The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-13
Tie :: 3paDish = l7sasq'e'
u--p@n---p
NOVEL.
1y 00rs. elizabeth G. &)inter:
y. A NOVEL.
1p Mrs. elizabeth G. Winter.
rcopyrght 1892 and 1893. By ROBERT BoNSrR's SeNsJ
isabella Castelar,

for the present on account of your re.
cent bereavement-poor boy?'
"You are a trump, Olive" ex-
claimed Stanley. "I begin to think I
shall end by falling in love with you,
my dear. You really are worth a
dozen of the ordinary sort of women!'
"Oh, thanks!" exclaimed Miss Gaye,
with slight flush, half-pleased, half
angry. "But that isn't much of a
compliment. Now, I want you to ex-
plain to me once more the secret OF
the cryptograph, and also to 60 over,
in detail, every point of the Mendoza
story, in so far as it has any bearing
Whatever on this concealed treasure. "
Stanley gave hurried glance about
the room and then toward the door,
which was closed, but not locked.
Olive rose and, with low, gurgling
laugh, like that of playful child,
locked the door.
"Just to satisfy your suspicious
mind, DEAR" she said, coming back to
her chair that was drawn up close be-
side him. "It is quite unnecessary, for
we are alone in the house; evan the
servants are out, and my uncle and his
family will notreturn before midnight.
arranged this tete-a-tete on purpose,
that we might suffer no interruption. "
He drew from his pocketbook-the
same old one, marked with the arms
of the Windermere family, that he had
carried for go many years-all the
papersrelating to the cryptograph, both
the original parchment and the various
translations and cuttings of the separ-
ate pieces of the picture forming the
figure of the Indian princess.
These he spread out on the table,
and for hours this man and the girl
who had determined to be his wife
pored over the mysterious script,
studying it word for word, letter by
letter, and finding many new and hid
den meanings in it, until both felt
that it was engraved on heart and
brain forever.
It was late when they ceased topore
over the secret of the cryptograph, but
both felt that they thoroughly
understood it, and each longed for the
hour when he or she could set out in
search for the hidden treasure.
She accompanied her lover to the
door, and as she raised her face to his
for the goodnight kiss, which he
pressed with all lovers fervor on
her small red mouth, a great, old
fashioned clock in the upper hall
struck the hour in deep, sonorous
peals of sound. ..
''Eleven o'clock, Clarence. I had
no thought it was $50 late. Uncle
Gaye and the girls will soon be here:
Goodnight, goodnight, dear boy; but
come very early in the morning.
There is much to be arranged yet,
and then we,will appoint where and
when to meet Bertha in the even
ing"
She hastily closed the door as her
lover turned to wave his hand in
adieu; and then she drew sigh Of
mingled relief, pain and anger.
81 love that mani" she muttered to
herself; "but thst won't last, because
I hate him, too. Heigh-ho! I wonder,
as the French say, if the game is worth
the candle. But it is too late now for
moralizing, and fate will help me
through, asusual."
"Iou are early, DEAR" said Miss
Gaye to Lord Clarence, when, on the
following morning, she ran down stairs
to meet him. "Come here! Let me look
at you. As I live, I don't believe you
have read the news this morning,
Clarence.
"Well, I have not," said Stanley,
carelessly. ''There is nothing that
can happen of any particular interest
to me any more. Or is there? What
has happened? Anything that con-
Germs me, isit?"
"Read and Judge for YOURSELF" said
Olive; and, taking asiip of paper from
her corsage-a slip she had carefully
cut from the morning news-she
placed it in Stanley's hand.
And this was the startling announce
ment that met his eyes:
SECOND ACT IN THE DRAMA.
"The attempt at tragedy begun
two days ago in the house of Baron
Won Helmholtz was, last night, sue
cessfully carried out. j. The beautiful
young baroness was found, at about
eleven o'clock, dead, lying on loung
in her room. The baron, who hat
just entered, was the one to make tn
discovery; and Notwithstanding tn
madness of his grief, he has 80 fai
controlled it as to give valuable sug-
gestions to the police in regard to this
most terrible tragedy. The young
countess. it appears, had been married
before, to Spanish adventllrer who
had treated her vilely, and who was
supposed to have been killed,
years ago, in a quarrel at o
gaming table; but only a fort
night since, or thereabouts, the
baron received anonymous intelligence
of the temperance Of the first hus-
band, whose name was Carlos Men
doza. The baroness was murdered
by means of long, slender dagger
driven through the heart, and which
had been left in the fatal wound by
the murderer-who had probably fed
in trepidation at some approaching
southland this dagger, taken posses
sion of Immediately by the police,
bears on its blade the name Of Carlos
Mendoza the letters deeply engraved
in the steel" =