Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-05-16
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THE SAI11NG OF THE ESPERANZA.
A Long-Delayed Revenge.

mildly hintito' them that theirs is Q
very romantic" business, with its big
chances pro and con, its. lack of cut.
and-driedness, and so on. And they
may be in-the right, for all one knows.
But there was one case wherein, ro-
nance, mining and assai;::lg made a
very homogeneous mix-that of the
great tEsperanza God Mines, Linn,
ited, In which the principal actors
were. Mr.. John Simpson, assayer and
ore buyeE and Richard Hadley- Benton,
M. P.S representing an English bor.
oughfand something like q quart er oi
q rnilEonspounds sterling, which, on
hislsay-so, was Invested in the .sEs.
peranza" g ~
SThe thing had its commencement
many years ago in England, aud, rs a
matter of course, is traceable to q
woman. But, strange to say this
woman was worthy of having things
happen on her account. She was love-
5ly Aileen Butler. the Irish beauty, who
took Lon aoulbysstorns theayery year
that young ID Duncan Dudl y and his
chum, Hadley- Benton, left Oxford
And with Miss Butler both these
Young men proceeded to fall violently
in love, upon first sight of her. Th S
in spite OF the fact that far older and
richer men were already at her feet,
and she could even have married q
rich and gouty Old duke, had she so
desired. But Miss Butler did not so
desire, and, in truly irish fashion, took
no pains to hide her preference for
Dudley, who was merely the third son
of porerty-stricken Scotch peer, and
as thorough detrimental as one could
lind in days trarel.
/. No wonder that Athe girls family
swore, stormed and wept, respectively;
even Hadley-Benton, with his rich min
ing and lbroking father, would have
.beenya.more-desirable parti.- But,no;
headstrong Miss Butler would have
aone of him, none of the nasal Yankee
5miifionaire who was hunting "a wife
IRON the nobility" none of the gouty
old duke. In short, she would marry
the poverty stricken Duncan Dudley,
and no one else. She did not care
whether he had money, prospe its, q
profession or not; she loved him, and
proposed to marry him. Which, in
spite Of tears, prayers and profanity,
settled the matter. Miss Butler, in
spite ofher beauty, had o. will and a
smi1dsof her Sowns and sthare,was no.nse
whatever In disputins her.; Il q y ;g /; !
Wherefore reluctant consents were
won. reluctant blessings were said,
u hs engagement was announced, the
marriage was arranged to take place
withinstwo months, and the Hon. Dun-
cam and his beautiful >fancee were MS
happy as the day is long. The saying
that atEue love never doesrun smooth.
seemed to be disproved in their case,
perhaps would have remained dis
proyedssbut for Mr.. Richard 'Hadley-
Benton.
-Hadiey-B Benton had,ibeens Dudley's
greatest friend, both at Rugby and Ok
ford They had for years been insep-
s,arable, ,sand were known at Oxford.as
Damon and Pythias. Nothing but a
woman could have come between them,
and this is just what woman did.
For, two days before accepting Dud-
ley, Miss Butler had somewhat con-
temptuously refused Hadley- -Benton's
hand and large fortune. For which
refusal Hadley- Benton inconsistently
blamed Dudley, instead of Miss But
/. Ter. SErstwhiie friendship on hispart
turned to bitter envy and hate, and
thereiected suitor quietly promised
himself revenge when the chance
came.
OF all this the Hon. Duncan knew
nothing and suspected less. He was
busy applying for and receiving a dip
lomatic under-appointment at Paris,
which would enable him to marry and
. thenceforth~ support his wife in at
least comparative luxury. That his
QDamolFofqsomany years wasynowhis
secret enemy he would never have be-
ElieSed, their friendship seemed as
& strong as ever, and the two were quite
as inseparable assof yore, even travel
ing together to Paris when the exi.
e'geneies OF Dudley's new appointment
81 demanded the trip.
And this is where Hadley-Benton
: prayed for opportunity presented it,
) Asselts Fol-, whilsin Paris, secure in
4 his present happiness and soon to- be
!: wedd led bliss, tie Hon. Duncan pro-
! ceeded to indulge himself in partic-
4 ularly foolish thoughsbrief Irritation
! with;a handsome American woman.
tended as suddenly as it began, how
ever, for the lady was little too much
!. forever Duncan, who soon beat n
rapid and mot too dignified retreat
from. gay Paris, still companioned by
Ibis faithful Damon, and the incident"
was by him considered as closed.
TO exultant Hadley Benton 'inci-
dents were Just beginning. however,
Z and within four rShonrs after his return
fo London, Miss Butler and Miss But
!: ler's father knew all about the Paris
I; iadyenturess ssineident. - Hadley- Ben
ton had deemed il his duty" to I'M
part full details, and Miss Buffers
father had thanked him for SO doing.
Abrief interview followed; some lin
consequent and rather pitiful excuses
were made by Dudley, but what excuse
avails in such cases, when offered to a
faithful and, single-minded girl? Mr..
Duncan; Dudley's ring was returned,
few cold, singing words were spoken
to him by his ex- x-fsncee,. an Insult. or
two offered by, her father, and then the
Hon. Duncan was shown ceremonious-
,ly, to. the door. Added, to all of which,
I he next day had the haPpipe Of hear
/ Ing. that his ex.chnm and present un-
! doer, Hadley- Benton, lad again pro-
/ posed to Miss Butler-this time sue
!. cess.ulIy. The marriage, said the So
ciety papers, would take place within
,30fdaye. s,s
From this time commences the
downfall of the Hon. Duncan Dudley.
/ No man'sd downfall was over Amore ar
! tistical,y complete and finished. He