The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-11-17


disturbing the English servants, the
tie time the MONDAY sun frightened
over Stoneleigh, couple of detectives
held Oakfell, and every soul in the
place knew the story.
''Tricked, by Jove!" cried old Mr..
Smith; "and my three thousandw
"And mine!" swore young Mr..
Briggs, with large per centage Of
expletives.
The Hopgoods said very little 1t
never came out publicly whether they
and the Joneses had been swindled or
no, or, if they had, to what extent.
Only Mrs. Hopgood complained to
her daughters, some months after,
that their dear papa had grown very
close lately, very, and that she was
afraid he had met with some heavy
losses unknown to her; and Mr.. Jones
rode over to the County Bank the
morning after the explosion, and
spoke privately to the manager. The
Hopgoods wrote to Baron Gulden-
stern to learn more of his fascinating
friend and protege;; but, as soon as
the post could bring it, they got an
answer, saying that he knew nothing
whatever of any Countess Melusine,
wife or widow, and certainly gave no
letter Of introduction to such per-
son for his good friends the Hop
goods, or any one else; but, he added,
about four years ago, he, as we'll as
all Baden, had been victimized by a
certain beautiful Madame Ia Baronne
Melusine and her sister Justine, who
acted as her maid, both of whom be-
longed to one of the cleverest and
best-organized bands of swindlers in
France or Germany. And perhaps
his good friends the Hopgoods had
been visited by these worthy people,
who unfortunately had got into his
confidence and purse; when, if so,
adieu to all hope of reclamation of
Britannia gold!
That letter was the Hopgood's writ
of exculpation. By it they obtained
public forgiveness for their tremen-
dous mistake in having stood spon-
sors for an impostor to the choice
society of Stoneleigh, and public
symp -sthy for their supposed victim
ization completed their white-wash-
ing.
''Then she did cheat at cards, after
| a1ll' cried Mr.. Jones. ''I had my
suspicious all along; but who would
have listened to them? Indeed, how
could have tested them? She was
deep and beutiful enough to have
| cheated the-ahem! She was,
though, the little baggage!" with in
dignant "reminiscences of the blue
and-silver boudoir, and of the heaps
of lies piled up on his innocent wife's
brain.
"And that's why she always fought
SO shy of me!' laughed Captain Mac
Arthur. 'I saw her once or twice,
under the title of Madame Ia Ba-
rome, at Baden. She was just be-
ginning her career when I was leav-
ing. Lord! lord! what fools we have
all been!"
That evening, q more painful ru-
NOR ran through Stoneleigh. 1t was
said that young Anthony Carthew
had destroyed himself; some said
poisoned; others that he had hung
himself; and others detailed circum-
stantial account of how he had blown
out his brains. But all agreed that
he was lying dead in the boudoir at
Oakfell Hall. And, too surely, there
he lay, pale, beautiful and ifeless, on
the very spot where, only yesterday,
he had passed through the courts of
paradise. A letter in Italian, pray
ing for forgiveness, and ending with
'lo / anao," a lock of shining chest
nut hair, and a faded boquet were in
his hand; and on the sofa, beside
the torn envelope of package, lay q
valuable diamond ring. The Count
ess, before they left the house, found
means to make up this packet, which
she threw, unobserved, into the little
garden before Anthony's house, as
they passed it in the gray dawning.
The ring was the most valuable piece
of property she had, and its loss en-
tailed on her both insult and ill-treat-
ment.
An inquest was held, but neither
poison nor mark of violence was dis
covered. A ruptured vessel in the
heart sufficiently accounted for the
death. Perhaps it was as we'll. The
sun had set for the poor boy forever.
What JOY would he have had through
long, unending night?
AS the funeral passed the house of
Lawyer Blair, Nelly, in her new
mourning, looking up from making
apple-jelly, wiped her eyes, and said,