Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-04-26
THE SALTING OF THE ESPERANZA.
A Long-Delayed Revenge.

Mining men, assayers and the like
will deride and hoot at you if you
mildly hint to them that theirs is a
very romantic" business, with its big
chances pro and con, its lack of cut
and-driedness, and SO on. And they
may be in the right, for all one knows.
But there was one case wherein TO-
nance, mining and assaying made q
very homogeneous mix-that of the
great "Esperanza Gold Mines, Linn
ited," in which the principal actors
were Mr.. John Simpson, assayer and
ore buyer, and Richard Hadley Benton,
M. p, representing an English bor-
ough and something like quarter of
a million pounds sterling, which. on
his sav-so, was invested in the "iIs-
peranza.
The thing had its commencement
many years ago in England, and, as q
matter of course, is traceable to a
woman. But, strange to say, this
woman was worthy of having things
happen on her account. She was love-
iy Aileen Butler, the Irish beauty, who
took London by storm the very year
that young Duncan Dudley and his
chum, Hadley- Benton, left Oxford.
And with Miss Butler both these
young men proceeded to fall violently
in love, upon first sight of her. Th 8
in spite of the fact that far older and
richer men were already at her feet,
and she could even have married a
rich and gonty old duke, had she so
desired. But Miss Butler did not so
desire, and, in truly Irish fashion, took
no pains to hide her preference for
Dudley, who was merely the third son
of poverty stricken Scotch peer, and
as thorough detrimental as one could
find in days travel.
No wonder that the girls family
swore, stormed and wept, respectively;
even Hadley-Benton, with his rich min
ing and broking father, would have
been more desirable parti. But, no;
headstrong Miss Butler would have
none of him, none OF the nasal Yankee
millionaire who was hunting "a wife
from the nobility none of the gouty
old duke. In short, she would marry
the poverty stricken Duncan Dudley,
and no one else. She did not care
whether he had money, prospects, o
profession or not; she loved him, and
proposed to marry him. Which, in
spite of tears, prayers and profanity,
settled the matter. Miss Butler, in
spite of her beauty, had will and a
mind of her own, and there was no use
whatever in disputing her.
Wherefore reluctant consents were
won, reluctant blessings were said,
the engagement was announced, the
marriage was arranged to take place
within two months, and the Hon. Dun
can and his beautiful fancee were as
happy as the day is long. The saying
that "true love never does run smooth"
seemed to be disproved in their case,
perhaps would have remained dis
proved but for Mr.. Richard Hadley-
Benton.
Hadley- Benton had been Dudley's 8
greatest friend, both at Rugby and Ok
ford. They had for years been insep-
arabic, and were known at Oxford as
Damon and Pythias. Nothing but a
woman could have come between them,
and this is just what woman did.
For, two days before accepting Dud-
ley, Miss Butler had somewhat con-
temptuously refused Hadley Benton's 8
hand and large fortune. For which
refusal Hadley Benton inconsistently
blamed Dudley, instead of Miss But
ler. Erstwhile friendship on his part
turned to bitter envy and hate, and
the rejected suitor quietly promised
himself revenge when the chance
came.
OF all this the Hon. Duncan knew
nothing and suspected less. He was
busy applying for and receiving dip
lomatic nder-appointm at Paris,
which would enable him to marry and
.henceforth support his wife in at
least comparative luxury. That his
Damon of so many years was now his
secret enemy he would never have be-
lieved, their friendship seemed as
strong as ever, and the two were quite
as inseparable as of yore, even travel
ing together to Paris when the ext
gencies of Dudley's new appointment
demanded the trip.
And this is where Hadley- Benton s
prayed-for opportunity presented it.
self. For, while in Paris, secure in
his present happiness and soon to- be
welded bliss, the Hon. Duncan pro-
ceeded to indulge himself in partic
ularly foolish though brief Irritation
with handsome American woman.
1t ended asssuddenly as it began, how
ever, for the lady was a little too much
for even Duncan, who soon beat 6
rapid and not too dignifed retreat
from gay Paris, still companioned by
his faithful Damon, and the incident
was by him considered as closed.
To exultant Hadley- Benton 'inci
dents" were just beginning, however
and within four hours after his return
to London, Miss Butler and Miss But
ler's father knew all about the Paris
adventures incident" Hadley- Ben
ton had 'deemed it his duty" to i'm
part full details, and Miss Butler,
father had thanked him for so doing
A brief interview followed; some in
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