The enquirer southerner., 1874-05-22

It was the closing up of the season,
and the next day there was to be
a general exodus Of the Happy
Valley boarders to their homes.
Cora felt that the decisive moment
had arrived and it had. The
hitherto pent-up devotion of Mont
gomery Smythe found vent at last
in a declaration and a proposition.
He vowed his love in perfectly
,pr:ncely style, and having been ac,
cepted with a good many bushes
and tears, just as is the case in all
we'll written novels, he informed
her that letters just received from
his confidential agent in Europe
compelled him to start Immediate
~ for Paris, and urged her to mar
ry him at once without waiting to
60 through the form of asking the
permission of her grandsire or con,
sulting her friends. Was he not
Montgomery Smythe? and who
could possibly object to such an al.
lance
1t is very possible that Cora
might have consented, so infatuated
was she with her prince, but she
bad read that the regular thing was
to demand time for consideration,
so she postponed her decision which,
really was already made until
evening.
AS they reached the piazza, he
lazily tapping his glossy boot with
his bamboo, and she very tremuloua
and very happy, thickset, pock~
mark individual, with black, heavy
whiskers and a glazed cap, came
down the steps and, nodding to
Smythe, said:
l woald like to say private
word to you, young man."
Montgomery Smythe suddenly
stopped tapping his boot and, turn
ing pale, looked sharply at the
stranger. A slight vibration of
that persons eyelid made him turn
still paler, and without a word he
walked several steps away from the
Pavilion. The stout man then
slowly drew large pocket book
from his breast, favored Smythe
with a view of certain documents
therein contained, Immediately after
which he said aloud
"You're my prisoner, sir, in the
hands of the law -
Cora felt like fainting, but her
curiosity was more than a match
for her weakness.
Smythe looked toward her,
laughed little, gasping laugh,
and tried TO say that this ridicu.
lous mistake could be easily ex.
planned.
"Let this person explain it,
then," said Cora, trembling all
ever.
Why, you see, Miss, said the
stout man, "I'm q detective officer,
and I've been laying for this young
gentleman some time. I have his
photograph here, Miss, if you'd
like to see it,
And he produced a carte de
rasite the very twin of one Cora
had but that moment slowed away
among her treasures.
d" There amt any mistake about
him, is there ?" said the detective,
grimly.
"But for what-for what ia he
ISIS he-arrested ?" faltered the
poor girl.
Why, miss, you see, he left
California too suddenly, with all
the spare cash of the proprietor of
the Pacific Hotel-thirty thousand
dollars-and a matter of FIVE thou>
sand dollars more in jewelry,
belonging to the boarders of the
house"
" But, Mr.. Smythe-''
Smythe p! that amt his name,
Miss. He's plain Bill Higgins,
fancy bar-keeper Of the Pacific.
I'm very sorry for you, Miss. I
don't s'pose you had any idea who
you were with. Good morning"
She looked at Montgomery
Smythe, but he did not raise his
eyes nor open his mouth. Plainly,
the detective had told the truth
She turned to the hotel. Hap
PLY, the whole affair had escaped
notice.
Montgomery Smythe was al
ready on his way to the depot, arm
in arm with the stout man, and as
they turned bend in the road
Cora took a last, sad farewell look
at her prince. The shock made
her seriously i'll, and when she
recovered the nonsense was
pretty thoroughly washed out of
her.
Arther Bayne was not the man
to triumph over the fall of any
one. On the contrary, he was too
generous, and when people began
to make remarks about this unfor.
tunate episode in Cora's existence
he married her himself to shut