Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-11-19
PART FOUR-L0VE.

Iys
~
He held out his hand as he spoke. Tom
rose and stuck his otCn into it.
Thomas II. Bannick, Esq, no longer
occupied the small Office room on the
top floor of down town caravansary.
He now did business in a very handsome
suit of rooms in new building on
Wall street, and the cynical office boy
had been multiplied into half a dozen
grave and gentlemanly clerks, each one
more imposing than the last. In the
inner sanctun, remote from the noise OF
the street, Mr.. Bannick sat. He was
still the same good hearted, clever, hui
morous being that he was before fortune
found him out, for even prosperity can
not spoil such men, but he made an
effort to keep this fact secret from all
but his best friends, and there were peo-
pie who fancied he was rather a severe
and formidable parsonage. He had
plenty to do. Keeping Count de Lisle's
estate in order was no small undertake
ing, but the count could not have
chosen better man, and Tom had now
got everything in good running order.
The count-for we will allow him still
to wear disguise which has from the
first been transparent to the reader,
though not to persons less well informed
Count de Lisle, otherwise Keppel
Darke, called at Bannick's Office a day
or two after the events last narrated,
accompanied by Mr.. Alonzo Garcia,
whom we last saw in the role of Hin
doc magician. They were at once con-
Quoted TO the interior retreat, and orders
were issued that no callers be admitted.
It may here be observed that Bannick
had been made a participant in the
counts secret for obvious reasons, and
Garcia also, for reasons perhaps not so
obvious. Further than these two and
Sallie Matchin the secret hsd not gone.
lis she all rightF was the counts first
question after the door was closed.
"As well as ever she was in her life"
Tom replied.
'Does she seem to have any recollec-
ton of the affair."
mot the least in the world. Upon my
word It's a wonderful thing-this hypno-
tizing business! don't understand it at
all, and don't believe any one else does
NOT Garcia, here, himself.
"You both understand" interrupted
the count, 'that there is never to be q
repetition of the experiment, and hence
forth it had best be blank in our mem
ories, as it is in hers. It has answered
its purpose. Sallie Matchin is now con
WINGED that it lies in my power to destroy
her whenever l see fit, and yet all lega
process has been avoided"
"But don't you mean to proceed against
her" inquired Bannick. Haven't yoI
the evidence:"
''Some evidence and plenty of mora
certainty. Garcia could prove the for
gerry and the fraud as to the finding of tht
will, for in order to get his assistanc,
she was obliged to make admission!
which, coupled with other known facts
amount to proof. As TO the murder the
evidence is of course circumstantial
No one saw her strike the blow, but WE
know that she several times was dressed
IN mans clothes, that she was present
SO disguised. in Trent's house that night
and that the papers in her possession
could only have been taken ON thai
night from the safe in his library. The
net is strong enough no doubt. But i
Is enough for my present purpose tha
she knows she stands in deadly peril
To bring her to trial and have her sen
fenced would be relief to her. wisf
to punish her myself. She did what she
could to get an innocent man hanged il
her stead. will keep the same rop.
dangling over her head till she is ready
to draw the moose herself. There is nc
law to punish adequately criminal ik,
her."
81 can understand her putting q knit,
into Mr.. Trent" observed Garcia. "H,
had given her the best of reasons t.
think that she ought to be his wife, and
having finished him, the manufacture O
the marriage certificate and of the will
followed as matter Of course. Those
are foibles. and become beautiful WON
an. 1t was her treatment of me tina
caused the iron to enter my soul, and M
torture is exquisite and lingering enough
to pay for it"
"How do you make that outg' demand
ed Tom, who could never quite satisf,
himself as to whether this personage
were fiend, fool or jester.
Being stabbed / shouldn't mind.
Garcia went on, ''or robbed, or starved,
or any commonplace matter like that,
But she insulted my feelings, and that |
can never forgive. I loved nerves
any one may know it now. knew that
she was aiming at Trent, but she per-
suaded me that it was his money she
wanted, not him: and in that way she
nsed me. ran her errands and did her
dirty work, believing that it was me she
really loved, and that Trent was the fool,
and that as soon as she had carried her
point she would snap her fingers in his
lace and be Of with me. Yes. gentle.
men, she made me believe all that, and
without once committing herself, either.
She is clever woman"
What had you against Trenty Tom
esked.
Nothing in the world. Quite the con-
srary. met him first ia Ceylon, where
ne had gone to buy some jewels that
one OF the native princes wanted to sell.
Knew Inoia, and knew the princes. /
acted IS gobetween and got the Jew
ais for Trent at forty per cent. off. He
made me q present of that forty Der
cent. as commission, and from that time
IN one way or another I was his agent.
understood gems as well as he did, and
mat Is saying good deal, and / was
often able to do things and to make bar.
gains that would have been impossible
Tor him. No one knew of our relation
shat would have spoiled my usefulness
puf ! put him in the way of many n
good thing. and he always paid me well
Tor It No; Harry Trent and were the