Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-09-14


sentimental pity expressed for the poor
little Annie, who was thus cast upon
The cold charities Of the world. but
the interest in the matter soon died out;
IL was only the sensation Of few days,
and II gave place TO later and more ex-
citing events. Thus the fate OF Annie
Dupont became shrouded In mystery
| The chances arc, however, that the
poor child died long ago-perhaps in
infancy"
And was this mere newspaper story
the only intimation Mrs Dunltirk ever
received that she had such relative rs
Annie Dupont?"
ut was positively the only founda-
ton for that belief; yet she was willing
and eager 10 credit &C. Tho fancy used
90 rccur tp her mind continually, with
out anything Mt all TO justify IT, She
was almost childish In the way she
nltcrnatcd between the doubt and the
belief"
"a very mysterious case commented
North, with a pcrplcxcd frown. "And
now let me inquire, Mrs. Maynard, had
DR.. DunlSirs any near rcatives?"
mot In this country. His family,
You know, were English"
"llad he any property
"Nonc whatever"
"Thcn all this great wealth OF Mrs.
DunldrlS's was inherited from her
father"
ENTIRELY from him"
"Thc heirs, II any there be, must all
be on the Dupont side?"
$50 | imagine"
There are no heirs on that side?"
"Nonc"
"unloss Annie Dupont is discov-
crcd?"
ooh, certainly That is always grant
ed. Mr.. NORTH
"ilpw soon after Hamilton Duponts
death did Mrs. DunlSirk commence her
search for Annie?"
at must have been at least ten years
before she made any effort TO trace the
child"
"Shc did not advertise nor resort TO
any very public measures
"'rhc search was conducted in very
quiet way, though She spent a great
deal Of money and employed the most
sltillful detectives"
And all 10 no purpose
"No trace Of the child was ever dis
covered"
FINALLY. Mrs. Dunl;irls herself be-
| came convinced that there was no such
| person in cxistcnce?"
"As | said, Mr.. North. her mind wav-
cred between the two opinions. She told
me shortly, before my marriage, that
she had quite lost faith in that old
rumor about her niece and yet IL re-
turned 10 her nftcrwnrd and led 10 the
destruction Of her will four months be-
fore her death"
well Mrs. Maynard said North,
with an air Of firm conviction, lone of
two things is certain. Either there is
not and never has been any such per-
son as Annie Dupont in existence,
which Is to my notion far the more
| plausible theory, or there are persons
who are interested in keeping from the
world all knowledge OF her where
abouts. In either case, we need not APP
prchCnd the final defeat of our plans,
through her"
"Do you think SOP" The question was
uttered listlcssly without any appear
aucc Of interest or citation. She did not
oven glance ut him Us she spoke.
81 an convinced Of IT," he reiterated,
looking ut her in mild surprise. 1t is
my firm belief that u Annie Dupont is
living to-day, she Is as profoundly igno-
rant Of her own true identity and of her
right to this fortune as we Ourselves
nyc Of her present whereabouts. Now
Il nppcars, Mrs, Maynard" he went on
with another abrupt change Of subject
and manner, THAT you had no claim
upon Mrs, DuulSirl, except, indeed, that
of friendship, which she acknowledge
hcre?"
lie took up Mrs. Dunliirk's letter,
which had lain all this time unnotiecd
on the table at his elbow, and, unfold.
ing the thin blue paper, he glanced at
II spcculativcly,
THAT was my only claim, yet she
seemed 10 consider it sufficient, Thi.
may be merely my own mistaken inter
probation Of her words, however Nha'
opinion have you formed, Mr. North, n
10 the value Of this letter us evidence II
our cnsc?'
North preserved a meditativc silence
for few moments; then he answered
slowly:
aHHaUnH UHNHu.