Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-06-18

but Ielma, the woman that went with her az
| nurse, was one of the slaves that had belong.
ed TO my father and was devoted to me.
| Mrs. Landry fingered for many months,
but she at last died, when you were five years
old.
''rhe years passed on, and Armand was
| travelling in Europe, rarely writing home.
and never sending me line.
''You were ten years old when he came
back. Zelma was dead, and felt safe now
that the only one who could accuse me of in
stigating the death of Elinor Russell was
gone
''But all my hopes were fearfully dashed
to the earth for he brought with him a
young wife, cousin of Ellinor's, and also an
heiress. They stopped in New Orleans, and
from there Armand wrote to me the follow
ing lines
''NEw ORLEANS, October Both, 10.
81 write to you, Hagar, to say that no
option will be allowed you as to your reno
val from the vicinity of me and mine.
II came back TO my native land bringing
with me cousin of my lost one as my wife,
the resemblance in person and character be-
tween the two attracting me irresislibly TO
Helen.
Il might have taken her to LIE Bocage to
meet the same terrible fate, had not here
encountered the priest who attended Zelma
in her last illness, and receioed her confession.
''Ah, my heart, | cannot write il!
Go far away-take your daughter.
81 am not rich in my own right, but when
she is old enough TO marry, Twill give her
suitable dover. This is all can or will dc. :"
ARMAND LANDRY. 3"
Il had nothing to do but obey Armand's
command" continued Mrs. Blake, ''and SO l
came hither with you, where we have lived
till now. This is my history"
CHAPTER II.
PHYSICIAN IN LOVE WITH THE DAUGnTER-A
FIEND1sH PLOT.
There was residing in the same village with
Mrs. Blake and her daughter a physician.
twenty-eight or thirty years of age-Dr. Ma
con-who for two years had been ardently
in love with the daughter. She had toyed
and trified with him during all that time but
he had finally insisted upon decided answer
TO his suit, and on that very evening he was
coming to learn his fate. As he approached
the house he overheard the voices Of mother
and daughter engaged in close conversation,
and drawing near to the window and meanly
listening, he had obtained full possession of
the terrible secret of Mrs. Blake's life. Madly
IN love, and utterly inscriptions, he at once
determined to make any use which might be
necessary of his newly acquired advantage to
secure the hand of Hester
On that very evening DIR. Macon was en-
gagged to take tea with Mrs. Blake and her
daughter but their old housekeeper returned
from the village with the intelligence that
shocking railroad accident had occurred in
the vicinity, and the doctor had FASTENED off
to the assistance of the wounded.
On the return of DIR. Macon he called unon
Mrs. blake and q1rpriap1 har with tI,o ;,,fo.
nation that among the hurt was Armand
Landry, MORALLY injured He was accom-
panied by his daughter the half-sster of Hes
ter, and she had been stunned by blow on
the head. They were both lying at farm
house near by and Mr. Landry, knowing
that he must die, had requested that Hester
should visit him the next morning, that he
might inform her of the pecuniary provision
which he had made for her support
And now was concoCted one of the most
hendish plots ever devised by the human
mind. 1t was suggested by Mrs. Blake, and
acquiesced in by DIR. Macon and Hester. that
the half-sister, who was still unconscious. |
should be kept in state of imbecility by |
drugs which the doctor should skillfuliy adj |
minister to her for that purpose, and Hester
whose resemblance to her was so close as
to defy detection-should usurp her place as
heiress of the immense estates entailed upon
the half-sister through her mother
The inducement to DIR. Macon was Hester's |
promise, on the accomplishment of the |
scheme, to become his wife.
But when Hester came to read over the let
teIs which lay concealed in the bottom of |
her half-sister's trunk, she found among them |
several from Raymond De Lorme, hand |
some young man whom she remembered as |
her own first lover at the South, when she /
was little more than mere child. These |
letters were written in a most imprisoned |
strain, and showed that between him and his |
fair correspondent Landry, Hester's
now stricken half-sister-a marriage engage
ment existed.
No sooner had Hester discovered this fact
than her old love for De Lorme was rekind
led, and she resolved at once to have him
also, as well as Esteles fortune, let whatever
obstacles might be in the way. He was now
absent in Europe, to remain year or two,
and her purpose must be most carefully con-
cealed from DIR. Macon; but come what
would, the young man should yet be hers!
Mrs. Blake's housekeeper, Mrs. Muller, a
German woman with an American education
was great gossip, and cunning, selfish,
woman Hester, at her mothers
suggestion, had turned the key on the outside
of Mrs Muller's sleeping room, while their
Internal plot had been planned; but the sus-
picious woman happened to be awake, and
she had risen, and emerging through win
dow, crept around where she could listen to
all they said. She too, now, meant to have
her profit out of the scheme, the secret of
which she had obtained unknown to them.
On the following day Mr.. Landry felt his
end rapidly approaching. He had forbidden
peremptorily that Mrs. Blake should be adj
mitted TO his presence but Mrs. Blake had
to see him before he died. He
was very anxious for a confessor and was
finally told that although there was no priest
a Sister of Charity might be OBJ
tanned. This assurance afforded him great
relief, and he desired that no time might be
lost in sending for her.
Mrs. Blake had determined to improve this |
to see him without his recogniz-
ing her, and to visit him in the disguise of
Sister.
1t was arranged that after night, when the
room was dimly lighted by a single candle,
she should go in and listen to such confess
sions as he wished to make. In them, if he
spoke of her tenderly, compassionately, she
ha H. i