The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-11-01

| mad discovered IN some way powerful
drug, which, given continuously and
| Systematically, gradually softened TN,
brain and destroyed the intellect. Tn,
| mysterious seclusion and secrecy Will
which the whole thing was managed
and the sudden development of Grenet
as physician naturally created GOSSIP
about the hotel and in fact throughou,
the city. Grenet claimed that Mi
Staunton's accident had resulted in .
violent case OF fever.
AT the expiration of six weeks ST.,
was said TO be convalescenT. One marvel
ously lovely day in late September, Is !
was standing upon the upper veranda
OF the hotel looking ont over the sea OF
mountains which lay before me AID
| drinking IL the beauty Of the scene, ]
heard a sad and plaiHtiye voice utter
my name. Turning around, l saw be
! fore me Virgie SJaUrton. Yes, it was
Virgie, but, Oh, how changed, Drag
ging her weary limbs along with pain
full effort, she approached me and ex
| tended her emaciated hand.
LAS I looked into her face she tried
To force u smile, but the attempt died
away on her colorless lips. In the once
,
filter which at times assumed u mani
acal expression. Dropping heavily into
proffered chair, she essayed to talk, bat
her conversation was rambling and dis
jointed. Her mind seemed seriously i'm
paired In few minutes Mrs. StauntOn
appeared, and shortly afterward Gre
net joined us In his villainous blaze.
eyes / thought there cleaned tr;-
umphant smile as he dotted his hat and
exclaimed: Bon jour, mesdames Ct
messieur! / hope Eat me leetle patient
ees ware well dis morning.
Mrs. StauntOn took this occasion to
inform me that upon her daughter
complete recovery she would become
ViscoUntsss GrCnet. Somehow my mind
seemed prepared fC- the statement, and
was not III the least surprised Til.
singular man had become completely
dominant over the mind and action Of
the mother, and the daughter had
seemingly lost all viii OF her own. Ii
"a few days Mrs. Staunton left for the
north, her object being to purchase Viz
ginia'S trOuSsCau. 1t was well under
stood that an international marriage
would take place upon her return. IS
soon as she had gone the Frenchmau,
possibly fearing some unexpected de
nouement, urged the performance of
hurried ceremony, to which the poor
girl, iii her enfeebled state of mind, Of
fered no resistance, and he spirited her
away.
1.-The marriage was performed in Sc
cret, only priest and the necessary wit
nesses being present. The couple had
been gone SO hours before they We're
missed. The vulgar precipitation of the
ceremony, its profound secrecy and the
clandestine departure very naturally
aroused suspicious of foul play, and
more speculation was INDUCED i'll By
the guests of the hotel. Inquiry was
made, and it was found that Grenet had
at different times obtained very power
full and mischievous drugs at certain
pharmacy. these drugs could not pos
sibly have been used for any good pur-
pose in Virginia Staunton' case.
1.-The discovery of the fact that such
medicines We're i'll the Frenchman's pos
session Immediately explained to me
the cause of Virgie's alteration of mind.
L had been fool enough TO think it due
TO the violence of her fall from the run
ming horse and the fever which was
The scoundrel's scheme
now became quite apparent. Finding it
to win the girl by fair
means, he had resorted to foul Con
irving to bring about the accident
which stunned her, he imposed upon
the mother the belief that he was a ma
val surgeon and thus secured the oppor.
tnnity of administering his poisons |
The whole thing was now clear to me |
Why had been so confoundedly stupid |
not to see it before?
Immediate wires TO Mrs Stauntou |
III New York city and Philadelphia |
brought no response. Valuable time was
being lost, and Vicomte de Grenet was |
speeding OH with his help |
less victim TO nobody knew where. |
Three days after the comte's departure |
news came that Mrs. Staunton had been |
found dead in her berth between Wash |
ington and Philadelphia, cause OF death |
supposed TO be an overdose of morphine. |
The body of the i'll fated woman was
held awaiting directions. The suspicion |
Of murder was now added to that Of |
and abduction, and the case
Was Immediately put into the hands of
the authorities. Knowing the Stauntons
Is we'll rs l did and being aware that
the only relatives of the family Were
very distant ones, living somewhere i'll
the far northwest. 1 felt it my duty 10
20 north and superintend the funeral
rites of the dead woman. You may well
suppose that it was with sad heart and
many self reproaches that looked upon
the cold face of my kind and good
4 70 hot nv, LII
stupidity and Inactivity 1 was i'll a way
for her death. 1 resolved
hen and there TO rescue her innocent
laughter and hound the villain down,
cost what it might.
THE purpose of that resolve remains
Years have elapsed
since Vicomte de Grenet absconded frCr.
carrying with him an imbe-
lie girl whose intellect he had willful-
Y destroyed. The villain is still at large
i