Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-05
THE FACE OF THE. ABBOTT.

If Nine. Sara had one prerogative more
than another 1t was that of taking people
unawafes. When least expected she would
spring mine at your feet, engulf you in
a most horrible danger, stab you In the
dark or injure you through your best friend;
in short, this dangerous woman was likely
to become the terror of London if steps
were not soon taken to place her in such
confinement that her genius could no long
assert itself.
Months went by after my last adventure.
Once again my fears slumbered. Nine.
Sara's was not the first name that 1
thought of when I awoke in the morning
nor the last to visit my dreams at night.
Absorbed in my profession, l had little
time to waste upon her. After all ! made
up my mind she might have left London;
she might have carried her Vaccinations,
her cruelties and her genius elsewhere
That such was not the case this story
quickly shows.
The matter which brought Nine. Sara
once again to the fore began sinjthe follow
Ing way:
On the 18th of July. 1900 7 received let
ter. 1t ran as follows: g'sts
..2s West Terrace.
Charlton Read, 5Putney.
Dear Mr.. bruce: l am in Considerable
difficulty and am writing to beg for your
advice. My father died a fortnight ago at
his castle in Portugal, leaving me his heir
ess. His brother-in-law. who lived there
with him. arrived in London yesterday and
came to see me, bringing me full details of
my fathers death. These are in the last
degree mysterious and terrifying. There are
also lot of business affairs to arrange
1 know little about business and should
greatly value your advice on the whole sit
uation. Can you come here and see me to-
morrow at 3 o'clock? Senior de Castro my
uncle, my mothers brother, will be here,
and should like you to meet him. If you
ci,a t,.. fsaf, nj
HELEN SHERWOOD
I replied to this letter by telegram:
will be with you at tomorrow.
Helen Sherwood was an Old friend of
mine; that is, l had known her since she
was a child. She was now about twenty
three years of age and was engaged TO a
certain Godfrey Despard; one of the best
fellows l ever met 'DeSpard was employed
in a merchants office in Shanghai and the
chance of immediate marriage was small.
Nevertheless, the young people. were de-
termined to be true to each other and to
wait that turn in the tide which comes to
most people who watch for it,
Helen'S life had been a sad one. Her
mother, a Portuguese lady of good family,
had died at her birth; her father, Henry
Sherwood had gone to Lisbon in 1860 as one
OF the under secretaries to the embassy and
never cared to return to England. After
the death of his wife ne had lived as &C.
centric recluse When Helen was three
years old he mad sent her nome, ana she
had been brought up by a maiden aunt of
her fathers who had never understood the
impulsive, eager girl, and had treated her
with a rare want of sympathy. This wo-
man had died when her young charge was
sixteen years of age. She had leftsno money
behind her, and, as her father declined to
devote enc penny to his daughters rnafute-
nance, Helen had to face the world before
her education was finished But her char
acter was full of spirit and determination.
She stayed on at school as pupil teacher,
and afterward supported herself by her at
tainments. She was good linguist,
clever musician and bad one of the most
charming voices | ever heard in an amateur.
When this story open; she was earning
comfortable independence andS was even
saving little money for that distant date
when she would marry the man she loved.
Meanwhile Sherwood's career was an ex-
traordinary one He had an extreme
stroke of fortune in drawing the first prize
of the grand Christmas state lottery in