Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-10-19
CHAPTER v.

A dirty, untidy lodging in an Eng
fish ylum. An unkempt man, with all
the signs of drink and dissipation
upon his low face; such was the man
and such was the surroundings of a
man whom Alan. Mackenzie used TO
visit in his beautiful estate of La Paz.
His had never been an honest, attrac-
tive face; but now there had come into
it look of such devilish cunning and
dissipation had given him such a
bloated appearance, that it was evil
dent he would soon reach the lowest
depths of degradation.
Alan Mackenzie's denunciation of
nim had been his ruin. He. had tried
10 retrieve himself, had speculated,
and had floundered deeper into the
mire. He made even Rio too hot for
him, and returned to England. Veron-
ica's disappearance meant nothing to
him. He would have got rid Of her to
the highest matrimonial bidder, that
was all. She was not his daughter,
as he had told her, only the orphan
child Of man he had ruined, and
whom he had brought up because her
beautiful mother had been the one
woman he had really cared for. But
for Veronica herself he had not the
slightest affection. She was too
quiet, too affectionate. Her mother,
who had Tilted him, had been a CO.
quette, and had thus won Hutchin-
sons love and admiration.
He was just now sitting at the cor
ner of a very dirty bed, with glass
of some spirits at his elbow. He
looked pleased with himself. $50 he
married herr" he said, and burst out
into rude laughter. "He married her
and she got drowned! Who would
have thought it of them, both so inno-
cent! Now there is only one thing to
be considered. Shall let him marry
the other, and bleed him afterwards,
or shall l stop it now? Which will
hurt him most, l wonder? I think he
loves this girl. Shall I separate
them"
He thought moment. A look of
cunning came over his face. "No," he
said, they shall get married. I will
give him six weeks, and then he shall
either bride me or be exposed"
He rubbed his hands with glee and
then pulled himself up again. "But
he isn't going to cheat me of my re-
venge!" he cried. THAT would be
nothing-a man soon forgets wom-
an. After all, 1t will be the woman
who suffers most; but he-he has beg
CARED me! He has deprived me of
my very life! He shall suffer for it.
l shall never rest until my knife is
driven into his very hearth
Hutchinson took a draught at his
glass. There's nothing left me but
this" he said-"nothing! And have
SO much-carriages and horses, and
fine living and everything going we'll.
l should have been the richest man in
Rio, the most powerful Englishman
over there. There is no need for me
to prompt my memory lest forget;
the wonder is that I did not come
across him before. Let me see, he is
such soft, he will have told this girl
all about it before. No, no! My best
plan will be to wait until after the
marriage-his second marriage! And
Veronica?
"Wel, she does not know where to
find either him or me. can drop her
for a week or two. She has more cum
ming in her than I should have
thought possible, for she never men
toned Mackenzie's name to me. I
had no idea that he knew anything
about her. 1t was the merest guess
work; but what a chance! I haven't
had a chance for more than four
years. Perhaps the luck has turned,
and the man who ruined me is des-
tined to put me on my legs again. But
no quarter! Whatever he does l shall
still take my revenge!"
Meanwhile, the object of all these
plots and plans had gone home lit
tie disturbed Alan Mackenzie could
not look unmOved at the picture of
the wreck of a mans life. He knew
that he counted for something in
Hutchinson's ruin-nay, for great
deal, Hutchinson had never been a
good man; but there had been differ
ence between the man who schemed at
La Paz, surrounded by every luxury,
and the dirty, drunken scoundrel he
had met in the streets of London.
Then, too, the mention of Veronica
disturbed him. He had never thought
so much about her as he had lately,
perhaps because he had never under
stood before what love meant. Now
in his love for Joyce, he began better
to understand the poor dead girls
feelings. He did not regret that he
had not loved her better; he rather re-
joiced that his best love should go to
Joyce. And he knew that he had al
ways been perfectly kind to her. as
he was to most women; but he knew
now what the, separation from him
must have meant to Veronica, and
how, when she was drowning even,
her one regret would be that she
chr eoo b{e foon M