American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-07-06
The Plot Against HaWley.
CHAPTER /.
HOW THE PLOT ORIGINATED.

man laboring under great excitement was
| walking hurriedly up Broadway, New York
| His features were flushed and convulsed, his
| glances wild and restless, his whole mien in
dicative of keen anguish.
| Turning to the right into Blocker street.
he soon reached plain three-story and base
ment brick house, to which he gave himself
admittance.
| care YOU there, Ruth ~ he called from
the hall.
| A step was heard overhead, followed by the
rustling of Il dress, and a young lady de-
seconded the front stairs. Despite several
points of marked contrast, there was fam
lily likeness about the couple that proclaimed
! them to be brother and sister.
"Why, what's the matter Lukc?' cried
the latter, starting at sight of the disturbed
countenance that met her view. care you
| ill2'
| GIVE Just received bad news" replied
the brother leading the way into the par
| lor--''news which has given me terrible
| shock
"Shocked9 You' What has happened ~
Gin word, Clara Aymar is marriedr'
"Marricd ~ echoed the sister, recoiing.
''CIara Aymar married Is it possible :"
Eyes, married the girl I've been laying
| siege to for years past-the only girl l ever
| cared a pin for. Imagine the shock this
event gives me. Pm nearly crazy"
'Then you really loved herr
Stored her, l must have ,coTshipped her,
or else this thing would not have SO COM
pletely upset me-
| ''Oh, to that the loss of a thing always
gives us an exaggerated notion of its value, y
said the sister philosophically, as she sank
languidly into an easy chair, and smoothed
out a fold in her snowy morning robe. You
are simply shocked, you say. But by to-
morrow you will laugh at the whole matter"
Don't, RUTH implored the brother,
sinking heavily into the nearest chair.
"Clara Aymar is more to me than my life .
My love for her is a delirium It's no such
passing fancy as you suppose, but an ever
lasting passion-a rage-a flood of molten
| lava, And I've counted all along upon mar
rying her. True, she has rejected me twice,
| but thought she'd change her mind"
''She was in no way committed to you?"
| "No, of course not. She has never given
me any encouragement. But l am none the
less surprised. l supposed that everything
was favorable enough to my wishes. KNEW
that she was still young to marry-an or
phan-without money and without friends
! presumably without suitors; and / fattered
myself that she couldn't always remain in
sensible to my attentions"
You reasoned wisely enough, of course,
Luke; but reason never decides these mat
| ters," declared the sister, with sort of con-
| temptuous compassion. "a wilma chance
meeting-a smile a word-a moments
| wednesday, trihe-these are the things
| by which marriages are brought about. But
| who is the bridegroom ~
"Ah that's point that will touch you a
| I 1xbn he les
81 haven't the least idea.
''Well, then, he's Will Hawley."
| The sister sprang abruptly to her feet,
! clasping both hands to her heart. The
changing colors of her brother, his agitation,
| his anguish, all passed to her own features.
"Will. Hawleyi' she gasped. ooh, you
don't mean it, Luke ~
'But l do, though. It's Gods truth.
Clara Aymar and WILL Hawley are husband
and wife,
A heavy fall succeeded. The sister had
| tainted. She lay upon the floor as one dead.
| Ibid she think that much of Hawley ?"
muttered- the brother, astonished. didn't
suppose"
and battle the white features, and then set
himself to chatting the clenched hands.
| Capt. Luke Pedder was twenty-seven
years of age, with an originally light com
| pleXion, which had Redeemed with generous
living and bronZed with exposure to wind
and sun. His form was of the average
| size and height, and his features of the most
ordinary type. He was singularly selfish and
INSCRIPTIONS, but of gentlcmanly manners,
| being well educated and used to good So
| ciety. His ability as a navigator fair for
| man of his age and experience, but he
| owed his position commander of fine
| Australian clipper more to respect for his
| late father and to sympathizing favor than
| to his own merits.
| Miss Ruth Pedder was two years younger
| than her brother, and consequently twenty
Of oil \, Oh.
only twenty. She was tall, thin, and little
| inclined in her outlines, as in her temper, to
| angularity. She was not particularly bright,
| but she was bold and INSCRIPTIONS, and
| possessed fierce energy which was capable
of compromising in any emergency for lack
of genius.
The father of the couple had been prom
inent shipowner and merchant. But in his
latter days the senior Pcdder had been I'M
| fortunate, and had finally been broken up
completely-a result fastened, it was wills
pered, by the wild ways and financial irregu-
larities of his son. The old mains failure
had soon been followed by his DEATH and
already-for such is fame The was general
ly forgotten.
Glow odd it is ~ calculated Capt Ped
der, as he rubbed his sisters cold hands.
She madly in love with Will. Hawley, and
81 crazy after Clara Aymar ! And now Will.
| and Clara are married, and Ruth and are
left out in the cold"
Under the vigorous treatment he had
adopted, Miss Pedder soon recovered her
senses.
Are you sure they're married ~ she de-
manded.
"Pcrfectly. / learned the fact half an
hour since from Hawley's commander-Cap
tain Greggs, you know. Captain Greggs
at the wedding. 1t took place last
Friday eveninS-the very evening after Haw-
ley's return from his last voyage to Rio. 1t
was quiet affair. Only few friends
invited. But let me ask you a question. Did
HaWley ever propose to YOU ~
NO But expected that he would soon
do He has been here often enough"
"Ies, he came several times to ask me for
a berth in my clipper. promised to think
of him at the first opening, and l really
meant to help him, for knew in a general
way that you liked him.
Il thought he'd realize that you could be
of service to him." explained Miss Pedder
II thought he'd remember that mother left
me this house and few thousand dollars to
do as pleased with. l was conscious, too,
that possessed Il fair share of personal at
fractions. And as | supposed him to be en-
tirely heart-free, | took it for granted that
should get him. His attentions seemed
marked enough"
''He treated you politely, of course" in
terruptcd Pcdder, "and he couldn't have
well done less, after asking me to befriend
him. But he never made any formal declar-
ation?''
''No, he didn't. AS mate of a Rio ship, he
away seven-eighths of the time and /
didn't expect regular courtship. But |
took it for granted"
Pedder made an impatient gesture.
We've deceived ourselves he muttered
"We've been carried away by our feelings |
ed to be final, and Hawley's visits here were
merely visits of buSiupSs and frinuIsbi,,