The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-04-27


Al. dearest. that note! 1t was sent Dy
the Portuguese, then sick unto death. It
seems, hut il was not written by her,
bet irg Montelli. who had been dead
! three months. AS I read it / knew
hat my intentions lad been foreseen
by her That. although she was III. she
had wished to show me that she still
kept watch on my movements an0 n
hold npop my fate. 1t ran thus: and its
contents are as great a mystery TO me
rs they must be to you:
IL am discovered and must fly. You
are safe if you will but forget your
weakness for the artist. Cherish that
and you are lost. You cannot have love
and money both. So choose. but, in
choosing. remember that the Portu-
guese and ! will have our money ii we
have to ask your lover for it. We have
not run so many risks for nothing.
This. at the moment was about TO
| commit myself 10 you lrreuIeVdD!y.
What if lie writer was dead, the
sender was not Or so thought in that
moment of shock and terror. Pushed
by the crowd trotured by my fears,
hesitated one instant. and then went
again to Hilary's closet and procured
me a cloak. Enveloping myself in this
went below. Did you recognize IT as
bespeaking the hesitation which il
really betrayed? Did your love take
| alarm and cause you to turn a more
willing ear to the insinuatlops OF the
detective? ] shall never know. for
have never dared to question you.
But the developments were not at
an end. While I hunted for glimpse
of your face. Mr.. Byrd came-why Mr..
Byrd I. have never been able to under
stand-and told me in the strange way
that be told me Of Montelli's death.
that by another happy Providence. the
sender Of this note had perished also;
leaving my path clear Of enemies and
myself free to follow the dictates OF
my heart
"You know what followed. How. III
a rush of renewed hope l threw aside
my cloak, and called your heart to nee
in a song. How looked for response.
and how it failed to come. Mr.. Byrd
was at your ear and you listened to
doubts which held you back, and when
YOU did break away from him and seek
me, it was TO find that hearkened to
the voice Of another wooeT, who asked
Of me nothing, and promised me ali
things.
Can you not foresee the rest? How
the love which had succumbed to your
Indifference rose triumphant again al
this evidence Of your continued affec.
ton. ] had jeopardized my happiness,
but I determined to regain it at any
cost. Nothing should or could stand
in the way of what had now become
my one passionate desire. / wrote 10
Mir. Degraw. I took the one means !
knew whereby not only would obtain
full release from my engagement but
insure Likewise his acceptance OF the
gift which he never would have given
me had he recognized my real unworth.
mess. ! confessed to him my love for
you, and ! confessed, also, my share jr
the plot.
"It was fatal act-Eow fatal ] i'm
medately perceived when my impetu-
csity led me to your studio. and we had
that interview so unhappily interrupt.
ed by Hilary. If the suspicious Of the
police had been aroused in regard to
ME, how mad had been the impulse
which had led me to put upon paper
words that could justify their suspi-
cions and make possible the detection
OF my duplicity. Though it seemed too
late to profit by this discovery OF my
folly, made one frantic effort TO DO so.
I rode back home and endeavored to
stop the delivery Of my letter, but
failed in this, and Mr.. Degraw not only
read The story of my deception, but by
some treachery or some mischance
which he could not himself explain,
this letter was stolen from him almost
Immediately after his reading it, so
that my secret was no longer at his
mercy only, but at the mercy Of the
| world, and, what was worse, of you.
| do you understand now the frenzy
which drove me into asking you to
marry me that night, or how could
hardly subdue my fears when you re-
quested time to notify your mother?
| Detection lay before me, and I had
neither the strength to meet it nor the
courage to forestall it by telling you
/ what would shatter your love at a
blow. For though Mr.. Degraw urged
| me to this course, measuring your ma
ture, perhaps, by his own, which is af
| fectionate rather than passionate, and
| tenacious rather than proud, ], who
knew you better than ne, felt that
death must precede any confession OF
my past deception to you.
what! Tell you that the sweet in
nocence Of which you have SO often
spoken was the mask which hid
scheming heart? Rob my beauty of
its charm and my memory Of it's grace?
Make the most beautiful moment in our
| lives the mere climax to q farce and
teach your soul to hate that which had
given it life and purpose? Impossible.
l could die, but could not do this, and
though there was one chance remain
ing Of this letter escaping your notice,
1 prepared for death, and re-hired these
rooms, that you might take your last
look at me where you did your first,
and thus see in the final act cf MY life
an eXpiation which would soften your
hate, and lead. perhaps, in time, to
your regarding me with pity and ten
derneSs.