The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-03-14

ignorant even of the existence
of that mysterious document.
Had she known Of the secret
hiding-place in the miniature, she
would never have allowed it to go out
OF her possession.
In her candid face, that was incapa-
BILE of serving as the mask for du-
plicity, he saw not the faintest trace
of any knowledge of the cryptograph,
but the reading of the old story OF her
race, familiar though, it had been to
her for years, had affected her power
fully; and when she raised her eyes
at the concluding word and fixed their
gaze on Clarence Stanley there was. in
their expression a searching Intensity
that thrilled, him as ne had never yet
been thrilled by the look Of any wom-
an. Dolores was not aware of this
look. but in her mind was dim, IN
formed desire to warn this man, whose
happiness was so dear to Polly Hamil-
ton, of a danger that might at some
time overtake him with the inevitable
retribution of eternal justice, as it
had overtaken his prototype; and she
would have been shocked and horrl-
fed could she have known the inter
pretation, 60 fattering to his own
wishes, that Stanley chose to put on
that look from her deep, dark, lumln-
Gus eyes.
As for Polly Hamilton, although she
declared that tho Mendoza Legend
was just as interesting as a printed
story. her mind had been wholly
given up to the, happy thought that
she was the betrothed wife OF the
man she loved and that blissful idea
colored everything she heard or saw
with its own rosy glow.
.'Well, he was not pleasant per-
son, that ancestor of yours, Clar-
euce," she said. And as Stanley turned
toward her. she met the triumphant
fire of his glance, and naturally
enough read in it the ardor OF his love
for herself--and she colored deeply
with answering love and happiness.
The blush recalled to Stanley what
he had already forgotten; and he
thought with visible impatience:
what a fool I have been to en-
tangle myself, worse than I already
was, with Polly Hamilton. 1 can win
this beautiful Dolores-women are all
alike; and with her and the Mendoza
treasure F shall be second Monte
Cristo.''
But to Polly it seemed as if her last
words had unwittingly offended her
lover; and she hastened to add:
"But it is SO long ago, Clarence,
that it doesn't matter. Fancy being
able to trace ones ancestry back for
fou- hundred years! Although that
is nothing for you, for I suppose the
Windermere ancestry is still Older"
"That goes back to the Norman
Conquest, of course-but then the
Mendozas were centuries old-in noble
descent before Columbus was born.
If that is anything to, be congratulated
on, the family on both sides is ex-
tremely ancient"
"Well, don't know thatit is," said
republican Mary Hamilton. '':One
must have had many queer ancestors
in eight or ten centuries. And if we
inherit mental peculiarities, as we do
physical characteristics, it is no won
der that you and Rita should be unlike
other people"
cam I 80 unlike other people,
| pol1vo Tn what wav2o
"Just in being handsomer and
more delightful than any other man in
the world!'' exclaimed Polly, for the
moment forgetting that they we're not
alone. 49,
But this open admiration, coupled
with manner of having entire pos
session of him, did not suit Clarence
Stanley at all. And he shrugged his
shoulders with q disdainful GOODNESS
that caused the frank and outspoken
girl feeling of keen chsgrin. ~
"I have shocked him!" she thought.
"Oh, dear, if he shoald think me for.
ward or unwomanIy-what shall I do?
I forgot"
She turned in confusion toward
Dolores. =
"Why don't you ask me in what way
you are unlike other people, Rita?'
she said hurriedly.
Because I know what you would
say" said Dolores, gently. ''Your
loving heart sees only goodness and
grace and beauty in all your friends,
and you are frank enough to tellthem
so, even to their faces-I know you of
old, dear" :.
Mary Hamilton thanked her with a
quick glance of gratitude.
"Of course, I would have hattered
you in just the same way that I did
Mr.. Stanley" and she looked toward
him with a comic emphasis on his
name. But besides being lovelier
and sweeter than any other woman in
the world, Rita, you seem to have in
herited other peculiarities from that
Indian princess or, perhaps, from the
little Dolores whose name you bear. !"
"Yes, I have" answered Dolores,
promptly. "I have always felt as if
that girl-the child grown to woman
hood-had hovered about me in split
as a guardian-apgel."
what q pretty idea!" said Polly.
st am glad you put it that way. Twas
half prepared. to have you inform US
that you were the re-incarnation of the
Srst Dolores Mendoza.
II have no such unlikely beliefs, I"
said Dolores, gravely.
But I don't know why I may not
be a reproduction of that Dolores, q
| trne aesnendant desipned by fate to