The Dillon tribune., 1885-08-08
CHAPTER XVII.
A HELPING HAND.

young woman VINO mas usSappSdIcu "Atuou
leaving trace is one thing-to find her /
another The world is place OF considerable
size, and chance meetings are not SO common
as the contiding novel reader Is asked to be
lieve. Such was at least the experience Of
two men, who, from diff motives, were
equally anxious to tnd the fugitive. The
first Maurice Hervey, the second Frank Car
ruthers.
Hervey, who, having paid a second visit tc
Oakbu1.y, had in some way managed to learn
that Beatrice, the boy and the nurse had gone
to London. bade hasty adieu to Blacksown
md returned to the capital The more he
studied the situation, the more apparent j:
tecome that, 10 use his own words, he was
in cleft stick. So long as Beatrice could
conceal her whereabouts from him. so long
was he utterly helpless. He could. ofcourse,
| compass y certain amount OF revenge
but the cost would De too terrific. However
sweet a thing may be, it may be bought too
dearly. He could walk boldly up to Sir
Maingay Clauson and proclaim himself his
son-in-law. He could 60 to these Talberts
and show them that he married their niece
when she was little more than schoolgirl.
But what good would this dot His bolt
would be shot, and his quiver held no other.
1t might bring down Beatrice but not her
money. He would have to deal with men of
the world Instead Of a woman over who L he
held the terror of exposure. He had one
article to sell, silence. There was one GUS
toner for it, his wife. With her he could
trade to advantage, but the moment he
broke luck for another market his COM
modify became all but valueless
Again, there was that cursed clause in old
Nu1k~ y,
that Beatrice was his wife, but in doing so
he also proved that she had married, when
under age, without her trustees consent,
and the said trustees could do almost ex-
actly as they liked with her fortune! Prob
ably they would throw him two hundred q
year SO long as he kept out of the way.
What was two hundred year when we
know that had he not insisted on bringing
some ones head down to the dust, he might
have had ten times the amount! Why had
he not taken the money and foregone his re-
vengel
In fact, Beatrice's fight, although not
effected for strategical reasons, was mas
terpiece; move which bound her enemy
hand and foot. Savagely he looked forward
to the time when circumstances would force
him to take the best offer made him. Well he
knew that the moment Beatrice nerved her.
self to reveal the truth to her friends, the
moment she elected to confess her girlish
folly, and face what shame and blame might
he due to her, every shred of power he held
would be gone. 1t was, therefore, impera-
tive he should find Beatrice and reopen ne
gotiations upon q basis more favorable to
her. Reelection and the risk he now ran of
losing everything made him inclined to lower
Il N{c n H~nla 49,
dred, even half Of his wife's income, and il
she wished it would enter INTO q regular
deed OF judicial separation. He would be
silent so long as the money was paid or so
long as it paid him better to be silent.
What it be gave out that he was dead and
waited until she had married agains Then
his sway would be supreme. But to gain
this advantage he must lie silent, it might
be for years, and in the meantime must
somehow make living. Perhaps, after he.
former experience, she would not marry
again. ANY way the state Of his excheque,
put veto on the waiting scheme.
He expected no unextorted help from her.
He looked for no mercy. He ha showed
none. He had blasted her life; robbed her
years OF early womanhood Of their sweet.
ness; he had traded on the romance which
lies in the heart Of every young girl, then,
for mercenary purposes, had turned and
crushed it out. He had shown her, nav.
had, in brutal words, told her that he had
married her to raise money in order to save
himself from the penalty due to his crime
he we'll knew what he had done. and know.
ing this he had not even ventured at at.
tempting to caJole her when they measured
strength at Blacktown. Had it been needed
n tnN Snf ENf hcrS Al
her manner would have told him that he
aad no mercy to expect, that it was duel
between the Two.
The necessity 1T finding her became more and
more oovlou> he had, after the manner OF
gambler, who feels that any hour NAV
bring the great stroke OF luck, lived luxurl.
ously His money bad by now SO diminished
that hs saw he must shortly do ono Of thre.
things lind Beatrice, earn money or starve
The first. the most desirable course in
svery way, seemed impossible. He haa
made. both in person and vicariouslv. s,,ch
at Sir Maingay's house as could b.
made without exciting comment and sns.
pic Oh. He had even been down once more to
Oakbury, seen tho Talberts, but had learned
nothing to his advantage. So course num-
ber one could not be counted upon to meet
the emergency.
Cours, numb>r three, if the SIMPLEST
was til" most unpleasant, so be was cn,.
strained to adopt number two; at least. pro-
visionally. f'~
Before his disgrace Hervey had OCCASION
ally done some work for illustrated neriotl.
lcals As this branch Of his late profession
seemed to offer him the best chance of SIM
plying his needs, he called upon two or three
people whom he had known in former davs
and who moreover knew what had caused
his protracted absence. He simply said he
was anxious to redeem the past, and begged
Tor helping hand. Selfish as the world is
supposed to be, there are many willing to
help a fallen man ON to his legs. Heryev
received one or two promises, which might