The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-10-16

man and ass shelby Fowler
From that day Shelby Fowlcr's en-.
rccr was one oi uninterrupted prosper
u.s.. Within the year ho became a part.
uer The same miraculous fortune fol.
lowed other ventures later He was
mill owner. mine owner bank director
"a millionaire! lie was popular, the
reputation of his brief achievement
over the desperate kept him secure
from the attacks Of envy and rivalry
He never was confronted by the real
Fowler There was no danger OF ex-
posture By othcrs-thc one custodian OF
his secret. Tom Flynn. died I'm Nevada
the year following. lie had quite for
gotten his youthful past. and even the
more recent lucky portmanteau; re-
membered nothing perhaps, but tho
pretty face of the dagueweotype that
/ had fascinated him. There seemed TO
| be no reason why he should not live
and die as shelby Fowler.
His business a year later took him
TO Europe lie was entering a train at
one Of the great railway stations OF
London, when the porter, who had just
! deposited his portmanteau in a COM
partment, reappcared at the window,
followed by a young lady in mourn
/ ing.
BEG pardon, sir. but I handed you
the wrong portmanteau. That belongs
TO this lady. This is yours"
Flint glanced at the portmanteau on
the seat before him. 1t certainly was
not his, although it bore the initials
&C. F. lie was mechanically handing
it back to the porter. when his eyes
fell on the young lady's face. 1t was
the face Of the daguerreotype.
Il beg pardon" he stammered "but
are those your initials?"
She hesitated perhaps it was the alb
ruptness Of the question, but he saw
she was confused.
mo. A friends"
She disappeared into another car
rage, but from that moment Harry
Flint knew that he had no other aim
in life than to follow the clew and the
beautiful girl who dropped it. He
and discovered that she was going to
New York On their arrival he was
ready on the platform to respectfully
assist her. 4 few words disclosed the
fact that she was a fellow country
woman, although residing in England,
and at present on her way to join
some friends at Harrogate. Her name
was West. At the mention of this he
again fancied that she looked dis
turbed
They met again and again; the infOr-
mality Of his introduction was over
looked by his friends, is his assumed
name was already respectfully and re-
sponsibly known beyond California. He
thought no more of his future. He was
in love. He even dared to think it
might be returned; but he felt he had
no right to seek that knowledge until
he had told her his real name and how
he came to assume anOther's He did
so alone-scarcely a month after their
first meeting. To his alarm, she bu- st
into a flood Of tears, and showed an
!
apparent cause When she had partly
recovered, she said, in a frightened
voice:
You are bearing my brothers name.
But it was Il name that the unhappy
, boy had so shamefully disgraced in
=, Australia that he abandoned it, and,
as he lay upon his deathbed the last
4 act of his wasted life was to write an
imploring letter begging me to change
! mine, too. For the infamous companion
Of his crime, who had first tempted,
: then betrayed him, had possession of
=. all his papers and letters, many of them
e from me, and was threatening TO bring
them to our Virginia home and expose
I him to our neighbOrs. Maddened by
d desperation the miserable boy twice at
+ tempted the life Of the scoundrel, and
Il might have added that of blood-guiIt.
t mess to his other sins had he lived. /
G did change my name to my mothers
o maiden one left the country and have
II lived here to escape the revelations OF
v that desperate should he fulfil his
Il threat"
d In a fash of recollection Flint re
II membered the startled look that hat
e. come into his assailant's eye after the!
Il, had clinched, 1t was the same MAJ
10 who had too late realized that his an
" tagonist was not Fowler.
THANK God! you are forever SAT-
from any exposure from that man,
r. he said gravely, "and the name o
or Fowler has never been known in Sal