The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-07-04
CHAPTER XXI.
A GHosTLY AvENGER.

picturesque reSlueuCe VI tute' Lao ,SAS
stands q very dilapidated, tumble
down old shanty, known as the
Mexican's hut. Whoever the Mexican
was to whom it originally belonged,
and from whom it inherits this by no
means distinctive appellation, he took
particularly good care that it should
inherit nothing else. The inside OF
the hut was as barren Of anything as
any four walls could possibly be; and
though, occasionally, a centipede'
green and glittering lizard, a scorpion,
= tarantula, or even a lurking rattler,
on voyage Of discovery from the ad-
iacent rocky hills and mountains,
might invade its solitude, there was,
as q rule, no living thing so forlorn
as to think of taking up its abode
there for any length of time. This
was, no doubt, why it seemed, not
withstanding all other disadvantages,
the very place most suited to the
purpose of an enterprising couple
who wished to explore tho canyon
with secrecy which, for some days,
they had sought in vain.
"This is the place, Olive" said
Lord Clarence Stanley to his charming
Young wife. "It is entirely off the
ordinary route; it is not more than
half mile distant from the spot; our
presence here will be totally unsus-
pected, and as the man who drove US
to the entrance of the canyon has re-
turned to Santa Ana, and supposes
that we are cranky tourists from the
East who prefer to walk rather than
ride to make our visit to the Travers
people, we shall be absolutely undls-
turbed here"
"And now, Clarence, how soon will
it be safe to set out in search OF the
hiding-place?" :,
The man consulted his watch and
declared with some surprise that it
was already five o'clock.
"Later than I thought, Olive; and
as have to carry that heavy pick-axe
and spade, perhaps we may as well
start forth now. I don't think we
shall meet any one, and the place be-
ing utterly secluded, and, to Judge by
the appearance of it, never visited, 1
can begin work at once"
"The pick and spade have rather
ghastly look" said Olive, while her
husband tied up the lunch basket and
secured the implements for his work.
"It is nightly suggestive of grave
digging, isn't it! You will need to be
careful not to turn up the buried
papa OF your sanity Dolores instead
of the other treasure. He must have
been buried somewhere about here. "
tl.Stop talking of her! You are not
fit to speak herl name, Olive" said
the man with brutal franhness.
His wife turned furious look upon
him and bit her lips hard to repress
the bitter retort that rose to them.
What was the matter with him? BE
had been strangely defiant and inde-
pendent all day. Well, she would
wait till the business in hand was
safely over, and then she would let
him know who was master. Mean
time, she would presently find n way
of administering gently and timely
rebuke.
"Well, then" she said amiably,
''let's be going; but this time I hope
there is no mistake, Carlos; this time
we are really on sure groundsl The
real Richmond this time, eh?E Five
have we slain instead of himw
"Olive," he said with an air of
serene tranquility, that his wife had
already learned to dread, "I want to
remind you once more that you have
q bad habit of forgetting my name.
It comes of your infatuation about
that dirty scamp of fellow, Carlos
Mendoza; and by the way, speaking
OF him, here is something that may
interest you"
10 drew folded newspaper from
his breast-pocket and gave it to her,
indicating particular paragraph.
He strobe through the doorway ard
out into the bright light. Olive f&-
lowed him, the paper rustling nerv-
ously in her hand; it had been too
dark within the hut to see the print
clearly, and she paused a moment
now, with the full light on the page,
and her glance roved quickly through
the paragraph which her husband
had pointed out to her:
MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY.
GRoUNDLEss SUSPICION AGAINST THE UN-
KNOWN CARLOS MENDOZA.
Baron Won Helmholtz Found Dead On His
Wife's Grave In Greenwood-Suicide-
Shot Through the Heart--A Letter
Found On His Person in Which He Con-
Jealousy OF His Beautiful Wife-Hls
Own Death. and Confession the Ex-
piation Of His Crime.
A sigh that was almost a groan of
despairing disappointment on the part
of the reader accented the conclusion
of this unexpected paragraph. The
man, who was little way ahead,
turned and looked at his wife, and see-
ing her pale, almost livid, with wide,
wild eyes, he smiled pleasantly.
"Clarence," she murnured, "then
it was not Van Tassel after all?"
Evidently not. Van was q blind
fool OF all times, and he must have
dropped the dagger there when he
made the first attempt. The baron
picked it up, and apparently knew
how and when to use it,"
Olive ground her little white teeth
together. She had forever lost the
hold she had so triumphed in possess
ing over her husband, who threw back
his head and made pretense of loos-
ening his collar button as if suddenly
relieved of an uncomfortable pressure