Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-08-07
CHAPTER XVII,
A HELPING HAND.

To make up ones mind; to vow to find a
young woman who has disappeared without
leaving a trace is one thing-to find her is
another. The world is a place Of considerable
size, and chance meetings are not so common
as the contding 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
irst Maurice Hervey, the second Frank Car
ruthers.
Hervey, who, having paid a second visit to
Oakbury, had in som way managed tolearn
that Beatrice, the boy and the nurse had gone
TO London, babe a 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 a 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 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 go to these Talberts
and show them that he married their niece
when she was little more than a schoolgirl.
But what good would this dos 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 be
held the terror of exposure. He had one
article to sell, silence. There was one Gus
toner for it, his wife, With her be 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. Eervey 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 ~fortunel Prob
ably they would throw him two hundred a
year 50 long as be kept out of the way.
What was two hundred a 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 bis re-
venge9
In fact, Beatrice's fight, although not
effected for strategical reasons, was a mas
terpiece; a 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 be
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
be due to her, every shred Of power he held
would be gone, It was, therefore, impera-
tive he should find Beatrice and reopen ne
EQUATIONS upon a basis more favorable to
her. Reelection and the risk he now ran of
losing everything made him inclined to lower
his demands He would take fifteen hun
dred, even a half of his wife's 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 out that he wa dead and
waited until she had married again7 Then
his sway would be supreme. But to gain
this advantage he must lie silent, it might
be Tor years, and in the meantime must
somehow make a living, Perhaps, after her
former experience, she would not marry
again. Any way the state Of his exchequer
put a 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
psss; he had traded on the romance which
lies in the heart Of every young girl, then,
for m%ercenary purposes, had turned and
crushed it out. He had shown her, nav,
had, in brutal words, told her that he had
married her to rahe money in order to save
himself from the penalty due to his crime.
He well 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
the stern set Of her features-the scorn Of
her manner would have told him that he
nad no mercy to expect, that it was a duel
between the two.
de must find herl AS the months went on
the necessity Of finding her became more and
more obvious. He had, after the n Of
a gambler, who feels that any hour may
bring the great stroke Of luck, lived luxuri-
ously. His money had by now sOdiminished