The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-01
GheQmtellfqetrter
FOUL PLAY.
a N O " Il l..
BY c1zAs. READE AND DION BouasA GIT


cried Nancy, in utter dismav. 'I'll lay
my life poor Joe never did no such
wickedness.'
But Helen waved her off without look
ing at her, and pointed at Wylie.
Are you blind? Why does he cringe
and cover at sight of me? tell you he
scuttled the PrOserpine, and the great
augur he did it with 1 have seen and
handled. Yes, cir, you destroyed ship,
and the lives of many innocent persons,
against you; and if Z am alive to tell
the cruel tale, it is no thanks to you ;
for you did your best to kill me, and,
what is worse, to kill Robert Pentold,
this gentlGman's son ; for he was on
board the ship. You are no better than
| an assassin
Il am man that's down. said Wy
lie, in low and broken voice, hanging
his head. Don't hit me any more. I
didn't mean to take anybody's life; I
took my chance with the rest, lady, as
Pm man. 1 have laid in my bed
many's the night, crying like child.
with thinking you were dead. And
now l am glad you are alive to be re-
venged on me. Well, you see, it is
your turn now; you have lost me my
sweetheart, there; she'll never speak to
me again, after this: All, the poor man
gets all the blame! You don't ask who
tempted me; and, if | was to tell you,
QhIe lIle "OI5G luuu SfSIS 81 L II
Delay. If I'm sinner, Pm sufferer.
England's too hot to hold me. I've on
| lv TO 90 to sea, and get drowned the
| Quickest way" And with this he vent
ed deep sigh, and slouched out OF the
room.
Nancy sank into seat, and threw
| her apron over her head, and rocked
and sobbed as If her heart would break.
AS for Helen Rolleston, she still stood
in the middle of the room, burning
with excitement.
Then poor old Michael came to her,
and said, almost In Whisper
1T is bad business; he Is her sweet
heart, and she had the highest opinion
of him.
This softened Helen in great mea-
sure. She turned and looked at Nancy,
and said,-
% dear, what miserable thing! But
I couldn't know that
After d while, she drew chair, and
sat down by Nancy, and said,-
Il won't punish him, Nancy
Nancy uurst out sobbinR afresh.
You have punished him. said she,
bruskly. and me too, as never did you
no harm, You have driven him out of
the country, you have
At this piece of feminine juatiCe Hell
ems anger revived. so, them said she,
ships are to be destroyed, and ladies
and gentlemen murdered, and nobody
is TO complain, or say an angry word, II
the wretch happens to be paying his
all the crimes in the world. WHAT
Can an honest woman like you lose all
sense of right and wrong for u MANI
And such man!
why, he is AS well-lnade fellow as
ever l saw sobbed Nancy.
90, is hep said Helen, Ironically
her views OF manly beauty were differ
ent, and black eyes sine qua non with
her,-'then it is pity his soul is not
made 10 correspond. l hope by my
next visit you will have learned to des-
pise him as you ought. Why, i'll loved
q man ever so, I'd tear him out of my
heart If he committed crime; ay,
though tore my soul out OF my body
to do it,
No. you wouldn't said Nancy, re-
covering some other natural pug naCitJ;
'for we are all tarred with the same
stick, gentle or simple
But 1 assure you l would cried
Helen; 'and so ought you.'
well, miss, you begin,' cried Nancy,
suddenly firing up through her tears.
1.-THE Proserpino was scuttled, which
I've your word for 1t. Mics Helen, and
l never knew you tell lie. why, your
sweetheart is more to blame for it than
mine.'
Helen rose with dignity.
You are in grief said she. 4 leave
YOU to consider whether you have done
we'll to af1rOnt me in your own house
And she was moving TO the door with
great dignity, when Nancy ran and
stopped her.
she cried; don't you go to quarrel with
me for speaking the truth too plain and
rude, as is a plain. spoke1 body at the
best; aud in such grief myself, scarce
know what do say. But indeed, and
in truth, you must MT go aud put 1t
abroad that the ship was scuttled; II
YOU do, you won't hurt Joe wylie; he'll
get a ship, and fly the country. Who
| you'll hurt will DO your own husband
as is to be,-Wardlaws.'
Shall 1, Mr.. Penfold?' asked Helen,
disdainfully.
We'll, madam, certainly it might Gre.
ate some unworthy suspicion
Suspicion p cried Nancy. Don't
YOU think to throw dust in my eyes.
What had poor JOe to gain by destroy
ing that there ship7 you know very
we'll he was bribed TO do it: and risk
his own life. And who bribed hint
Who should bride him, but the man as
owned the ship?'
'Miss Rouse said Mr.. Penfold, 81
sympathize with your grief, and make
Egreat allowance; but will not sit here
and hear my worthy employers black
ened with such terrible insinuations.
| The great House Oh WdTOIh" DElOe d
sailor to scuttle their own ship, with
Miss Rolleston and one hundred and
sixty thousand pounds worth Of gold
on board MonstrOus! monstrous y
Then what did Joe WylIe mean p re-
piled Nancy. Says he. The poor man
gets all the blame. If 1 was to tell you
who tempted me- says he, you'd hate
me worse Then I say, why should
she hate him worse? Because it's her
sweetheart tempted mine. stands on
that
This inference, thus worded, struck
Helen as so droll that she turned her
head aside to giggle a little. But old
Penfold replied loftily,-
'Who cares what Wylie says against
a great old mercantile house Of London
City?'
Very well, Mr.. Penfolds,' said Nan
cy, with one great final sob. and dried
her eyes with her apron; and she did 1t
with such an air, they both saw she
was not going to shed another tear
about the matter. VERY well; you are
both against me; then I'll say no more.
But know what know"
land what do you know ?" inquired
Helen.
ing suddenly very logged, -"time will
show"
Nothing more was to be got out OF
her after that; and Helen, soon after,
made her civil, though stiff, little
speech; regretted the pain she had in
advertently caused her, and went away,
after leaving Mr.. Penfold her address.
On her return home, she entered the
whole adventure in her diary. She
made separate entry to this effect:
AIysteriouS.-My letter to Mr.. Penfold
ut the office Intercepted.