Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1855-06-28
CHAPTER V.

Turn we now, gentle reader, and re.
trace our steps in order to find, i poS ST
Bile, the clue By which TO unrayel the
mysterious cause of Miss Denhams ap-
parently cruel note to our hero. A will
full. weak minded girl. niece TO Mrs. Bel
mont, who lived with her aunt, becoming
smitten with the interesting invalid du
ring Howard's illness at the house OF
that excellent lady, and al length diScOv-
ering his attachment to Miss Denham.
determined to defeat their alliance If pos.
sible. Sometimes to the evil minded
fate seems peculiarly propitious--at least
so thought this young lady when. one
morning, her maid handed her bundle
ofletters. from which having unloosed
one, she discovered it TO be addressed TO
Mr.. Stanhope. written in delicate. femi-
nine characters. and signed truly and de-
vctedly yours. "Mabel Howard" They
were all of the So me nature, and bearing
the post mark of Kentucky. and directed
to Washington city. ID. c. And be
mabel Howard" hom she might, it
was evident tsat ier whole heart was
given to Mr.. Stanbope.
For the readers enlightenment we
will here state that these were letters
written by Howard's mother. in her mai
den days to her effianced husband. who
had spen; a few months in Washington
previous to his marriage. Howard had
preserved them as a sacred relic of his
dead mothers affection. she having con-
fded them at her death TO his care. And
il was after perusing them, that in ut
tempting to place them in his pocket
one morning while leaving his room a;
Mrs. Belmon,'s. they fell, unperceived,
upon the foor-were picked up by the
house maid. and came to Miss Johnson's s
hand as before stated. That model of
jealousy soon perceived that fortune had
thus placed in her possession the very
means by which she could accomplish
her heartless design upon the unsuspect-
ing girl and her innocent lover-we say
she readily perceived that she had the
means, and she scrupled not to Use them.
ter the figures OF the dates two or three
of the letters-the months already cor
responded, so that it should seem that
Stanhore had been playing false TO Miss
Denham. and then taking those she had
altered and secreting the rest, with dis
tressed and anxious countenance called
upon Isabel. Seemingly unaware of
Stanhopes attention 10 the latter. she
pretended to make her the confidant of
her woes-with well dissembled tears
and sobs told her that the unfeeling man,
alluding to Howard, after having paid
ed in obtaining her consent to become
his wife, when the accident of this NOR
ming had revealed him in his true light.
And here showing the letters TO her soul
stricken auditor. she read aloud some en-.
dearing love passages in each-and only
took her departure when the quivering of
her companions lips told too truly that
her vile purpose had been accomplished.
Her heart wrung with agony while lis
tening to the dark recital--it was with
almost rsupehuman efforts that Isabel
could command herself until her visitor
Woo BOhCs ANCu tuVH piouu Soui
rose in the majesty of injured innocence
while she penned the note, which as has
already been seen, Howard received
Having despa tched it. for time she
yielded her naughty spirit to sorrow. her
heart seemed drowned in woe. That
night she told her sympa: :hzing father
all--anG in compliance with her request
to travel, the subsequent morning they
babe adieu to their home. Isabel felt
that her idol had been shaken, not shat
tered. She had loved Howard as Ill true
women ever love--for what she thought
Aim. He had deceived her, and she was
again heart whole. 1t ca me not over
her like chilling blight. She felt that
she had been deceived-but that noac she
was free--thai instead of losing treas
are she had escaped calamitr--and she
passed through the ordeal unframed. pu-
rifed, e,herialized.
We have said that when Stanhope last
kindled his torch of hope it was at the
blaze Of ambitions fre-and of truth
rapid was his flight to eminence. His
was the nntiring wing of the eagle
Washington the succeeding AummeF and