The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-01-31
CHAPTER XII.A
CONTINUED

door clOSeu after the pToiessoi' tno
Hon. Clarence stretched his arms
above his head, yawned copiously and
dropped into chair.
"This hypnotizing business IS ex-
hausting work." he said; eff this is
how Van used to feel, 1 can under
stand his need of stimulant. Poor
old Van! He's just about crazy on
the subject, and what an awful bore If
one didn't choke linn off from time to
time. But ithas been a good day.
The Mendoza treasure secret un-
earthed and several valuable hints as
to how I may be able to gain some
occult power over that Spanish girl.
What q fine creature she is-a new
type of woman altogether; but l must
be careful how I let myself get too
much interested in her. 1t needs no
Professor Van Tassel to point out that
danger. I've seen other men in love,
and they are warning to me. Have
I, by chance, the capacity within me
to bs really in love with any woman?
7 think not. But all the same, Clar-
ence, my lad, I shall hold your fancies
we'll in hand when you are in the
presence of the Senorita Dolores
Mendoza"
Stanley mad been hurriedly dressing
as he thought and occasionally per
mitted his thoughts to run into words;
and row as he paused before the
largest mirror in his room, to put the
finishing touches to his toilet, he was
hugely pleased with himself, end
more than conscious of his own phys
ical advantages. Like great many
men of his kind, he thought himself
rather good fellow than otherwise;
and if severe judge of character had
told him plumply that he possessed
all the qualifications for complete
scoundreI, and had used his natural
capacities in that line to great advan-
tage, he would have been sincerely
surprised. AS he now gazed at the
reflection of his own well-featured
and fuely colorod countenance, he
smiled complacently and felt how
natural it was that he should always
have been so great favorite with
women of all conditions and ages.
1t was his face as it now looked with
which he was familiar, and he woald
have been almost as much surprised
as Polly Hamilton could he have seen
it at times when his mind was bent on
acquiring money or at moments when
other evil tendencies were entirely in
the ascendant.
"Well, I have a good many irons in
the fire just now," he thought, ''and
between the lot I must certainly be
able to smooth out the various little
crumples and rumples that beset my
career in life. If the Mendoza treas
ure turns out to be myth, the earl
dom of Windermere and fat rent-roll
aren't such bad lookout, and may
yet be mine; and if all else fails, there
is always Polly-dear, charming little
Polly"
And whistling an air from the opera
Polly Hamilton's favorite alr-Mr.
Clarence Stanley at last turned from
the mirror, glanced about the room to
be quite sure that all drawers had been
carefully locked, and with light step
went forth in search of dinner. Hav-
ing dined, Stanley wandered about
aimlessly, dropped into one or two
theatres, not being sufficiently inter-
ested to know what the play had been
about when he came out; and at last,
being in the neighborhood of his hotel,
I, 10 1>,c o,1 30
bed. In the morning, he found him
self somewhat despondent and in
clined 10 take himself to task for vast
ing time on anything so chimerical as
the Mendoza treasure; quest which,
as he very we'll knew, had brought
only loss, despair and death to many
q member of his family.
''Am l." he questioned, "behaving
like fool thus to be hazarding the
substance for the shadow? There is
pretty Polly Hamilton, with all her
fathers millions, waiting to drop into
my arms, and all that have to do is
simply to open them. Wouldn't it be
the part of wisdom and good common
sense to 60 to see Polly; and, well,
perhaps, hold out my arms?"
And full of these thoughts, which
showed an uncommon degree of vacil-
lation on the part of Clarence Stanley,
he betook himself toward the home of
the Hamiltons at an unusually early
hour that afternoon. But, almost un-
consciously to himself, there was in
his mind the thought that he would
see Dolores, and perhaps obtain the
hearing of that mysterious manuscript,
the story of which would, he fancied,
shed light on much that was still OBJ
scure TO him in the history of his own
family. And fate itself seemed to de-
clare in his favor on this day; for Polly
met him, radiant with delight at his
arrival, and triumphant in the knowl-
edge that Dolores had promised to
read the manuscript within that very
hour il he sh ould come.
"She declared you were coming"
said Polly, ''and believe she's
witch-.e lovely, fascinating witch
fer everything she says comes to pass.
She has gone to her room now, to get
the papers, because she said she felt
that you were coming. Now, Clarence,
how in the world should she have
known that, when even I, who have
known YOU SO well and for so long
time, couldn't be quite sure of it?" .
"But you ought to have known,
Polly" said Clarence, with world of
meaning in his large, dark eyes that
were now gazing deep into the frank
and innocent eyes of Mary Hamilton,