The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-05-11

| N<''--
tie millions at his disposal, they III
| formed me that, so far from being dis
colvaged by the first failure. they had
formed another plot by which the
right man was to be rea ched. Where.
uunn I told them about Miss Aspin.
walls unexpected visit to me, and they
agreed that | should make an effort
to bring myself into her notice. as the
plan they Lad formed necessitated my
| being introduced in some highly re-
spectacle way into the society fire.
oponted by the Cleveland millionaire.
This advice was not 10th TO follow,
for ambition was by no means dead
within me- So, after couple of weeks
spent in a Westchester town, I made
a bold move toward Great Darlington,
where. as Montelli had managed to
inform me. Miss Aspinwall had now
taken up her abode.
"Montelli. meanwhile. had found
enough to do in New York. Though,
as have before declared, knew moth
! ing then of the cruel acts be was en-
gagged in, I have reason to think now
that he wrote the note and poisoned the
bonbons that destroyed the factory
girl he found at that time attracting
! the notice Of Mr.. Degraw. He had by
this time caused himself to be engaged
as that gentleman's valet. and so had
ample opportunity to follow his mas
ter's movements and interfere in bis
plans. He also must have misled tie
Young girl at Miss Hadden'S school
into thinking she had lover in Mr.
Degraw, for that gentleman certainly
never wrote her the letter she received.
But. as l say, was in happy ignorance
Of this, and though, soon after my in
terview with Miss Aspinwall at the
station, l came to know that danger
had followed the steps of various girls
who bore my name, shut my eyes to
the suspicious now rife in my heart,
and, happy in my own innocence, went
on in the way into which I had been
forced.
1.-The life in Great Darlington yoA
know; Hilary you know. You can i'm
agine the welcome which ber pity gave
me. and, afterward, the sweet atmos-
plere created around me by her af-
lection. Unworthy as felt of it, l
nevertheless accepted it with a full
heart. 1t was so spontaneous and so
trustful. and raised me into an. atmos>
phere of luxury for which l always
pined. 1 began to be happy. But
deeper experiences awaited me. You
came; and l gave up my heart and soul
to your influence, and was so quick III
learning the story of love, that l came
near forgetting my more worldly hopes
and Only had them recalled to me by
the sudden introduction of Mr.. De-
graw. This was at a critical moment
in our lives, you remember, and you
can imagine my sensations when l
perceived, from the first look he gave
me, that / had but to smile upon him
with half the fervor 1 smiled upon you
to charm the millions from his Golfers,
and make myself, in fact, what l had
been so long in fancy-the rich and
influential Miss Rogers with some
thing beside her heart to give to the
man she loved.
For, dearest, doubt me not in this, ]
charge you. TO give you that wealth
was then my uppermost thought. No
idea Of coquetry was in my mind, nor
did his glance, ardent though it was,
arouse in me any suspicion that his
personal feelings had been touched.
only saw that he liked me and that my
hope of acquiring his wealth was good
and likely to reach fruition. l deter
mined to make myself as agreeable as
could to him, even if I must seem to
sacrifice my love for you to my interest
in the newcomer.
But, alas! did not reckon upon the
passions of men or the watchful eye of
the wicked Montelli. Mr.. Degraw's
affections became engaged, and his
valet saw it, and warned me in the in
tcrview we had at the picnic, that if /
allowed my manifest partiality for you
to show itself, he would make that par
tiality fatal. Indeed, be went so far
as to say that / must 60 on smiling
upon the millionaire or see you perish;
for this man, who had already short
ened one poor life, was not going to
let another stand in his way, when he
saw the success of his schemes threat
ened, rs he judged, by woman's silly
passion. And l was convinced that
these were no mere threats on his
part, and became greatly frightened
and took those secret measures to warn
you. which l am sure you have not
forgotten.
"Montelli added his efforts to mine.
His purpose was to alarm you, and
thus force you to leave the town, OF
at least cease all rivalship with his
master. That he was man of devices
you must have perceived by the ad-
dress with which he assumed the part
CT a detective, when he found himself
forced into q position that demanded
IN explanation.
But he, as well as I. calculated too
little upon the resistance which abides
in all noble natures. You would not
leave the town. and you would pre-
serve the attitude Of lover, and
though Mr.. Degraw did not seem to be
much affected by your rivalry, knew
that Montelli had conceived the deep
est hatred for YOU. and that be only
awaited an opportunity in order TO
| destroy you.
The announcement. made by his
master of a particular desire to see
| ,,,o an q oonta Ii, ,,aa,-1ninor talcnn with