The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-09

cipner, ana II, instead or Wr1c1nR tnlS letter
comfortably to you on board our beautiful
yacht, had been in Jail just now on the
charge Of murder, should have been COM
PEELED in self-defence to put you and all your
friends to an amount of trouble that think
would have far outweighed the object you
were seeking to attain. Moreover, should
In all probability have baff1ed the whole OF
you. But your appeal to mo last night,
coupled with the fact that shall certainly
not now be permitted to gather the fruit for
which have waited so long, has caused mo
to come to conclusion Of which think you
ought to hear with gratitude do not
mean to fight I am leaving you forever;
but shall do what I can in departing to
smooth your way, and to loave you and
Daisy to think not unkindly Of me.
N acknowledge, therefore, In tho most
formal manner, that the story set forth in
my diary is literally true. I murdered
Mr. Mauleverer in tho manner therein de-
,cr!hed-by substituting powder Of strych-
nia for one of bromide Of potassium. l had
no accomplice IN my crime save Benjamin
Flinter. Daisy 10 absolutely innocont; end,
though Fosdyke may kave had his suspt-
cions,. ho knew nothing. Fosdyke, my dear
Mr. lFsnton, Is o very commonplace sort OF
rogue. ] shall do nothing 80 absurd as TO
attempt to justify or palliate my conduct to
you I have my OWL justification, and l
assure you 1t 10 altogether satisfactory to
rnyEolf Ny dfgesticn Is excellent; sleep
perfectly; and know NO moro se ro-
preaching conscience than Of disordered
stomach. i..' n'
aThore Is ono point On which, by the way,
I5uhoald not like either you or Daisy to Lie
under any misapprohension. Thouga it was
necessary, in case of need, to place Daisy
under suspicion Of being the real murderer
Of Mr.. Mauleverer, there was not tho slight
sst intention of putting her life In jeopardy.
That was your doing, my dear Mr.. Fenton,
and you remember the hot indignation
which Flinter-who always had sneaking
kindness for the dear girl-showed when he
heard Of what must say was your mex
cusable rashness at Trondhjen- We wanted
to create evidence against her, not that we
might fling her into the dock to take
her chance before jury, but In order that
wo might have some means OF counteractng
the influence which unfortunately you
seemed to have obtained over her, and OF
keeping both her and you III our power:
But then, tho best laid schemes etc am
no mouse, however, even though on this
occasion my plans have gone agley.'
3Daisy Is the daughter Of gentleman,
man of birth, refinement and education, o
clergyman of the Church Of England, who
died at Melbourne in 49,. know nothing
of her family history, save that her name Is
Sheldon; but you may depend upon 1t that
she is, in every sense Of the word, a lady.
GAnd now. nothing remains but that l
should soy, Bless you, my children, and let
the curtain be rung down upon the playl
You will have Mauleverer's millions upon
which to enjoy yourselves-mnus the COM
paratively trivial sum which my necessities
have compelled me to appropriate; you viii
have youth, beauty, good conscience, ETC.,
etc. Really, my dear Fenton, envy you.
Pray, when you are happy, bear IN mind the
fact that you owe your wife to me.
GAnd now, FAREWELL This is the last time
you will ever hear Of your sincere but un-
repentant FRANCIS BRANKsoIE"
This extraordinary letter, which left the
mans character almost as much OF an
enigma to me as it had ever been, did some
thing to clear away any remaining mystery
connected with the tragedy; and 1t con-
frried my darling In the intention which she
had formed that under no circumstances
would she touch the money Of the man who
had taken her as his child. and loved and
benefited her. under tho influence OF the
fraudulent deluslon impressed upon him by
Branksoma Legally, she was full mistress
Of all Mauleverer's wealth-the amount OF
which we soon found had been greatly
exaggerated. She made use Of her powers
over It to transfer the whole sum to trustees
for tho execution Of the purposes which
Mauleyerer had named In tho Will he never
signed
And 30 though married the heiress OF
the millionaire got penniless bride. But,
strange to soy, have never regretted that
fact; nor, 1 verify believe, would Daisy her.
self exchange her present lot for that which
she enjoyed whom men crowded round har
eagSr to pay court to her as the inheritor oi
the rich mans wealth. The brightness OF
our honeymoon, which came very soon after
those tragic days OF which have written In
these pages, has mover quite died ont Nay,
1t renevs itself from year to year; and we
are fain to acknowledge that we are happier
now because Of the sorrows through which
wo have passed together.
Mr.. Fosdyke, the clever attorney, had beer
too clever for once He knew nothing of the
plot to murder Mauleverer-of that the au'
thorities were fully satisfied; but he had for
gotten certain elementary rules Of his OWL
profession In his dealings with the rich mans
property, and so one day he was struck of
the rolls, and consigned for the remainder Of
his life to poverty and ignominy.
What became Of DR.. Branksome and his
accomplice, Flinter, Is q secret which time
has never revealed The last word that ever
reached me from them was the letter which
the reader has now before him; the last that
was ever seen of them was on that gray
December morning when the Golden Hawk
slipped out Of Scarborough bay like q
shadow, never more to come within mortal
ken. Various are the rumors that I have
heard regarding this arch villain whose dupc
was along with so many Others. Some
spoke of him ns leading a life of sybaritic
self-indulgence in an isle Of the Egean
others described him as being O prominent
leader in revolution in the newest of the
Central American republics, while there
,yas one story-to which / myself attached