The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-10

shall be equal to the bottomless put"
CHAPTER XXX.
One dark, chilly night, about the
middle of November a tall, dark,
closely clad figure might have been
seen slowly and cautiously advancing
through the park of the Bristol man
sion, under cover of the darkness and
the bushes toward the boat-house.
Halo! who comes?"
"Harkl All right, you are here, /
see."
"Yes. And now be quick and quiet,
for I thought I heard some one pass by
not more than ten minutes ago."
Every we'll. And are you willing to
help me throngh?"
"On one condition only"
"Name it."
"For five thousand dollars"
Gall right-you shall have it."
II must have half down now."
well, wait here until return"
And Jeanette, for it was none other
than she, glided quietly back to the
| mansion and soon returned with the
| amount.
"Here is your money, and this letter
will tell you just what I want you to
do, and these two letters are to be dis
posed of according to the directions.
Remember, those letters must be mailed
in Chicago, and when everything is
done, and she is clear of the country,
you shall have the rest of your money.
No mistake, on peril of your life"
Jeanette returned to the mansion
without being seen, while her paid tool
went back to his old sod house, in the
woods down by the coast.
All, humh! Two thousand five hun
dred dollars in my pocket now, and
that much more comm for almost
nothin'; purity good, tell you, but I
kinder hate to do it arter all. Old
Jackll need catch no more fish. though,
while he lives, and-ha! ha! she's
doin' the thing"
Those were the muttered thoughts of
old Jack Wiler, an old fisherman, that
had lived for years in an old log house,
in the woods by the coast. No one
knew where he lived but Jeanette,
and she knew it by chance merely.
In the early spring, as she was gath
ering wild flowers in the woods, by
accident she came near tie door of this
strange old house.
Old Jack was sitting on the step
smoking his old pipe as she came up,
and, in short time, she ventured to
speak to him. It was in this manner
that she learned of the sod house and
first met Jack Wiler. Had there even
& few stars shone on the night of their
meeting in the boat house, one might
have seen how Jack looked as he slow
Is picked his way to his lonely home
in the woods, but all was black dark
ness, and the hideous specimen of
humanity, with its long, shaggy gray
hair and beard, it's rounded shoulders,
and stopped form, could not be seen.
Finally he reached his home and en-
tered the dark, damp, lonely room.
An old grease lamp was lighted, and
old Jack sat down in an old broken
chair TO read the letter that Jeanette
gave him.
"Ah, humh! know'd old Harry'd
be to pay or that dark, pursy woman
would not have finger in the pie. |
guess I kin manage it all right, but
it'll be purity lonely fur him In this
old dark room fur so long"
The light was then blown out and
old Jack lay down upon an old bundle
of damp, muddy straw, richer but
not happier man.
III tie afternoon of the fourth day
after that strange meeting the mail
was delivered at the manson, and Ray
hastily ran over the different letters.
"Ah! There is hand I do not
know; let me see what he has to say"
The letter was opened, and the
noble-hearted mans face grew as white
as the paper before him as he read
on down the page. The letter was
this:
CHICAGO. Ill.,. Nov. 20. 1876.
To the master Of the Bristol estate:
| The things l wish to state in this letter
are not to be doubted. and will be as brief
as possible. You may think me an i'm
postor: 1t is not I. but that artful deceptive
beauty that you now call your wife.
believe you to be an honest man. and
am in sympathy with you. for you, as we'll
as myself. are tho victim Of that woman's
treachcry.
BY mere chance recently learned wher,
che Is. and am acquainted with the manner
In wnIcn sne enpereo your mouse; aIsv. ur
the little scheme by which she succeeded in
temporarily establishing her innocence. Her
beauty and that innocent look she pos
sesses will deceive most any man. 1t did
me. and see it has you.
The name she gave you on entering your
| hnTca hetittnnc an1 T Inrlt tpb n thar
any one knows her right name; you see she
is not legally your wife. Her little plan to
murder me failed. although she is not aware
OF the fact as yet. You see she has not al
together escaped me. and now. waEt my
wife. II you do not believe me. call at the
- Hotel. in Michigan City, on the 2:tb
. inst. and will prove to you these state