Newspapers / Richmond Headlight (Rockingham, N.C.) / Aug. 29, 1902, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of Richmond Headlight (Rockingham, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
'[tje *J$paoisfi ❖TTeasOre. A NOVEL. St ftsirs. SlizcWlh ©l7l«r, OSAOSLU CMTIUSJ j *• - • • •>'•’ c* ' — T— .— ‘TV-“ ) CBAFTEB XXV. wnutu, ■*I it worial* ba thongU. I ooaUla't believe it if I hadn’t beard M aad nm it for myself; bat I mart gat oat ef this; X Uere not be seen mkgm! Wsgg 90 MM* MM He kssteaed rapidly along the1 etfssl end did not pane* for breath: MU be bed Utruea the oorner into the adjoining svsnae. There he slowed, hie step* lid walked loiter ingly <Weg for mere then a block, end then turning ‘abont be walked slowly baoh again toward tba bonne Into which ba bad aeaa Van Taaaal van* fob. Ha near aaw him oocae tram* bttag aad tottariag down the steps ■ again, ooofrontsd by a figure the* eeemed hastsslag toward him. 8tea-i ley wai auroral hundred yards away,* bit ba waa aura that flgare wee a woman’s and to tba UU, slander shapa • aomethtog, strangely, subtly fami* liar, etnak on all hie iwiti aad aaat aw etoettie thrill through and through! him, till the vary tips of his fingers throbbed m response to It. He eould not more, but ha stood theca, watching, sad he saw Van Taa aal arise the girl's heads. "I may now touch yoaf** arid Tan Tamil, ia a voice bourse aad trm« loaa with excitement, bat yet rlbquik with joy aad triumph sad unalterable •thaakfulnaa*. "My hands era clean. lac'd Look! There is ao Mood oh them. One ray of light came to me, and 1 prayed to God for help. Tee, X uciad upon Him to send some aagel to aM ms, and Ha has sent yoa. Let me ■a with yon. Let me follow yoa to the sad of the earth. I will bo your •arrant, yonr slave; do not send me •way from yo%. Bare met Bare me!” Dolores answered gently: *. “Come with ma, then. Ton shell be my brother.” ttbe would hare drawn him for ward, bat Tea Tassel whispered bar ■Mr; "Hot that way. Ha ia there. Oh, fobma«arar sea him again! Proteot aa* always!” . "This way, than,” answered Dol ores; aad they walked away together ba tba direction whose# she had aoaa. '■ Bat at tbs sight of thorn disappear ing together. Stanley recovered from. Abe panic which had overtaken Me'1 Ha darted forward, aad aa he plunged ahead like some wild aaimal after ifo prey, ba found himself face to feed . . wllh • aia who had alao raahed dowh 5 fo* "tape by which Taa Taaaal daaeaadid. aad who was now, white* ■ and farieoa, glaring abont him from' ride to aide. “That loot has.does tha dead, thaa. •nd tWn will gross ally ba a hoo-aad sry altar the morderer. I oannot par' da aow. And why ahoald II* 2f ha assayas so aath tho bettor.** r. | JBa whsalad aboat aad raahad la tha t fcuMii, whUa Baton won ^HalnifroUs, glaring after him, toduj leaked book at tha vanishing figures of Ton Teasel sail Daloron • I **WbUk of these a«r mattered tha' Iialiaa aad iafariatad hatband. “Where haro X aaaa that handsome wUkia. with tha booaty. of Imeifer' and more than hie wiokodaooa. Ha— * B moot bo hat A'former haabandl She woaldat waata a look on tkaj •«wl Tool that I am, I hare kail them both I” Ha ratnraad to his homes, aad bar lag leaked tha street door ba sat down hearty oa the aarrad aaattfaat stood, ogaiaat tha wall. With a groan ha1 Maom aa of osio ooclraotad hk haaryi faatom, 'a Utrid light bar nod U Ua eyas, aad be set his thfek Ufa tight Md hard together; thaa with the Ghdaafa ba amoathad ontlhd 7 i « fi ■ I Bom hla teeth. “Ha seeks my Ufa, •heal Ah. wo hhoU sea! Aad tha Apr. »o doabt, woo for me" Ho lei fc ay aad, torUag fc aboat earkaaly, looked at It oavofalty frees Be boa die to tha yoioi; end present! r on tha glseating stool ha saw tha lab tan of a name Ha started ay and botd it aloas seder the light of the > end there ha toad “Carlos Hendon.** anma avo'uH vu late in the mornh)~. A glance showed him that ho wait still undisputed possessor of ths professor’s •pert meet “Where has the old boy fled tor be thought. “As we sey iu England, he has ‘funked it*—I mutt remember to be T*ry English nowl Bat that pretty little fiend. Olive Gsye, will help me eut with that sort of thing— Jovsl What a girll And by thun der! X have forgotten that ths ex pected me beek again last evening to dinner -oonfonnd itl Bat it was im possible any way. X will get some breakfast and oull on her at once. I mistrust she'll make me walk a chalk line fpr awhile—but ril be patient till she's say wife, end if she doesn't find me a match for her than—for, as elevar aa ska is, I am qntta unao qnaiated with the future Earl of ‘Win dermere or ths present Lord Claxsaos Staalsy.” While these reflections, partly id silent thought and pertly in brokeif suutehss of remark, were passing through Stanley's mind, ha was per-i Arming a hasty morning toilet—a matter whieh the professor's limited eonvsaieuoes rendered diScntt. He h urriedly completed his prepara tions 1ST- Si" stnnt, gfrnemi si hr* luggage, not even unstrapped yet, and at ouee decided to get new quarters, whether Ten Tassel bad r*turned or not, wham he should have oomt back again after breakfast A strange and very annsntl feeling of depression took possession of Stan ley whan ho found himself . in ths street, and bo glanced about in e fur tive manner, but without knowing ho did so. He quioksned his steps, turning into e street that, after a little wind ing, brought kirn at ones into a better neighborhood, end then he direeted hie coarse to the restaurant _wbpre fc* had dined with Vhu Tassol; tint ha gave much leas time than usual to hie breakfast. The morciug paper, which he glanced over while wait ing for coffee and rolls, did not give ’him ths satisfaction that he had an ticipated, and it was a distinct disap pointment when he sew that an un known man had rung the ball at tha boose of Baron HelmholU, with the evi dent intention at committing some set the family—doubtless tba beantifal Beroneea Halmbolts, whoa ha had asked for aa “Oeioetine." '■Tha man la erldaatly.e crank, or,. it may ba an escaped laaatio," tha ar ticle continued, "tor whan tha tarri Aad aarrant rafnaod to carry hie mes sage, ha draw a dag gar from hie breast-pocket aad, fioariahing it wildly, declared that ba mast, aad would, aaa tho baroness; because ha ^aad coma from Carlos, Carlos, whom phs adored I Ha than tamed away, and mattering what eoaaded like a prayer tom help, axelaimad: 'Ood, Ood, pity mat Sand soma angel to free aaa from tba daril who poroses mar At this, tha aarrant, who fait instinctively that aha had a i.'a-lmaa to deal with, fled npatain, shrieking lobar mfartrsaa to ba on hsrgnard and to look her door before tha laaatio oould gat to bar. At tha asms mo rn eat, Baron ran Halmbolts, who had |aat an tar ad tha boose aakaown to tha aarrant, asms hastily from tha baok drawing-room Into tha hall; bet waa only in Urns to aaa tha voald ba assassin rushing from tha hour. Baroh Halmbolts pa taxed the man Into tha street, but, 9a arrirlag there, be aew a man and woman dis appearing in ana direction and an other man standing Irresolutely near tha sonar of tha street, in tha other direction. Uncertain what to do, ha retarmed to the honae and seat a tale phone alarm to the a ear eat poitee s lotion. Bat no traoe of tha fanatic has boon found, and no slew to what may hare bean his intentions in re gard to tha beenUfat baroness, who remains, happily, aabarmed, aad not area alarmed si what looks rsry like/ aa aHsmpt’en her life.” Stanley was not prepared for the feeling of bitter disappointment that took possession of him aa ba read tha share paragraph, at flrot hastily, and than with alow aad eerefel precision, weighing tha rales of sack sea Uses aa ba read it. Until than, ha had not known hew meeb ha had iepeaded on 1 A' WRuStfj pre&S1} bnL notwithstanding the fast that ba had ndtented the Idea from the drat, aad had bean wall disposed to sarse erary apaaiaa at oeenlt knowledge id ler hie osparionoo with Dolores, his awn myatariona power orsr Taa Tea eat iataroeUJ Mat mere than ha knew, aad he had eeaSdeatlr expected to get rid af tha beantifal Celestiae far ever tbroach the egansy af bar half-erasy fU wilfaijf mD«*«d Us mUm, baalaas4 to fu Tms«1’s roe—s, to wUab IWr oiglHl mmt 1*4 set jrs* rstora>4. a*4 sa baas latot bs waa saHlal la aa abaaara, frpb aaa fartabla betel, aa4 ri|liUrn iinUr aa aaaaaaa4 a a—a; las 1m 4atomlae4 iaraaaala M a law 4ay« liaaar la Xaw Task, a*4 to laava aa mm by wblab Maty ■aaitlaa's fatbat aaa!4 8a niairtr M rraata total s«b (*|J* 111* ttm Ik* m*4 I***— W^a* e^w 8^^— w^8^8 to to totUMalatoM Utaattoali eat to art aa Ua brUttMl l*an) but, happily, ha did not look so; and ka waa glad to think that Oliva would ba satisfied with hia appearance. "I shall waste do tune la making ' arouses for yesterday," ha said to ihitneelf, aa ka aeernd harbouaa; aad, glaooipg up at it, saw a dark, laugh ing fact looking toward him from the drawing-room window. "By Jovel There aha ia, aad not a bit offended.** And when ha ranched the door it waa instantly opened, before he had time to touch the bell. ' “Come rat" said Oliva, merrily, "I waghl to eootd yoa, bat I ean imagine that yon were very busy las* evening ■and probably forgot all aboat tea. I fcav* iuat parted from oar <wT ruw. tiuu. Suon an adventure last night! fiha haa told me all aha knows end ail aha inspects, and aha is at moat fright ened to death, the newspapers to the contrary notwithstanding. Z gava 'her good advioa, aad I think aha will ,‘take it Yoa are dying to know what ton advioa waa. Z will tall yoa." CHAPTER XXVII. »a*u renews ran men worn outre •are At iheso words of his fionoee, a •light a hirer passed over Stanley, and lnstinetivaly be braced his nerves for a possible an counter with Oelestina. “You know 1 hadn’t muoh oonfl danoa in your plan, Clarence," ah* •aid, indicating a seat close baeide her on a tete-e-taUaofa; “and, though you have told me bat little about yoor power over this hysotised slave of yoars, I think I am right in gates lag that yoa hoped to nd yoarsalf of bar by means of yoor power over him,** “Yes, rdid; and the attempt has been a failure," ha answered, mood ily. “Myoalyhope now is ia yon, OUva. I will aol disguise from yon that I am in a bad plight. Two peo ple Uva who are vary dangairoua to me; Celeatina, who suspects a great deal aad may yet learn toe truth—" “Don't be troubled about Cslae tine," interrupted Olive, ia a manner of encouraging confidence. “Aa yon don’t yet know, l aent a little note to the boron after we parted yesterday, and the contents, oomhined with the attempt of last night, hava driven him quite mad with jealousy. Of eoorao, I called on the fair baroness, whan I read this morning’s news, and, ia the (character of her most intimate friend, I was at ones admitted to her pres ence; end notwithstanding the vigi laaoe of the jealous and furious bus bead, I contrived to hava a few min utes of private conversation with her. If appears that the baron sue pacta the erasy Van Teasel to hare boon either her first husband or aa amiaaary from him who had Intended to murder him, and act Calcs tine; and so greet haa hia rags aad jealousy against hia wife become that aha ia hail insane with terror. She is a shallow area tore, and if yoa ware now to appear before her aa Carlos Kendosa and her aa your wife, aha would flea from you instead of easting harylAj^tp yoor arms, madly'mum lovM yoa and still lovss yon. Z waa atnased to sea how abjeot mere physical fear could mske anyone. Of oonrae, my advice to her was to leeva New York forever—even to leave this country, and to do it at ones and with sueh a ahqw of repugnance for the possible re-appearance of her flrat hosband that the baron’s jealousy would be at "Bat what reason has ha to suppose that I am—that is, that Carlo* Men doie Is not dead? She baa not boon mad enough to toll him of her mistake to regard to my landed reeemhlanoe to hoar first husband?" ' "No, my dear Olarsnea; X don't think that aha has bean silly enough to toll him about thstf'bnt the anony mous latter received by the baron stated, on tha positive authority of the writer's knowledge, that yon ware —that is to say, that Carlos keadota area alive, and that tha baroness was in tha habit of giving him flrivate in terviews. Bat don't bo alarmed, my dear. She is wholly nnder the tafia •nee of terror, end sbr will leave this eonntry forever within a few day*.” Her listener, who had boon rather paler than nans), slowly reooverod his customary healthy coloring, and draw a nigh of raliaf when the girl ceased •peaking. "Ton are an amaslng girl, OHva Giya,"said Stanley, "and I platemy self in your hands withe at reserve. I am ready—or shall bo presently—to follow yon blindly. Bat another and •lore serious danger threatens us now, nod X am willing and anxious to take your advise in regard to It” „ . And in the brief set word* he related the unexpected appearance of Delores had tha teat that Yen Teasel bad dis appeared in bar company. . Olive looked gram he some SO gasutiCl.es: M«m Mia tNlaat Millie Tha woadar of iffi baa baaa aat< Had kjr a ftipHal t>{ baa-raUaf «lla eoaarad la Jtgypa »blck abowa hew »ba oUaliaka aad other laraa mtair litha ware taraaaported frota tkaqaerrr lo their alia. The atoh* la dapiatad . The method *f data ah jag a a*ie> Mik frota tha aattw raak (a alao at pUiaed hjr a aaaai-daUaUad Moah la boa of tha qaarrlaa Mljaat. Alla* .haWag baaa hava elear oa Ihraa aid**, a deep grata va* eat lata the iim li fk# mi|l *- -•— aaM -a-a «-*- _ai*L * wiw w«f fiPWif mw wBMtk ary wdaa paga waredrttaa. Thapaga war* thaa vetoed, aad tha weed la evelllag braha af tha ■irr“1b tram ah# gaawy.—yhfladalpbU Beeard. naaaaahtrdta abaamwi aatha Maa lake* Tba large*! ~a *'** A NOVEL. Sv C£rs. SlizobaiH (J. (ISABELLA CABTELAX4 IM m4 ubs, bjr Bomr lovin,i Bmmj CHATTED XXVIL ooxrmuxp. "She ia e siogular girl,’* at last alio acid, "and if the mania ao completely infatuated with her ae you *ay, an al liance of any aotl between them might be dangerous to onr plane. I dislike bar, and have no coafillenoe in her airs of superiority and virtue; bnt she will inevitably find out from Ten Tea eel the whole story of your pretended identity with Lord Clarenoe Stanley, and onr only safety in regard to him lias in the faot that we ere on guard against him and we ean more eaaily prove him to be a Aangerone Innatio than he ean prove yon to be other than the man whose name yon beer. I do not think we need to be alarmed on this subject Bnt I must find out whether that Mendose girl bee left the Hamilton family. I cannot go there personally, for Polly dislikes and mistrusts me, end I don't like her. To confess the troth, Lord Clarenoe, I am inclined to be jealous of her. In yonr inmost heart, my dear Clarenoe, or what passes for that organ, I believe that yon ere more then half in love with Polly Hamilton, end yon era sorry now that yon have lost the ohanea of marrying her." "Whet, when I have the choioe ot yon insteadP* exoleiznod Stanley. “My dearest girl I How can you do yourself such injustice?" Olive Gaye felt her check redden apgrily. There was an insolent free dom in the man's tone which she re sen tod with suppressed but bitter fury. “The men is not e gentlemen," ■he thought, “not even in outward eoeming. How oonld the Hamilton* havo been deceived ia him ell these years? Bat how handsome I I sup pose Polly wee quite made about him, and, of conns, that would blind her father end mother. Bnt I mast get some hold on him even stronger thud my knowledge of his early life: for when I have married him, it will be ae much to my intarest an to his own to preserve hie secret; and, devil that he is, he knows that as well aa I do." While these thoughts were passing through the shrewd mind of Miss Gaye, the wee looking np into her lovar’e face with the ingennons end childlike smile which deoeived moat men end was not wholly without efTect even in the keen eyes now observing her; while the glowing crimson of her cheek might well enoagh pass for the blush of pi ess ore in listening to n 'Atbpiitfnilntf' ihe lipe of the »>»» whom aha loved. Detplte hit tdmirttion for Oliro Onje’e portion Ur kind of o1it«dhi ana her quite extraordinary axecu tire ability, Stonlay oould never rid himself of the feeling that he had been oaptored end was held, like any other captive animal, with a chain long anoagh for apparent freedom, it is trae, end loose enough to make him almost unconscious of ita presence, bat whan he eoaght to evade it he was made to feel, in an onmUtakable manner, that it waa there. “But I shall marry her," he thought. ‘That or the wild West and freedom is now my only alternative; end I am afraid I am spoiled for the prairies end oanyona. Too much civilisation end laxary have made the necessity for their oontijauanoa imperative, h or der to possess them I must merry her; and when I do—” Stanley did not oomptete the sen tenoe; and oould Miss Gaya have seen his fees at that laomant, the expres sion of It might have robbed tbe eoro net of the prospective oounless of gmoh of its luster. Outside her own family, no one knetr or remotely suspected the en gagement of Olive to Clareooe Stanley, with the single exception of Berthe Befton; and lilts Osye bed only taken her friend into her eonfidesoa when aha realised the danger of not oon fldlng la her. Berthe had already ascertained all that had been required in reward to Dolores having absented herself suddenly, end, aa it seemed, mysteriously, from the Hamilton family; and in that way Olive end Stanley knew that aha had never re turned there after her meeting with Van Tassel.. “They have rone to California to gether,’* sold Stanley. “I feel they neve done ae in qnrst of the Santiago Canyon, of which he knows the lo cality; and by this time they have arrived there and are doubtless search ing for tbe treasure.” w pw—W| uarnn; iu«y will not Aad H,” Mid Oliva. “Ton alot.a ■OM—a the Meret, aad aa that airt'a ••♦her loethie life (a tba saaroh for it, to* may be qwita aerUia aha la io no •ante to risk hat*— do—not X Imth tkroaah Barth* that aka kaa left tha Haaatttoaa* far aaUraly dfffrrant rat aoaa—fa whisk Polly kalivaa, hot to tabfak Mr*. Hamilton doe* not put tha Una* faith. Th* dear mothar aa tba eamtaary, haa last aii aoaAdanea la tha wonderfal Spanish) aaao/IU, la tka ballad that bar anddan aad myatarooa Aaawmwaaa la aaplalaad by tha eqnaUy anddan aad myetarlone die apniarann ad Lard Olaraaaa Stanley —m abort, Mr*. Hamilton Is Irmly aoavfneed that Pally** late *weal!iaai I, and raaaatly aaqoired aUtsr bare aio pad tagrtkar." "Than they da net easpeet tkat X nmrttn In new Tarkf** aal<l Stanley, •Hftttaf abort ef maatlag yon faaa to faaa wonld aaavtaaa Mrs. Hamilton 61 that fact,” tala onto, in answer. "Mary dost not bolisvs that Dolorot has guns off with you; and in order to keep her from ltsrning the true state of affaire I hare been obliged to take Bertha Belton into my confidence. But Bertha is a fool and couldn't be made to keep any secret very long— therefore the sooner wo start on onr wedding-journey the better, end I have arranged to have the oeremouy take place to-morrow evening. Berths -will be our only witness, and the minister of the obnroh to whioh sho belongs will perform the ceremony at his own house. She has arranged the matter for me, and my people have si) agraed to be secret about the marriage for the present on sooount of your lu cent bereavement—poor boy I" "You ere a trump, Olive!” ex elaimed 8tanley. ”1 begin to think I ahall end by falling in love with yon, my dear. You really are worth a dozen of the ordinary sort of women!" “Ob, thanks!” exclaimed Miss Gaye, with a alight flneb, halt-pleased, hslf sugry. “But that isn’t ranch of e compliment. Now, I want yon to ox plsiu to me onoe more the secret of the cryptograph, and also to go over, in detail, every point of tbo Mendoza story, ia iO far ss'Ti hiss any hearing whatever on this concealed treasure.” Stanley gave a harried glance abont the room and thhn toward the door, which was dosed, but not looked. Olive rose end, with a low, gargling laugh, like that of a playful ohild, looked the door. to estisfy yonr suspicions mind, dear,” she said, coming back to her ohsir that was drawn np close be side him. "It is quite unnecessary, for we are elone in the honse; evsn the servants are out, end my nude and his family will notreiurn before midnight. I arranged this tele-a -tete on purpose, thet w* might suffer no interruption.” He drew from his pooketbook—the same old one, marked with the arms of the Windormera family, that he had oarried for so many years—all ths papers relating to the oryptograph, both the original parohment and the varione translations and ouitings of the separ ate pieces of the pioture forming the figure of the Indian princess. These he spread oat on the table, and for hours this man and the girl who had determined to be hie wife pored over the mysterious script, studying it wprd for word, letter by letter, end finding many new and hid dao meanings in it, until both felt that it waa engraved on"heort and brain forever. wu ixvo waen iney oaeseu to pore over the secret of the cryptogreph, bat both felt that they thoroughly understood it, and eaeh longed for the hour when be or she ooutd set ont in search for tha hidden treasure. She eoeompanied her lover to tho door, and as she raised her face to his for the, good-night kies, which ha pressed with all a- lovar't fervor on her email red moath, a great, old fashioned olock in the upper hall struck the hour in deep, sonorous prials of aouad. "Elsvan o’clock, Olarenoe. I had no thought it was so lata. Unde Gay# and tha girls will toon be here. Good-night, good-night, deer boy; but oomo very early in the morning. There ie mnoh to be arranged yet, and then we will appoint where end when to meet Bertha in tha even ing.” She hastily dosed tho door as her lover turned to wave bia hand in adieu; and then she drew a sigh o( mingled relief, pain and anger. "I lova that man!” aha muttered to hersdf; "but that won’t laat, because I hate him, too. Hdgh-ho! I wonder, as the Frenoh aey, If the game ia worth the candle. Bnt it Is too late now for moralising, and fate will help ms through, as usual.’’ "You era aarly, dear," said Miss Gaye to Lord Olareuoe, when, on the following morning, the ran down stairs to meet him. "Come here! Let me look at you. As I live, I don’t believe you have read the news this morning, Olarenoe.” "Well, I have not." said 8tanley. oareleasly. "Time is nothing that emn happen of any particular interest to me any more. Or ia (here? What has happened? Anything that con cerns me, iait?” "Bond sod judge for yonrsaH," said Olive; and, fakin'; aalip of paper from lior corsage— a slip she bad carefully cut from the morning news—she plaoed it in Stanley** hand. And Uiis mi the startling announce mont tbat mat b's eyes: w IB Till UnAM A. "Tli* Attempt at a tragedy begun two days ago In tho bones of Baron von HelmbolU waa, last night, auo eeMfnlly carried oat. The beeatifn* fonag baronoaa waa foaud, at about alevan o’cloak, doad, lying on a loong 'm Iter room. Tho baron, who hai i«at entered, waa tha ono to makt tli itlsaovery; and notwithstanding th medians of hia grief, bo U»« eo tot aontrotlod it u to give valoabla »ng• gaationa to the police in regard to this moot terrible tragedy, Tha yoong conn tons, it appeera, bed boon married before, to a Spanish adventurer who bod treated her vilely, aed who waa •appoeed to have been hilled,' yeere ego, lo o q a arret - at e gniaing-tahle; bat only a fort night since, or tberriHost*, tho heron received aaoayaaema LateUlrcaee of the rs-appeorsnce of tha first hat, »hoee aams was Carlos Mem “oxa. The baroness was murdered! by means of a long, slender dagger driven through tba heart, aud which had been left in the fatal wound by the murderer—who had probably (lea in trepidation at some approaching sound—and this dagger, taksn postea* ■ion of immediately by the police, bears on its blade the name of 'Carlo* Mendoxa,' the letters deeply engraved in the steel-" “This is Van's work!” exclaimed Stanley, hi a low touo, as he tamed to Olive Geye, who stood bssido him, her gaze fastened on the word* while he read them, “without doubt this it Van's work, but what infernal stupidity about the dagger—the one I gave him bore his own name—I did not even know he hod the other one! Thix might be infernally awkward if I should ever—that ie to say, if Carloe Mendoxa does livo, it might bo deuced unpleasant for him; bus ho may be Inoky enough to be able to provo an alibi-” Olive langhed merrily. “The unlucky Carlos may be fortu nate enough to prove on alibi; though, if iui wore iu your place, Clarence, he could ii't.” “Why not!" said RtvOev. sharply, and gluuoing at the punted slip, "ao oorduig to the newspaper report, this woman must have tuel her deulii some time betweon ten o'olook, when her maid left her, perfectly well, and eleven o’clock, when her hnsbaud, en tering her room, toand her dead. Now, I was with yon, here in tbia room the entile evening, aud when I parted from you it struck eleven o'olook, and yon remarked upon tha hoar. “Ob, yea, dear Clarouoe, bnt I am the only living person who can help you to prove an alibi—and to-night I ■ball be your wife. In such a ease a wife's evideuce would not be received eithor for or against a suspected crim inal. So yon see, dearest, you would be quite helplese, it you were Carloe Mendoza, and jf you shoald, by chance, be arrested on circumstantial evidence—because it I am not your wife then I shall hate yon, and in that caso I would remain silent, wbilo it I am your wife my evidence would bare no vatae. Poor Carlos! Haw glad yon shoald bs that yon are Clarenoe now and not Carlos." Stanley felt a cold chill ran over him from head to foot as he met the mocking, smiling eyes of bis fntnre wife—and from that moment he fell that he was a doomed man, for, whether he utrried her now, or fled from her, either way he was at the mercy of this heartless, nnscrapnlona, cruel girl; for she held his life and fntnre safety in tha hollow of her hand. OHAPTER XXVIII. doloui m ▼nmioATao. At day followed day, and her lover neither returned, nor made any effort, by letter or otherwise, to obtain the forgirenaaa aba wonld to gladly-hev* , bestowed on him, thooouviction foroed itaelf upon Polly Hamilton ■' that Clarenoe Stanley waa gone forever. Neither did any word come from Dolores, and, nnconaciona to herself, the reiterated suspicions of Mrs. Hamilton were beginning to tell upon her. She, who had always been bright and obeerfnl as the morning, radiant as Jane sunshine and happy and sweet of temper as all young, healthy, untrammeled life should be, waa now tbs embodiment of irritability, malanoholy, fitful, bitter, derisive merriment, or else irrepressible, un conquerable grief. "Don’t speak to me of Rita's treach ery,".she said one day to her mother, taming npon her almost furiously. "She is incapable of treachery. Be side* which, it ia unnecessary. I gave him to her. Tea, madly as I have loved Clarence Stanley, I wonld wonld not owe him to any woman’s pity, not even to Rita. I told her that if she really loved him, I gave them to each other freely, and I wonld have died rather than oome between them." Mrs. Hamilton looked at the pale end now tearleaa faoe of her suffering obild, and began to realise that she bad never before understood' the al most tragic possibilities of her qne* gay. light-hearted, (>*ppy daughter She folded her in her arms and bald her close to her heart, and then she whispered a thought which came to her suddenly, "Love, real love, can never die, Polly, dear. It is a great misfortane to have wetted enoh a love as yonre, even for e abort time, on the wrong man; bat the world is wide, and you are but a obild yet. Bury the fete* lover, if yon will, darllog—the sooner the better; but you will yet meet the true lover, and then yon will know the dead love in your heart ia only ■leopi rg, waiting for the right man to swats i it to new end stronger life Ikast <1 Isaa si.t k___ It Poll/ fterted anil thrilled strangely. Thera waa anraly aoma great fovea in that thongbt. 8h* eonid not yat on darstaod it, and it aeemdd to giro baa •mly pain; and yel. what had her motlior aaidf The world waa wide, and aba was yet bat a very yonng girl f “Ob, mammal” aha mormnred. “Do not apaak to ma of other man. I think 1 bato tba whole rare of mam jnet mow—nil except pajfe— and tba whole world ia dreary, dreary—rape* eiatly tbla Dart of It—and I wiab. K wiab 1 eonid leave Xew York—now, to-day—thia—hour -Ic.ravorf” “And to yon si V!,. dearnatl” ex* Claimed lire. IIft>nil.nn, glad enough lor.tba enggratinn, ai d reminded by It of the a'.lci which Doctor Mae ton aid bad g)v«n her lo taka Mary iway and g.ra bar tin* benefit of maw toaaaa and n»~ associations at ones. "Yo«r lather ban rpoiren of going to Onliformim tbla rtr.y ws*k; baaiaees •all# him there imps rail rale. Why «homld wo sot retntn th >ri< with Uar *o mm cemnxo.
Richmond Headlight (Rockingham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 29, 1902, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75