The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-07-14

sidered beyond the pale of respectable
ity. Innocent the girl was. But who
would believe her protcststions to that
effect? In the face of her. apparent
guilt no one would do II.
ITS no use crying over split milk"
said the servant 1.-THE master will be
kind and generous to you as long as he
likes you But you will have TO give
up such notion as marrying so rich a
man as he is Take my advice, and get
all you can out of him while you have
the chance. He'll soon fall in love
with somebody else ;"
Lucy's heartbroken threat to expose
her betrayer <only provoked the de-
rision of the servant
''You would very likely get locked
up for attempted discriminating. she
said. He has been too careful for
such a greenhorn as you to circumvent
him. He has never been here to see
either you or the house except after
dark. and nobody would believe you If
you said Mr.. Maynard was Mr.. Collin
son. He is supposed to have nearly
broken his heart when his wife died
and if ever anybody was looked upon
blythe world as q pattern of virtue. it is
the man whom you, a bit of shop
girl, expected to marry you. You
would only get yourself laughed at and
dcspised. So take my advice, aud don't
be fool enough to fly in the face of for
tune yet"
Even after these revelations, the
poor child could hardly believe in the
utter baseness of her betrayer. But
in her next interview with him she was
soon convinced of the fact that he
man whom she, in common with the
rest of the world. regarded as pattern
of virtue, was, in reality, a monster of
deceit and vice.
That night she escaped from her
pretty home, and from then until
saved her from self destruction she had
undergone all manner of rebuffs, dis
appointments and privations, which
were enough to drive any other modest
girl to the refuge of the wretched.
1 found temporary home for Lucy
and promised to put an end to her
troubles in some way or other. Nor did
doubt my ability to do this Lucy
believed an appeal or o threat of expos
ure to be equally vain weapons to use
against Mr.. Collinson, but 1 was more
worldly wise and more sure of success.
saw that rs yet the girl was not fit to
cope with the world, and determined
to make the Pattern of Virtue" pro-
vide for her comfort In this determi-
nation Lucy's own guileless and simple
nature aided me. Though tenacious Of
her honor she did not recoil from the
idea of compelling Mr.. Collinson to pay
for his deception, as many girl of
more vigorous mind whose feelings had
been outraged would have done
confess to feeling more than slight
ly malicious when went to interview
the great draper and clothier, who soon
found that he had much more ekpe-
ricnced woman than simple little lucy
to deal with. His dismay when l qpiet-
" laid the whole array of facts before
him and proved the strength OF my
position, was comical to witness At
first he tried to brighten mo with his
bogie reputation as . pattern of virtue.
But had several cards up my SLEEVE,
and as played them, one by ono he
realized that II were to make public
exposure of only one-half the seedy
facts had been, able, with the aid Of
nv colleagues, to rake mp against him,
tina world would know him in all h|s
carnal hideousness, and vast nums
Der OF people would take their custom
elsewhere.
Before / had done with him ! c2sr c,
WINGED him of the expediency of pe ~. ~.
ing literally for Lucy for at least'nve
years to come, and declined to b sat-
isfscd with less than three hundred lsr
annum for that period. 1t was bitter
pill for him to swallow, but he saw no
other way out of the embroglio into
which bis scoundreliy nature had
brought him. aud carried my point