Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1906 — The Yellow Hollyby By FERGUS HUME, Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.” Etc. [ARTICLE]

The Yellow Holly by By FERGUS HUME, Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.” Etc.

Dy FERGUS HUME,

Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.” Etc X

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. CHAPTER I—George Brendon, a young Londoner, visits I>lh friend. Leonard Train, who has lodgings in the boarding house kept by Mrs. Jersey. Among the boarders is an elderly maiden lady. Miss Bull. Mrs. Jersey is startled by a piece of yellow holly worn by George. ll—George, whose real name is Vane, tells Train the story of his life. He is an orphan and the grandson of Lord Derrington, but the latter refuses to recognize the marriage of George s father (Lord Derrington's >oi), who had eloped. Brendon desires to esusblish his position as Lord Derrington s heir in order to marry Dorothy Ward. The place of marriage of George's parents is known only to Mrs. Jersey, formerly maid to George's mother. His mother died at his birth, and his father had been murdered in San Remo, Italy, years before. Ill—ln the night Mrs. Jersey hi killed with a stilleto by an unknown person. IV—Miss Bull takes chargeofthe house in behalf of Margery, neice of the murdered woman. The house bus been leased from Lord Derrington. V— Mrs; Ward, a heartless society woman, mother of Dorothy, is opposed to Dorothy’s marriage to Brendon. The yellow holly had been given to Dorothy by her mother and by the girl to George. Vl—Mr. Ireland. George s former guardian, tells him of his mother's marriage and death and his father's murder. The latter was killed after leaving a masked bull in company witli a woman- a blue domino—who wore a sprig of yellow holly. VII— George, seeking a confession known to have been left by Mrs. Jersey, visits Miss Bull and learns that the dead woman received an annuity from Lord Derrington, George saves a Mr. Bawdsey from death and learns that the latter lives inthe Jersey house. Vlll—Lola Velez, a dancer. is in love with George and is loved by Bawdsey. Lola's parents lived in San Remo at the time of the murder of Brendon's father. IX and X—Mrs. Ward invites Train to dinner. He meets Lord DerrHirgton. George visits Dorothy and makes a favorable impression on his grandfather. Mrs. Ward learns from Train that the latter found a yellow holly berry near the body of Mrs. Jersey. XI George visits Bawdsey. who is employed by Lord Derrington to watch the young man. Bawdsey warns hitn that he is suspecttxl of Mrs. Jersey's murder. Xll—Lord Derrington is visited by Brendon. who tells his grandfather that he saw him in Mrs. Jersey's house on the night of of the murder. Brendon demands that his ?raud father silence Mrs. Ward. Xlll—Lord ierrington visits Mrs. Ward and forces her to keep silence concerning the 'yellow holly berry found by Train, telling tier that the berry was dropped by George at the finding of the body. Dorothy and her mother see Lola Velez dance. Lola later tells Dorothy that the latter will be forced to give up her lover. XlV—Lola disappears. Bawdsey tells George that Mr. Ireland knows something about Ids father's death. Lord Derrington's power over Mrs. Ward is due to the fact of nis knowledge of her cheating nt cards." Mrs. Ward produces the weapon with which Mrs. Jersey was killed, having found it tn Lord Derrington's coat. Lord Derrington confiscates the stilleto. Mr. Ireland tells him that Mrs. Ward was with George’s father at the Sun Remo ball. Another blue doinino there was Mrs. Ward's sister, now known as Miss Hull. XVI and XVII Lord Derrington makes peace with his grandson. The old man denies that he was in the Jersey house on the fatal night and tells George that the man he taw was Bawdsey iu his employer's coat. Lord Derrington was to have visited Mrs. Jersey that night, to warn her agaiust George’s attempt to make her reveal the secret of the marriage of George's parents Bawdsey had drugged the lord, in order to get Mrs. Sersey’s confession and money for it. Bawdsey denies that he killed Mrs. Jersey. XVIII—Miss Bull tells Brendon that it was her sister who was accompanied home by his father on the night of the latter's murder. ■ Lola Velez's mother in San Remo owned the dagger with which the murder was committed. XIX and XX—Lola, being in possession of Mrs. Jersey's confession, tries to destroy the church register of the marriage of George’s parents, in order to prevent his marriage to Dorothy. Loin is arrested and visited by George, who obtains Mrs. Jersey's confession from her, after learning from Lola that she hud stolen it on the fateful night. Lola had left the daggar (obtained from tier mother) in the room witli Mrs. Jersey.

CHAPTER XXI. GEORGE returned to town with the confession of Mrs. Jvsey in bis pocket. On arriving at the Liverpool street station he wrote a note to Kmvlaski telling him of Lola’s plight and advising him to engage* counsel for her defense. In another half hour he was in ids own rooms. After making a good meal, for he felt the need of food to sustain him. he sat down to read the manuscript of Mrs. Jersey. The confession of tin* wretched woman who had come to so tragic an end was written on several sheets of foolscap loosely plnped together. She wrote in u most cold blooded way and seemingly exulting in her wickedness. All through her confession run a venomous strain of deadly hatred toward George's mother, and indeed against any woman who paid attention to Vane. Jenny Howard was not spared, ami the woman Velez, “who kept an oil shop,” was mentioned. “My parents were of humble station,” began Mrs. Jersey abruptly. “I believe my mother was a lady’s maid x She married my Hupposed father, who was a butler. 1 say‘my supposed father,’us I have reason to believe that I was the daughter of a certain Italian count who had loved anti betrayed my mother. In her moments of rage my mother would taunt my supposed father with this, but when calm she always denied that there was any truth. When I grew old enough to understand she rebuked me for asking about the matter. ‘Ypu are my daughter,’ she said abruptly, ‘ami the daughter of Samuel Stokes, who is the biggest fool and the greatest craven 1 know.’ “It will be seen that tber? was no love lost between my parents. My fattier, Stokes—as I may call Jdm, though 1 believe the count was my real sire—was always very kind to ine and shielded me from my mother's rage. She treated me very cruelly, and when fifteen 1 was glad to go out as a scullery maid so us to escape her persecution. Shortly ufter I up life on my own account she died'in a fit of violent rage, during which she broke a blood vessel.

“It is needless to give my early life In detail. 1 rose from scullery maid to housemaid. Then 1 became parlor maid in a suburban villa, where the wages were poor and the food was bad. I took charge of children when not doing housework and managed to get on. But I was ambitious. I wlsh-

ed to get aiuoiiß the servants of the aristocracy. A friend of mine who was maid to the Duchess of taught me her duties, and I procured a situ:, tion. I pleased my mistress, and she promised to do much for me. However, she died, and I was thrown on the world. 1 saw an advertisement for a lady’s maid and got the situation. It was hi this way that I be came the servant of that woman whom I hated so deeply. • “She was called Roslna Lockwood and was no better born than myself. Her father was a low man who taught singing, and she appeared herself on the stage. I never thought she yyas beautiful myself. “At first I rather liked Miss Lockwood. She was kind to me iu her silly way, and the gentlemen who were In love witli her gave me plenty of money to deliver notes aud other things. There was one gentleman who was the best of them all—and the biggest fool over her blue eyes and fair hair. His name was Ireland, and he had plenty of money. He came to learn singing from old Lockwood sim ply to be near her, aud proposed three times to my knowledge. But she would have nothing to do with him, which was foolish, as he had money, aud she could have twisted him round her finger. “I was a handsome girl in those days, though I say it myself. But if a woman is good looking why shouldn’t she say so? I had a perfect figure and a complexion like cream and roses. My hair was as black as night, and my eyes were sparkling and large. I taught myself to read and write, and I learned French. Also I learned to play the piano aud to conduct myself like a lady, as I always was. “I knew my own value and looked about for the gentleman who would give me my rightful position as a lady. From my Italian father I inherited aristocratic tastes, and I was uot going to remain a low, vulgar common servant all my life, not me. “Then he came to the house. Percy was his dear name, 'and Ids blood was very blue. Lord Derrington was his father, a most aristocratic nobleman, who was an old brute, from my experience of him. But he was of high rank I don’t deny, and Percy had the blood of heroes lu his veins. He came to take lessons In singing. But after a time I saw that he was in love with my mistress. It was her arts that captured him, else be would have turned from her to me. But he never did.

“How handsome and fascinating was my hero Percy Vane! Fair hair and blue eyes and the figure of a life guardsman-just the kind of man 1 liked. He was kind to me—for her sake, J suppose—and gave me money and presents. She said she loved him, and used to make me sick With talking of him. I let her think I was her dear friend, as if she had known my true feelings she would have sent me away. “Lord Derrington was angry with Percy for loving my mistress, and I don’t wonder at it, a low singing woman. Percy had some money of his own. Inherited from his mother, and tie proposed an elopement. He said that Lord Derrington could not leave the estates away from him and that some day he would come in for the title. She never lived to be Lady Derrington. 1 was glad of that.

“Well, they eloped. After singing at a concert in St. James’ hall he met her outside and took her to Liverpool street station. I was waiting there with the luggage. We went down to a place (•ailed Wargrove, in Essex, and the very next day they were married in the church of that parish. I was furtous, but what could I do? Had I told Lord Derrington he might have stopped the marriage, but Percy would never have forgiven me, and I did not wish to lose sight of him. As Mrs. Vane’s maid I had chances of seeing him dally and of basking in the light of his eyes. It was weak of me, but I loved him so dearly that I would have done anything simply to be in bis presence. But I wish now that I had prevented the marriage. Since I could not get him, I didn’t see why she should bear off the prize. “Afterward we went to Paris, and from that place Percy wrote to tell his grandfather that he was married. I know he did not mention the place, for the letter was me to post, and 1 opened it. I never gave it a thought at the moment, but afterward Percy’s mistake in not telling where the marriage bad taken place did me a lot of good. I should not now be writing iu this house but for that lucky omission. Lord Derrington would have nothing to do with his son, and there was trouble with Mr. Lock wood. “I lived with the two of them during their married life. A son was born, and she died. I was glad when she died, and I was sorry she left the boy. Percy was wrapped up in the child and gave him to me to nurse. Mrs. Vane was burned In Pere la Chaise, and then Percy, with myself and the baby, went to Monte Carlo. He gambled there In order to forget his grief, though I don’t see what he had to moan over, seeing what a silly fool bis late wife was. Percy lost money and wrote to

hls Tatlier. who declTnea to help him. Then he went to Italy and wandered about. Now that he was free I hoped to marry him. When not nursing that horrid child I devoted myself to study so as to be worthy of the time when Percy would marry me. I knew that the future Lady Derrington would hold a high rank, and I qualified myself to fill the position gracefully. I did work. I learned arithmetic and French like a native. I got an old artist to teach me to paint in water colors, and I bought a book which taught the manners of good society. Percy saw the change in me and congratulated, me on the improvement which haft taken place in me since leaving England. “As to that child, I should have liked to drown it or to have given it to gypsies. As Lady Derrington I did not wish to be troubled with her brat. Besides, Percy loved the boy so that he used to make me envious the way he nursed him. But had I got rid of the child—and I thought of a thousand safe ways I eould have done so—l should only have been sent away. “The end of it came In Milan. We were stopping at the Hotel de Ville, and there was a waiter who fell in love with me. He was an English boy called George Hates, a horrid, scrubby, red haired, nasty, pale faced creature, who worried me to death. Besides, he was yomJger than I was, and I wished for a husband to protect me. I should have had to look after George Rates, whereas Percy In the days to come would look, after me. Besides I felt that it was an impertinence for a low waiter to expect me to marry him, me, who had done so much to Improve myself and who looked forward to taking proud rank among the British aristocracy. • [TO BE CONTINUED.)