The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-26


INQUIRIES, We came together again.
1T vas at her prompting that came
hither to be your housekeeper, which my
Disagreement. .effectually has enabled me
to be, without your suspecting my ident-
ity with the woman whom you had 80
meanly, so mercenarily abandoned.
1She had her object in sending me
hither in this characteristic can explain
it in ber own good time. I had my OBJ
iect, which was that Of vengeance, and
VENGEANCE alone. ] blush not TO avow
that have been persistent spy upon
YOU from the first hour of my setting foot
in this house.
"A careful inspection. of certain plant
concealed nook in yonder conservatory,
directly behind those painted glass panes,
would sufficiently explain to you my
means of seeing and hearing everything
of spy moment that has taken place
in this private office. At last, after years
OF patient waiting, my opportunity
dawned.
1T was I who thus Witnessed your muir
derous assault upon Jasper Marlowe here
in this Office last Saturday night. You
thought that you had obtained that paper
at the cost of o murder. Noels steps
were heard approaching. Too frightened
to shut and lock the Office deor, you
threw the paper back upon the table,
snatched up the insensible form, and had
Just time to bear it out Of sight, around
the angle of the safe, when Noel enteEed d
the room.
You managed to reply without trena-
or to the commonplaces that he uttered.
and he, hastily rolling up a newspaper he
had come for, took his departure. But,
in doing SO. ! saw that he. was qncon-
sciously carrying away the precious
document, which he had, inadvertently,
gathered up in the folds Of the news
paper: p -o,;o-oa - ,;. nroosnoe ron
hurled your insensible burden into the
vault. and locked the massive door upon
it. Then came your frantic disappoint-
ment and terror at missing the paper, for
which you had risked the gallows. How
I reveled in watching your frenzy, your
despair!
aYou still, however, thought that you
had the secret of your supposed murder
secure. On the following morning, when
all the rest of the household we're at
church, you made your preparations for
the disposal of the body. You even had
the grave ready to receive it in the back
cellar.
Then came Your second mystifcetion.
The body was no longer in the vault in
which you had cast it. Of course, it was
I who had effected his deliverance and
restoration. 1t were tedious tale to
describe the mode of this now, further
than to say that I have for years had in
my possession duplicate keys of every
room in this house, Including this money
vault. He thought, poor man, that he
had the momentous paper still in his pos
session, when assisted him out of the
back garden-gat at gray of dawn on that
succeeding Sunday morning. knew
that, for his own safety aud the security
of the paper, it was best to leave him
temporarily in this delusion. knew,
likewise, that it would be equally insecure
in Noel's possession-that it would be
thoroughly safe in only my own custody.
i therefore stole into the young gen.
tleman's chamber, while he slept, and
took the paper from the folds Of the
newspaper, just as he had inadvertently
thrust it away into his coat pocket: Still
willing that he might be SUPPOSED to have
it in his possession, by one or another
of those whom I felt certain would be
madly in search of it, I took another pre-
caution. I carried away the document,
copied its contents and signature in faded
ink, on the oldest and mustiest paper 1
could find, besides making clumsy at
tempt to initiate the chirography. Hav-
ing this, I re-entered Noels room, put
the imitation back into his coat pocket
with the newspaper, and retained the
original, which is now produced.
That is all. I think the wisdom of my
precautions will be conceded; for certain
~, without them, the paper would not
now be here to speak for itself. The OBJ
ject of my long espionage is accomplish
ed. I ut last witness tie shame and down.
fall of the villain to whom I owe my
life's blight and hopelessness. I am con-
tent"
Her words had gradually increased in
rapidity and bitterness. until toward the
last they had rushed through her lips in
o burning torrent.
Both Marlowe and Croak were now the
pictures of despair.
TO the surprise Of all, Mr.. Dalhousie
.orolu q -Misa Winford" resuu' i
ner seat, ana made her Still out eiapor-
ate bow.
4 maun ai1press ma deep an abidin'
regrit, ma lass, that ye war nae boorn
man g o detective!" he observed, in o
tone of unfeisned admiration; after
which he as gravely sat down again.
Mr.. Hartwell now went on with the
7ea1.ne m Id : -. ~ .hA original paper,;with whose
contents the reader las elready been
made acquainted in the copy-and YVES
not arain interrupted. -
sob, speak, sir Cried Noel, interro-
eating he pallid banker with an implor-
ing gesture. -Ycu still can and will re-
fute these terrible charges?"
1T is useless-I cannot!" muttered
Gilbert Marlowe, drawing trembling
hand across his eyes. 1T has been
mad, mad game, but it is ended at last,
in shame, ruin and defeat"
Croak was scarcely less unnerved; and
Dalhousie, stalking solemnly across the
floor, placed heavy hand on the shoulder
of each as signifying that they were IN
der arrest.
"Oh, Heaven" exclaimed Noel, in in
describable anguish; then I must bid
you farewell forever, my love, my life, my
Gwendoline! dare not even call you
wife, and at the sam time own this man,
this criminal as my fatherl"
Live, love and hope on, for he is not
your father" joyfully cried Jasper Mar
lowe, springing to his feet with his wife's
hand in his. i am your father, Noel,
though it was but this morning that was
made aware that you we're my son; an1
see. this, this is your mother"
1t is true, Noel" murmured Mrs.
Marlowe, with a loving but somewhat
shame-faced look. -Oh, my son, my
own child! can you forgive the deception