The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-13
CHAPTER XVII.
CONTINUED.

lance of any sort between them might
be dangerous to our plans. I dislike
her, and have no confidence in her
airs of superiority and virtue; but she
will inevitably find out from Van Tas-
sci the whole story of your pretended
identity with Lord Clarence Stanley,
and our only safety in regard to him
lies in the fact that we are on guard
against him and we can more easily
prove him to be dangerous lunatlc
than he can prove you to be other
than the man whose name you bear. l
do not think we need to be alarmed
on this subject. But must find out
whether that Mendoza girl has left
the Hamilton family. I cannot go
there personally, for Polly dislikes
and mistrusts me, and l don't Ike
he1. To confess the truth, Lord
Clarence, I am inclined to be jealous
of her. In your inmost heart, my
dear Clarence, or what passes for that
organ, I believe that you are more
than half in love with Polly Hamilton,
and you are sorry now that you have
lost the chance of marrying her"
"What, when I have the choice OF
YOU instead?" exclaimed Stanley.
any dearest girl! How can you do
yourself such iniustice?"
Olive Gaye felt her cheek redden
angrily. There was an insolent free
dom in the mans tone which she re-
sented with suppressed but bitter fury.
"The man is not gentleman, "
she thought, mot even in outward
seeming. How could the Hamiltons
have been deceived in him all these
years? But how handsome! L sup
pose Polly was quite made about him,
and, of course, that would blind her
father and mother. But I must get
some hold on him even stronger than
my knowledge of his early life: for
when 7 have married him, it will be
as much to my interest as to his own
to preserve his secret; and, devil that
he is, he knows that as we'll as do. "
While these thoughts were passing
through the shrewd mind of Miss
Gaye, she was looking up into her
lovers face with the ingenious and
childlike smile which deceived most
men and was not wholly without effect
even in the keen eyes now observing
her; while the glowing crimson of her
cheek might we'll enough pass for the
blush of pleasure in listening to q
compliment from the lips Of the man
whom she loved.
Despite his admiration for Olive
Cages particular kind of cleverness
and her quite extraordinary execu-
tive ability, Stanley could never rid
himself of the feeling that he had been
captured and was held, like any other
captive animal, with q chain long
enough for apparent freedom, it is
true, and loose enough to make him
almost unconscious of its presence,
but when he sought to evade it he
was made to feel, in an unmistakable
manner, thut it was there.
But shall marry her" he thought
<That or the wild West and freedom
is now my only alternative; and 1 am
afraid I am spoiled for the prairies and
canyons. Too much civilization and
luxury have made the necessity for
their continuance imperative. In Or
der to possess them Imust marry her;
and when I d."
Stanley did not complete the SEN
tence; and could Miss Gaye have seen
his face at that moment, the expr3s
sion of it might have robbed the coro-
net of the prospective countess of
much of its luster.
Outside her own family, no one
knew or remotely suspected the en-
gagement of Olive to Clarence Stanley,
with the single exception of Bertha
Seton; and Miss Gaye had only taken
her friend into her confidence when
she realized the danger of not con-
fding in her. Bertha had already
ascertained all that had been required
in regard to Dolores having absented
herself suddenly, and, az it seemed,
mysteriously, from the Hamilton
family; and in that way Olive and
Stanley knew that she had never re-
turned there after her meeting with
Van Tassel. -
"They have gone to California to-
gether," said Stanley. ST feel they
have done so in quest of the Santiago
Canyon, of which he knows the To-
cality; and by this time they have
arrived there and are doubtless search
ing for the treasure"
Have patience, Clarence; they will
not find it, said Olive. "You alone
possess the secret, and as that girls
father lost his life in tie search for it,
you may be quite certain she is in no
haste to risk hers-Io-no! learn
through Bertha that she has left the
Hamiltons' for entirely different .rea-
sons-in which Polly belives, but in
which Mrs. Hamilhton does not put the
least faith. The dear mother, on the
contrary, has lost all confidence in the
wonderful Spanish senorita, in the
belief that her sudden and mysterious
Disappearance is explained by the
equally sudden and mysterious DIS
appearance of Lord Clarence Stanley
in short, Mrs. Hamilton is firmly
convinced that Polly's late sweetheart
and recently acquired sister have
eloped together"
Then they do not suspect that I
am still in New York;" said Stanley,
eagerly.
Nothing short Of meeting you face
to face would convince Mrs. Hamilton
of that fact" said Olive, in answer.
MARY does not believe that Dolores
has gone off with you; and in order to