Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1878-01-05
II seems to me that Florence Shelly

o anything. 1t was perfectly useless to 81
.rgue with her, for she would never give Il
I'D the subject in question until she lt
yained her point And if she resolved o.
o do a thing, it mattered not how unat- =
ainable that something appeared. she n
would exer: her influence toits uttermost h
capacity to procure the object OF her de- p
lire, and usually she succeeded but too s.
we'll. This. then, is the unprinciped Il
woman who imposed herself upon the s.
of Berenice Maynard. Flor 5
.nce was not stranger to her charms; il
out likes well-tutored child, she under Il
stood how to exercise them t" her ad- Il
vantage. She was born and raised in Il
London. Her parents lived to see their t
only child, as they thought. married t" '
the man of her choice then they passed {
over iie's turbid stream, into the eter- t
nal city. where celestial glories flow un- /
ceasingly to the end of time Berenice =
was also raised in tae same city with i
Florence; but when Sir Henry Maynard
married her. he brought her over tol
America. and located himself in New
York, in their present beautiful and
magnificent home.
Sir Henry had two motives in doing
this the first was, he thought that it
would be happy change for Berenice
the other was a desire to learn some
thing. if possible. from his only child,
son, whom he believed to be in Amer
lea, who left home wears before, because
his father urged him to make an alliance
contrary to his wishes. Sir Henry, hay
ing suffered the deepest remorse from
Just conviction Of the wrong he i'm
posed upon his son, was now willing to
make due reparation for all unlustness
on his part. Berenice was his second
wife; but she readily acceded to his
wishes in this duty, and urged upon him
the importance and propriety of such
step Florence's husband proved prof
| ligate, worthless creature, who soon
squandered all of her immense fortune.
Then it was that pititul letter came to
Berenice, from over the sea, telling the
misery and poverty of one near and dear
to her by kindred ties. Florence wrote
that her husband " as dead, and that she
was alone in her misfortune. without one
friendly. helping hand. The kind heart
of Bclenice went out in all of its benevo-
lence to the unfortunate orphan, and at
ter consulting her husband. she wrote to
her cousin, and offered her home, and
place in their affections. She also sent
money to deiray ali expenses. and beg
/ ged that she would lose no time in com
r ing to them. Florence accepted the in
4 vitation, and came Immediately. as her
! cousin requested. She had not been two
: davs in the house, however, when Bere'
+ nice was taken very i'll therefore Mrs
:; Maynard had no opportunity OF studying
o her cousins disposition, much less te
: think, for a moment, of the deception
d ing upon her As said before old Haga
dreaded leaving her young mistress alon'
+ with this woman; for. since the first da,
/ of her arrival. she had watched her yer.
5 closely. and her proud. naughty air
e were so different from the gentle man
ners OF Berenice that it provoked Haga
y and aggravated her displeasure. inso
:. much that before Florence had been j
, the house three days. it was her settle
= opinion that this woman was not wha
20 she seemed-for there was somethin
~ too dark too hidden about her, and some
;. thing which convinced Hagar that
-, would be well enough to be on he
&C guard, and keep her eyes open, as sh
10 expressed it. So, in place of going
:, her room as Florence bade her, she wei
r. into the next room adjoining the OF
,s which she lett. There was in this roc
at a door which opened Immediately
al front of her mistress bed, and by a
al plving her eyeto the key-hole. she cou
ne easily note all that was going on
er front of her. She saw Florence wrs
be herself in heavy cloak, as if she W
an preparing herself for going out. Such
or proceeding excited Hagar's curiosity al
r she determined not to let one action {
- cape unnotced. She was sure that S
49, had never seen her with that pecull
-, suit on before; therefore she observed
"a so closely that she could easily ident
mr. it if ever she saw it again.
wn Florence. having donned this compile
lar disguise. came up to the bed and lean
for over Berenice for a moment, US if to
&c, sure herself that she was asleep. S
es. raised the baby cautiously in her arm
ing wrapped it carefully in large da
Ter shawl, and lett the room precipitate
as IIagar flew to the door. thinking TO
al terrupt her before she gained the Sta
ur- wav, and demand the baby of her. a
M also an explanation Of her conduct;
Ter when she reached the stairway. she tou
,nr- herself alone, with not even a foot
at or breath 20 break the deep stiffness
itch that midnight hour. She was too gu
,re- for Hagar, who could only grope
nv way back through the darkness to
ire. hiding place. TO watch and wait.
,om first thought was to awaken the mast
ing and report to him all that she had he
this and seen but a moments reflection C
,ost vinced her how useless it would be
,ble raise an alarm, for her experience
,ed her that a search at that hour of
mo. night. in a city, after a woman of F
ON ence Shelly's wit, would be more Il
was fruitless; and. beside, Hagar felt
ally whatever her mission was, she wo
,ery certainly return. She knew, too,
res she would be compelled to return
with baby to it's mothers side. unless
tain wanted it to appear that some one
SAINT stolen it-n which case she would
hen pose her, and have her sent to prison
mes babv-stealing; and. tor moment,
ard. wished that sho would not come b;