weeks ago, then?" and It
teemed t her that something cold, like an iron hand,
clutched at her heart to atop its beating, and that from
the ground a great darkness rose and spread, en
Velopirig her. . , i
With hardly a sigh she seemed td collapse in upon
herself and fell down In a swoon like death It the
foot of this stone that recorded her own death and
CHAPTER XIX , -
; Betrayal "
THERE was a sensation 6f falling, 6! falling as from"
an Immense height through n interminable dark
nees in which faint, flickering lights played n
certainly. And it seemed, too, that dark figures
whirled and circled round about, so that Damans
imagined there were great, evil birds with flapping wings
that followed her persistently and clamored lit her ar of
tieath. the grave and burial, v:;:c.r'
Then the darkness rose again as l to meet her ae"
the fell, and when ebe opened be eyes once more It was
In daylight and In a place that was familiar to her, and
5-et was not net wn room Jn Ardlngiejc Housi that she
knew e well, full of all her own personal belongings.
But as she lay and wondered it came baek to her that
this was the room In LLsxIe Frears' house at Broadmoor,
and it oocurred to her that all -that had happened had "
Just been a horrible dream, Tet. as She remembered, .
It came back to her with an! impression of reality not
to be denied, and she seemed to eee agalo.that weird
and grisly Inscription ,?ut on the White marble 6f th
cross above her father's grave. - . . r -
Hearing her : groan, Lizzie came to the bedside1 and
looked down at her anxiously. ' ,
"What has happened?" 'Damaris .murmured faintly,
end then, .4.,VVho:..fs .ujleatharfrliil.ukad-...
"Thou munna talkv lass," laid Lizzie, gently "thou
wert took 111 yesterday. But rest today, and maybe to
morrow thou'lt be all reet again."
"No, no," said Damaris,' with a feVerlsh Impatience,
"I must get up at Once-there are things 1 must eee to."
the put her hand to her head with a gesture of fear and
j'erplexlty. "Oh; I must get Up; at Once," she" mur- "
mured, and she thought that a voice whispered in her '
ar, "Uetrayed." '
"Tomorrow," eaid Lizzie, soothlng'iy.
lass." ,,''
Damarts lay still for a little and tried to collect her
thoughts. It wa evident she was the victim of some
monstrous, unimaginable plot ; Who was it had told her
Bhe was betrayedT CUCtord-a man named Cllfford-a
man with kind and honest eyes and a look of strength
about him. He it was had warned her she wae betrayed,
und It seemed that his warnihx was true enmih -
"Uzzle," she said, "how is it I am back heret"
"Uli k n r3V haha JL a.. . .. ,
beard and eyeglasses.".. She
looked at him dazedly and
became conscious of a jalq
in her foot, then she mur
mured faintly: ,
"wuy, where am I nowr
"Eh, she's ooomlng
round," said a voice Damaris
knew was Lizzie's.
. "She's asking where she
Is," observed the man with
. the eyeglasses! v
"Eh." said Lizzie, "this
morn she wer' worse nof
.that. When she ooom round
she wanted to know Where
she wer buried. It fair gave
' me the creeps to listen to
er." .
Damaris half raised her
self in the bed.
passed, and It drew on toward evenin?, and still there
was no sign, then a great fear came upon her, so that
she trembled and shook as she lay in bed .and knew
not what to do; and she asked herself "with cold dismay
If her unknown enemies had once again succeeded in
defeating her plans. It was .in vain she told herself
that the letters he had seen must have convinced the
doctor, and that therefore he must have communicated
with a lawyer and the police. Surely he could not help
speaking; and If he told any one feo strange a story as
that Damaris Ellwood, supposed to be dead and burled,
was in reality lying injured In such a house In such a
street In that very neighborhood, surely they would
come, at ohce, if only to eee what jt all meant. -:
Yet no one came, and at last she fell to wondering
if the doctor could be 1n this plot against her, this
unknown conspiracy that seemed to wrap her round on
every side. - -
..Then at last, when It was quite dark, there came a
knock at the door below, and Damaris', heart leaped
with excitement as she told herself that this must be
"Are you the doctor?" she ' help at last. Then she heard Quite distinctly, for both
said. - " ' , ' her flcof and 'the door at the bottom of the stairs
He nodded. . " - : ' , were open, the doctor's voice Saying:
"How do you feel ttowr' H "Well, how is the patient now? Has she been fairly
be asked. - quiet? Any more delusions?"
'Never- mind that," she . It was that last word fell -on Damaris' ear Jlke a
said, quickly and excitedly 1 note of doom. "Delusions!" -Why did he say delusions
"There Is some dreadful eon-" ' tin? .
A moment or two later the doctor came into' the
piracy I do, not understand,
' but I must see t lawyer im
mediately and ' the police.
Will you send them to me at
i.'Onee?" . . . , ,
"Oh,11 you must get better
first," said the doctor gen
tly, Vnd then we will dis
cuss all that.,'
"But there Is no time to
lose," : exclultnet) Damaris: In
terror; "why, . I might be
, murdered, I am afraid to be
left here. Already they have
persuaded people I am dad."
"Well) you are not dead,
. are you?" said the doctor in
the same gentle tones; "so
you will soon be able to
show them- what a mistake
they were making. And you
must not be afraid of being
- murdered; Your T-istej here
won't let any one murder
you, will you, Lizzie?"
v, "Nay, . indeed, th - poor
lass." said Lizzie pityingly.
, "Oh," eald Damaris, with
, an impatient move me n t,
"what could she do? Look
at my foot he 'scalded that
on purpose." "
room. . i
- "Well," she cried eagerly.'hava you seen a lawyer T
What have you done?" '
Something in his face, in his pitying eyes, checked
. the quick rush of her questions, and she became silent.
"Well, you see," he said, "you must remember this
is a Sunday."
. In her turn she checked him with an angry gesture.
- "Did you believe what I told you?" she..asked with
fierce eyes.
-.''My poor glrl' he betran. .
"That will do," she paid authoritatively. "But one
thing I must Ask you: How do you. account for those
letters I asked you to read?"
"Oh, I don't account for them at all he answered.
"My businese Is to get you all right again; then you
will be able to prove your claim to be Miss Ellwood
come back to. life again." - : "
She looked at him. utterly puzzled. Why did he not
believe her? Was her story so extraordinary that no
one would believe it? Was every one so satisfied that
Damaris Ellwood was dead and irt her grave that ehe
would never be able to make people think otherwise?
Had. this web of circumstance been spun so closely
round her that she would never be able to break It?
Had she In truth lost utterly ber identity as Damaris
Ellwood? Was she to be forced to remain as Polly,
Frears for the rest of her life? Bhe was betrayed, ln
deed, it seemed to her, an these and a thousand other
questions raced through her astonished and bewildered
brain. The doctor was looking at her f oot-agaia now,
and presently she said: . w"
a 'Of course, no ona can licep you here gainst your will.' "
and from the very beginning fight that terrible inscrip
tion over her father's grave. She said: ; 1
j, "Llssle, there's something I want totell you."
"Aye." said Lizzie encouragingly, "what is it;.lasr
"Lizzie,' said Damaris, "I came here pretending te
be your bister, but I ani not. l am Damaris Ellwood.
Tou have heard of the Ellwood Mills,' perhaps? Well,
I am the Miss Ellwood to whom those mills belong."
. "Eh, think o that, now." said Lizzie, pityingly.
."Don't you understand?" asked Damaris sharply, r
"Aye, aye, I understand " all to reels." answered
Lizzie. She approached the bed with a bowl of soufl
in her hands. "Just tha sup this,'' she said, "an' la
morn thou'lt feel better, maybe." ; "
- ' "But I mean It," cried Damans; "It's the truth. I
am Miss Ellwood Damaris Ellwood of th Ellwood
Mtlls-4 only came h4; i pretending to be your sister
o as to find but wlittt It's like to be a mill girl; but,
really I art Mls KllwoodVr , - '
"Eh, 6h, foorlaes," said Lizzie, wlifnf away a tear,
'I alius thought as thdu wert a bit, queer, but I never
dreamed as It would take thee so bad as this way."
"Oh, you are sill)-.' cried Damaris -n greet exas
peration, i
. "Eh, my Sear,1 said poor, Llzsie, very honestly and :
limply, "I could almost wish 1 wer', so long as thou -Verent."
. r ';- '- 5:;
"But don't you hear what J say? that J am only
pretending to be four sister, so as to find out how
mill girls liver .
"Of course, a very nice thing to know, too," said
Lizzie soothingly, . ' .. .
Damaris lay back in the bed and looked at Lizzie
ft considerable perplexity. It had never occurred to
her that she could have an difficulty in establishes;
her identity, It was'quite a n&w idea to her, and toy
no means a pleasant one. fet, she saw that Llszte
plainly regarded the statement that she wss Miss KlU
wood come there in disguise for the purpose of study
Ing the lives of the ftiiU girls aS merely a piece of wild
delirium. Lizzie probably, would never be able to un derstand
why any one should be anxious for Informs
' tlort on a sdbject so well known to herself. Fortu-'
nately, Damaris thought, every one could not bo so
Stupid as poor Lizzie, so that after all she could not
meet With much real difficulty. At home, for Instance,
there were hundreds of popple who would know her,
at once. Yes, it would all be simple enough! and et
eh remembered, with a chilly fear, how Clifford had
said to her that she was betrayed. , ,
- For the present she gave up further attempts at
arguing with Lizzie, who. after a time, thinking she
was aHleepi went out ' of the room. Damaris could
hear plainly her shrill whisper at the bottom oj the
stairs and Mr. Frears' gruff tones In answer. .
"Eh, poor lasfe," Lizzie eaid in ehe got to th hot
tofn of the 8tairs,"ey, feyther, but oor Pol y S wander
, Ing summat awful says as she isna herself." ,
... "Who does eh say sh. is?", came Frears gruff
"Why, Miss Ellwood, o' all th' folk ' th' world--.
Miss Ellwood, V they great EUWOod Mills." -
Damaris sat uprFght . In - bed . with excitement.
Burely now Frears would ay that at Jeaet she ws
not Polly Frears, that at least she had Come from Mr.
Ellwood, But all she heard was his harsh laughi and
then his gruff voice, saying: . .
"Eh, what a notion to. take hto her head, to be.
,Uf"Aye eaid Lizzie mournfully, "I "alius saW as shi
wer' a main nice las wi' a heart o' gold, and I alius t
saw, too, as she wer" a bit weak I' th' ed w' th' &uer :
est notions, but I never dreamed as they would take
her"Ahfyo3Scan't never teil,w thernsort,'; eaM Ffears
sadly; ''they get all sorts of ldeAs into their 'eds, these
ldi-Vhlss' thoughrDamafls, "Is really too much,''snd'
Indignation conquering her weakness, sh. jumped out
Ct &d theyb r" IgrtfLIzzle. ''though' I Would.
iall oor Poll? quite an idiot," she added thoughtfully
"sorsetlme she's reet enow, 1 wonner whtuput this
"notion o hef belli' Mlsa Ellwood into her 'ed. ' ; -
Nav, i aonno. anow, nwera tii u iio
what with th very faulty reproduction and the differ
ence In attire, the likeness was certainly not remark
able. Damaris flung It down Impatiently; and went
on to read 'In th next issue a long account of the
.funeral. ::;;A..- z:'
, .To Damaris it was a grisly and uncanny experience
enough td sit there and read the detailed account of
. her own funeral. Bhe could have Imagined that she
was. in fact, lying lrr hor graye; sha almost could
have persuaded herself she felt th earth 'rattling on
, her coffin lid. : At times the paper in her hand trembled
so that she could not 'read. A weird feeling of un
reality enveloped her, o that she almost thought that
.what tho paper recorded must be the fact, and sitting
. here reading about it the delusion. Th account was
eomptet. ; She read th names of her friends who
' attehded. i rrtourriers, , ioseph tellwobd.. wai mentioned
as, th nrlholpat mournef Thr wa I long list
flower that had been sent,; including some vmagntficent
wraths from different groups of those Who -worked in 1
h?r mills. With a sensation as though hor heart might
, stop beating at any moment, with feeling as though
a . deathly, coldness were spreading - threugh hef -whol
' bofly, Damaris read, on, and found) nothing missing to
rnake fier doubt the" reality of this ghastly , ceremony.
, There was even a report of th sermon preached by th
vicar, who had known her all her life, with it rather
conventional reference! to the "bright young life cut off
In It prime" and "to the tense of loss felt by all alike.1'
When Damaris found that the text was "It is well with
the child," she had to put th paper' flflwn and struggle
With herself to check a fit of screaming and laughing
that shelfeit was imminent,. ' ' " '
. "But I mustn't go into hysterics now," she laid te
herself, and fought hard for her self-control. '
"How dds't feel, lass?" Lizzie asked anxiously
- "Oh, th II ' all perfect , madness!" Danfari .
xclalmod'. - , '
"Aye. so 'tis, is," greed Lizzie, with an air of
Soltie relief, "though I 'arfily 'oped thee would coom
' to find it oot so soon, , Hut get back intq bed, and -
very like thou'lt be all reet I' th' morn."' ,
" But Damaris stood uh. Now that sh had fought
downer temporary inclination to hysterlai sbe felt
that the crisis in which she found Jierself needed lm
meaiate action, ana tne very iav tnat it was so
eztraordlnary, "o utterly IHcomprehensible, stirred her
tsne lmmeniete steps. Ana ever sne seemea ib
nr whispering in her car1 the words: "foU have been
trayed!'1 - -j,, . -
"I must fed out at once." she satd; "Don't talk to
re. Lizzie, or try to argue; there is more In this than
think you understand. I must dress and go straight.
o had , 1 AV
arc.: -
uncent - - JJ-SaiA.
' Jy?$cS K i ' ' 1
7i i.Ma
'ft
! :,'(! iff.' "F
CA.
- v. - - -Jt
first to the police and then to a firm of la
Lizzie, looking rather frightened, h
mtn ran aownsiairs.
awrers.'
esitated,
and
! " TZh, lass,' Hli6 itrleked, .'vvbateyer art thou doinal"'
"Feyther." nhe said anxiously. ''o6r Poltv': worse
nor ever. Now she's read about Miss Kll wood's -funeral
she says ehe muti.go td-th' police about It,"
"The police!" exelaimftl Mr. Frears. "Poor, erased
lassl . Welli thou hadst.better run for th' doctor, Lls
sle. He'll riot like stirring as It's Sunday, but tell him
how bad she is." . .
Damaris heard Lizzie cros th room and go but '
Then she heard another sound, more ominous f that of '
a key turned in the lock.
j "But that is honsense! they canndt keen m her
'igainst my will," said Damafls- to herselfT crushing
down the fears that sound of th key turned made rise
up in
Biowi? sh wenr flown the stair int i ) iriKM r
where to found Mr. Frears alone, " TirT"'.-!!; i.2 tl.tJn 5
Att. Frears," ehe said, "you at least know terfecU.4.. Sf.WthA' 2lLli Pleas Jlsteu t
wen that I am not Polly Frears .or your daughter,' -' "Whv, of l-ourse ha ahswared
M Uoksit without iniwr!n h,. "?.-.uii- - V "' "3 F.Vure'J' . ".9 .Bn,w"3ra..
ydd aoii'L fxf!itn vn lrnatT ton m inn."
6mlnous and threatening in bis .eyes 'filled her with
"Open the door.1 h said, in a vofo all hf effort !
could not niiUte steady, and crossing to the. door she
found It, as she had expected, locked and the key '
, Too bad, too baa Of film," sara th doctor, wno fiad
taken hold of her wtUt and was feeling her pulse, "but
you mUst hot excite yourself. Yes, tkere ii just ft touch
f fever, Now I anj going to giv you a. cooling
draught and-" '
"Oh," interrupted patnarls, beginning to reaitcs- he
did not believe or understand a word sh said. It
struck her sh had been talking; rather1- wildly and
disconnectedly, but wUH her rtwn "identity str plain to
herself t was hard to remember that other people
in ilit tintiit-ttlltf Ink, hue tuf (.IxkIa Vfnri' slater Pnflv.
Bhe now felt she ought to have begun her gtory froid
nougni ner siiu
jne fur one mo
Cheerily, "provided
Ellwood. My father:
. . , rf uhderstand, you'refuse to take my messages,
then?" ' . x . .
, "Oh, welt, jt think it would be better to delay it fot
a time,'1, he answered kindly, .'Don't' you. 5 think
yourself on second, thoughts?" -v.
Sh put out her hand and laid -It upon his arm.
"Doctor she said terribly, '.'do you think that 1
ant mad?"
"My poor girl," he ald4 very gently and with real
pity In his tones, "I think that Very soon ydu will be
Lilifn wall rain " . 1
.He went off then, for Damaris had
wnicn
to answer hlnv A seiiBatlott ot
ho words In
unreality op
n
"Ton think I ant follV rrpnid. 4 sinter nf Lizzie's."
Ih said. '1 sm not. i am.Mias Ellwood. Mr father
was John Ellwoud, arid I Inherited the JOllwood Mills
Rest star here." he said, lookin at hut Az.t-i.
'-' "I will nit!''.sh4 answered quloklyi ''nor tun
xeep-me ssrainst my win. i warn you you are
a oangeroue game. T shall take care to sea
you"
- -7 7 , .... l . x... . 1 uaiiRvruui
Ellwood died a wn ue caca, poor iass. i u vr tohcerhed are nroDerlv nun shed."
"An, that s liKeir anow,-, isra ibi v ui mm
Hh t afraid, bdt sh Would tint show It
'open the floor.' she .said, -"or I'll smash the
Win
Of one wno. has at last, soivea a nimcuu proine-i i sans-. , rfn and scream till heln com,.. Att, vn.i .rt f,,n 'i.
factorlly. -"'Hast got a paper anywneres, reyiner, wi irt imsatn that vou ran keen tna heri in T '
mention o' this Mlse Eliwoort's death In it? MKely if ttiat you cn KeeP " ft ainst myf
t wer to five it to oor. Folly to read, it might rid
"TOWdrrow,
i.m i, . ' C k Ji ....Uil l-.i U-..,.- . L .1'
her ed o' all the addled notions". t a imtjl?..ui; t He turned and lifted th. S m
-T 10ne.w',1s lass, that's all therei
is to it," said Uzzle, soothingly, ' .
, . "Nonsense," said Damans, sharply, "I went" away.
I left Broadmoor, How is it I am back again? I was In
the -churchyard. I, remembefthat." - . , -. ,.
ha
Thou'lt be
Why.'' I .17.7.1a answcirftil. "favth.r waa -
when I told him as thou hadst gone off to Manchester
by thyself, so he followed thee there, and found out
here thou hadst gone, and he went after thee, lass, and
K good thlnr he did. tOO. for thou harlnt hrniren Lir. :
He found thee swooning I' th' street, poor
nut thee I' a cab and fetched thee home,
better soon, doctor mvi."
"Has the. doctor been to see meT Damarl asked.
"Why, of course," Lizzie answered. -
The information did a good deal to reassure Damaris.
pHve ber a enie of security , in the lea of doubl
f-d j-rplexlty In whlrh she hsd been .so unoxpccteaiy
' !')Tp(t, Ci-i'liilivly I.I.-v.ie and litr "lather could mean ,,o
birrn to her when they brought a doctor in. and, ln-
"I'i. IJnnmrls trusted Lizzie end believed her kind and
V,..i..t, thoub ehe had her doubts of Mr. Frears. Bhe
I t TV;:it in the strange ulttintlon In which she found hr-
.f it . her wlMt plan to announce the truth at one?,
Thar seemed to be a rummaging among papers,,
and then Lizzie's tep was heard en the stair, 'Weaker
than sh had believed herself to be, Damgrls wa
sitting, half dressed, on the bed a Mzzl catne Into th -
f00; las," h ihHeked,' "whatever rt thou dolngf! .'
"Kever mind," said Daman Impatiently. "Give tn '
those papers." . ' . , . . . "
Evidently rncr and more astonished, arid alto more ,
and more uneasy, Lizzie handed Damarl the papers.
Hurriedly Damarl looked through them. There were '
three or four copies of a local paper arm two of a
well-known Manchester Journal, and though th ac;
founts were not very jelear tlfPT sufficed,
In th first copy i th ManchAter paper was a
paragraph recording th death of Miss lmnmrls Ell
wood tn a motor accident in France, and In the second
was an account of some French legal proceedings
Consequent on the accident, and a statement that it
was intended tn bring the body back to Kngland for
burial. An additional nota reminded the reader that
Miss Ellwood was sole owner in her own rlfJit of th
famous Ellwood Mills and had been one of tn great
est heiresses "in the north of England. Turning to the
local papers Damans. saw mat one or tnem had a
"Of
ha
doctor
a not of Dotatnes bouinit on the are behind him
.course, no one can keep you against your will
repe&tea j eiowiy; , -put won t you wait till
comes?1'; ,
"No" eaid Dn maris, "I don't want to See the doctor.
Open the door at once," and, though she could see no
rbssiblllty 6f danger, she wa yet aware of some
Wn. deeply threatening-In his -manner. ;v;
'"The key's on the mantelpiece, if thou wilt have It,"
he' said, shrugging his shoulders, and' then, byrtiing his
bsck to her, he again looked at the potatoes boiling. on
the Are. behind hJmi,s "They're nearly done,",-he re
marked. - - ! - I
' Damaris came up quickly and took the "key from
the mantelpiece.
"It's your owH fau-lt, you know, snld Frears,' and
by a dexterous movement, us he stepped quickly back
ward, he managed etomehow to upset the whole pan of
boiling water end potatoes right on Damaris' foot
She fell to the ground with a loud cry of pain, and,
bending over her, he said, grinning: .
- "Of course, no one can Keep you here against ypur
will." . - i ' ' ,
photograph of her, and seeing this she held it out to
chapter; xx
The ,Web"'of CIrcumstantie
HK pain of the scald and the sudden shock of it,
s -'-added 'to' thr weakness' from Which" she liad hot
"DO you know Who that is?" she demanded
"It says." Lizzie answered cautiously) "as it's Miss
Ellwood the poor lass as wer killed In foreign parts
.by one.Jiauthcm.iiaaty-iuotoc car, thugs. iut a while
"Isn't it like me?' demanded Damaris. X ' ye recovered,' were too much for Damaris. Once
."Not a bit," said Lizzie, with some truth. .:.. more great darkness enveloped her. and again
Damari( Who had not expected this reply, looked at, h felt her senses leaving her. - ;. v
the portrait again. . It was reproduced very badly When she came to herself she Was In bed again, and
from a photograph showing her in evening dress, and, bending over her was a strange man with a brown
from hi in. Walt a moment." she added) Seeing, he was
about to say Something, "I carl-prove quite easily the
truth of what I sm saying, livery week since I came
here 1 have had a letter from my uncle, Mr. Joseph -Ellwood.
I have them- all lri my - box there unless
plflyina ' tl'py have been stolen," she added, with a sudden panic,
that all "Will you look, and rad those letters?" , , ,
. i ne doctor seemea a little impressed Dy ner manner, .
He went aver to the box and tried the lid.
"It is locked." he said.
"The key Is in my purse, said Damaris.
She told Lizzie to give the purse to the doctor, who
took but th key and opened the box.
"Ther seem to be several letters here," he re
marked, "but they are all addressed to Miss Polly'
Freari and'the postmark! Is Manchester."
"Of course," said Damaris impatiently, "did you
suppose my uncle would kddres tne by my?wn name
when he knew I Was passing here as Lizzie's Sister?
. As for the postmark, he, sent them all from Manchester
-he frequently goes to Manchesterto avoid tho risk
of any one at home seeing the address and wondering
who the Polly Frears he was corresponding with
might bei But will you kindly read the letters them--selves?
Tou will e that they are signed by my uncle,
Mr. Joseph Ellwood, and that they contaln,mariy ref
erences to the business nd my friend afhome."
The doctor looked at her curiously, and then took
On letter out of it envelope. He glanced at it and
i then at Damaris In rather a puzzled way. ,
. "Oh, don't be satisfied with one," said Damaris in
triilinpli from her bed; "look at some more." ... .
, l)e took up three or four more and glanced at each
In turn. Llnxle, who was now looking rather pale and
frightened, went to his side, and he handed one of the
: letters to her, She looked at It and then at him, and
then they both looked at Damaris. -
x "Well, Is that conclusive?" asked Damaris. "
i - "Oh, quite,' he answered.
. "And you will send a lawyer to me?" she asked
"the' best known man in the neighborhood, I think it
wodld be as well also for you tolnforrh the police."
"Perhaps it would be," he agreed gravely. "Now lis
I promise to dd-what you ask, will you promise to bo
quite quiet aHd .patient: and not fret for th present?"
"Oh, yes," she said, with a great reliof now that
ner cause seemea won ana an tnese strange miBunaer
' 1
firessed her, a kind of belief that this was all soma
neredlble nightmare from which sho would presently
awaken to her old life. .It was as though a paralysis of
amazement possessed her, .and indeed-she knew not
what to do. She could not move from ner bed; those to
Whom (he appealed thought her mad; a horrible and
, false. Inscription proclaimed her dead and burled, and
she could find no way to proclaim the lie. Her brain
throbbed so, her heart beat so, she was almost afraid
that one or the other would burst Sh tried to think
'put her position clearly, but could not; the amazing
j facte would not range themselves in rank and -order .
' for her to surviy them. Once it even occurred to her
that sh was in reality mad, that she was wrong and
these others right, that she was in very fact and deed
Polly Frears, and never hftd been Damaris Ellwood,
-Putting her hands to her head, she'groaned aloixi,
"What Is It?" Lizzie asked, coming to her side. .
Damaris looked at her fixedly for a moment Tor two.
Lizzie might, not be very -quick Or -intelligent, but
patharls felt somehow certain she was honest. The),
doctor had ih some-way misread her letters, but surely
If sh herself took each One separately and read it,
aloud to Lizzie, why, then, even Liazie must under-
"Llzie,"bsh- tsaid, sfwill you get ma those letter
U Llzzlyappeared to hesitate, but then weht to get
"Perhaps, she muttered, "It'll set th', lass to reet
if she sees 'em for herself." , v , - -
Damaris did not underetahd. or heed this remark.'
She was thinking how alone she was, how weak, how
helpless, and she was remembering how one-man had
seemed to think she might need help and had offered it
to her freely, In the pressure of the terrible and
strartge position In which she found herself, she had
hardly thought of Clifford' before. . Now sonrehow she
remembered him again and thought how absurdly safe,
she Would feel If only she could hear his voire below,
his steps upon the stairs Lizzie came back from tha
box wltlrthe dozen or so of letters in her hands.
"Now," said Damaris, "I am going to read you each
one ih turn." , ... - ... - -- a
She chose one oy its postmarK as tne flrst of the
series. She drew the, letter from th envelope, and
with smile at Lizzie she opened It ' ,
When she looked at it. she saw that it wa quite) ,
blank. '-.'.. '.-' ;- '.-... - ;.'.-' ;
For moment' eheCould not Jneliev, her eyes.' Then f
she hurried to open another. ; It was -blank, too, and so i,
was the next and the next, till the Whole bed wa '
. ..,11, klflnl. ciVi-.t- A . A iVxItf tarn, ,
the evidence to which she had referred the doctor to
etndlnR -treacheries, she feared Were ort the point prove her Identify. N wonder that Instead he .had!.
OOUULBU l noun. . . , .... ;. . . ,
Khe pushed them from-ner wlfh a gesture 'of de
spair, and outside the church bells began to ring for
evening service, " It seemed to Be marls that they
clamored without ceasing: "Betrayed! Betrayed! Be
trayed!" - - -
. . , . (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.) . ; , r !
"of helnar cleared awav.
,He looked at her foot again and gave Llnzte a fw
instructions, and then Went off, Damaris set herself to
wait as best she could, and for an hour was fairly
patient. But when a second hour was passed, and there
wa still no Sign of lawyer or pollne or. doctor, she
became uneasy, and when a third and a fourth had