Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-09-18
CHAPTER XVII.
A HELPING HAND.

young woman who has disappeared without
leaving trace is one thing-to find her is
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 different motives, were
equally anxious to find the fugitive The
first Maurice Hervey, the second Frank Car
ruthers.
Hervey, who, having paid second visit to
Oakbury, had in some way managed to learn
that Beatrice, the boy and the nurse had gone
to London, babe hasty adieu to Blacktown
and returned to the capital The more he
studied the situation, the more apparent it
became that, to 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, of course,
compass a certain amount of revenge
but the cost would be too terrific. However
sweet 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 go to these Talberts
and show them that he married their niece
when she was little more than schoolgirl
But what good would this do? His bolt
would be shot, and his CULVER 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 whom 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
Talbert's will. Hervey could easily prove
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 a
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 amounts Why had
he not taken the money and foregone his re-
venges
In fact, Beatrice's fight, although not
effected for strategical reasons, was a 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 served her
moment she elected to confess her girlish
folly and face what shame and blame might
be 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 a basis more favorable to
her. Reflection and the risk he now ran of
losing every thing made him inclined to lower
his demands. He would take fifteen hun
dred, even half of his wifes income, and if
she wished it would enter into a 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 if he gave cut that he was dead and
waited until she had married again? 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 her
former experience, she would not marry
again. Any way the state of his exchequer
put veto on the waiting scheme.
He expected no unextorted help from her.
He looked for no mercy. He hal 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
u usneu ~ ou0 10 na az, Snomn y, nei, nay,
io'i, u VI uoal "olue, 'oio nei Inao ne nau
ii1e go 10 " 49,, e'-ss IT,. IL ~ 10 w save
nlllsen from 'ne penaiIy uue 70 nis CRIME.
!A0 We" ts mo" "n"o ne nou oone anu AioW-
Ins Inls ne nau nes eIen xehOureu aC at,
Iempolns ~ oaJIle nel WIZ W cney measured
s ~. VI az ~ ae NV -au ~ neon neeoeu
, .ne So se' " 4eI5 L Ino ' ttu VI
- 10 -.-' -. - '"ao n1
h Ia no 10 ~ w o'' '-'''' IL was q "o0'
III ~. w. $50 &c 60 0 -,
49, snass;t -a. ~ &C. l on1 ao.ns "eno VI
w $1,000 ~ - f+o., ~ LIZ. az
oo,ob1ar Who foo1s 49, on hnn. 49, y.
-. 49, ,.,oat s+,,o1-o " ~, - =,
rs15 uis In ;, -, ,'
LIS i''oA-0S A<e. NY nv" 'ooiDilusAe0
tna5 ne saw ne must shor0ly 40 one OF tnres
tnngs, ma beaRlce, earn money OF starVe
Inc nrs0' tne mos1 aeslraD1e course IA
every way, seemeo InPossiHe: ne nau
mace, oo1n IN person ano VIGOROUSLY sucn
Inquiries az 0if ma.nsay nouse s's ooeiu 10
maze "lGnou1 eAclC1ns cohlnieh' anu sus-
Pic,oh' ne hao sven III p ", uown ohoe iiore W
oaAcuiy, s1on one Io,DolO'' o Gu Lao ieoi noN
mourning 70 MS advantage. 90 courS9 num-
DEF one couio no' w couh'eo upon " hiee'
the emergency.
course nunoer tnree, IL Ine slnpesC'
was Ule hios' unpleasano, 81 10 was oon-
s.lalne1 n W aoop' nu"o7i '"o' a0 ie''S'' pio-
visionary ne -. o
before us ulsglaIe iierHey na.l.ooes'sion-
amy oone sol!ie VOTE ioi ni il1 pelloa-
Cals' AS JUS prahcn ol us lale proleSSioh
seeheu 10 olel nun Une oesC cnalce VI sup
ply my ms neeus' ne oalleu upon ."o VI 1nioo
people "noin ne nau Ano"n - III ILL me- uays,
anu "no' lloi eo1ei' Ano" wa. n1u oau' f1
MS pro1racteu absentee ne sliapiy saiu ne
was ANXIOUS 10 ies'eei e.. yne past, anu oeesl
1or heiplhg nanu. SELFISH DIS Uhe Morlu IS
supposed 70 oe' Cnere are many WILING W
nelp lanen man Oh 10 us legs. neiVey
received one or Two PROMISES, WHICH ililsn'
OF mlgnC hoG leao 10 rellunefa'lve "orh'
Inc nloh1liS passeu very uishlialiy anu
dreamy lor 1he second seeker FRANK Gar
runners. ne hne" hoG where W o'rii' "neIe
10 LOOK ior beaorice however ne was peG-
Ter OH tnan HerVey, ior lie hao ulrecG mUel,
hgence from her. once a month she had
"llUVeI W nei u,ioies, o'i0 loi tuu'oi Safo nv
clew that could De folloWed. Ihey pore no
address; they were posted III Aonoon' Iney
mentioned no places, hoC even country
Stha GXcHeelnQlV