The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-20

vanni. First he engages himself to
Lady Constance Moray; then to your
friend, Polly Hamilton, whom he
would certainly have thrown over fcs
you, if you had been willing. But
that is the way with men, my dear.
They are all like that, with a few ex-
ceptions, of course, which only prove
the rule. But was there anything
else about this fascinating Clarence,
apart from his fckleness, that was
particularly wrong?"
"Oh, he was all wrong-everything
about himl" Dolores began, impetu.
ously.
And then,. remembering Polly, she
shut her lips firmly, resolved not to
speak another word on the distressing
subject until she could give it all most
careful consideration in the solitude
of her own thoughts. And what q
horrible complication, aided now by
the new light that Van Tassel had
shed on Stanley, the whole affair had
becomeI How her heart ached for
Pollyl And she felt disloyal toward
her that she was obliged, even tenn,
porarily, to seem her rival. That, at
least, she could explain to Mrs. Trav.
ers, and she said quickly:
'tBut I must not let you suppose
that I was the rival Of dear Polly
Hamilton. It was not 80, as I as
sured her, and as Ifervently hope she
is now quite convinced. If that man
was ever capable Of loving any won-
an, he was in love with Polly But
the passion of his life was gold. He,
knew from the first that l was the
direct and only true heir of the great
Mendoza treasure, and he was simply
insane on that subject. He has pur-
sued 1t all his life, and IN me he saw
his ruling idea embodied. When he
no longer sees me, his love will revert
again to the buried treasure, and his
allegiance to Polly, such a. it is, will
be as loyal as before he ever saw me-"
Glow strange, Doloresl" answered
Mrs. Travers. "And there may be
something in what you say. The
Stanley family is mixed up in relation
ship with a Spanish family of your
name, and so is Lord Harold Moray.
Strange that I never thought of it be.
fore. knew them quite well during
my stay in England, but my acquaint-
ance was more particularly with the
Moray branch of the family. When I
met Lord Harold in New York, of
course he told me of his object in
visiting the country, and that he was
coming to California to follow up a
clew which he had obtained in regard
to his missing kinsman. Of course, I
invited him when he should come this
way to be my guest, and I am in
momentary expectation of his arrival.
Jim Sing has actually gone to the
Santa Ana station to meet him, and by
this time he is on his way through the
canyon"
Dolores could not repress a slight
start of apprehension, and she said, in
visibly troubled manner:
IT am very sorry to hear this, dear;
it makes my position much more un-
pleasant. Oh, don't ask me nowl I
must think; must consider. If I am
to meet this gentleman, and he is in
search of Lord Clarence Stanley-oh,
Mrs. Travers, see that I shall have
to tell you all I know about that man
and take your advice, for Polly's sake,
as to what I ought to do"
my dear, I shall be delighted"
said Mrs. Trayers, gayly. 'If there
is anything I am most fitted for, be-
yond all other things, it is the giving
of advice. You will find that I have
mines of wisdom garnered up inside
this silly little head of mine. Even
my severe husband is complimentary
enough to soy that I ON not such a
fool as I look. But tell me, Dolores,
about this mysterious Mendoza treas
ure, of which I used to hear ages ago.
Have you no idea where it lies
buried?"
"Not in the least, except that it is
concealed somewhere in the Santiago
Canyon"
sIn the Santiago Canyonf" cried
Mrs. Travers, excitedly. "Why, this
is the Santiago Canyon, right here,
where we are now living!"
eyes, know it," replied Dolores;
1T have known it ever since I came
home with you; and somewhere in
this canyon my dear father found a
grave. Death was the only treasure
he found there, and" she added
sadly, perhaps it is the greatest of
oil treasures to those who find it.
Certainly it is if it opens the gate to
the only true life
"My dearest GIRL" said Mrs.
Travers, almost reprovingly-sh she
quite dreaded a line of thinking to
which she often thought Dolores too
much inclined, and which, to her.
seemed morbid-"you know you
promised me not to have such gloomy
thoughts. Do you know in what part
of the canyon your poor father was
buried?"
TO BE CONTINUED.