The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-07-03

. "''\ss~
FL; 81; THE CANONS WARD lila
Ss!:!e TALE OF MONEY MADNESS sss.:!!sJ
BY JAMES PAWN. MDo0U


What on EARTH" he added, turning
to his wife, could have ever induced
Sophy'to marry him!"
"She married him because she
couldn't help it, Mr.. 1rton," said
Jeanette, warmly. Heaven for
give me for the hand I had in it, but
I doubt if I could have stopped it
anyhow. She did it to prevent an
exposure"
Mr.. Frederic Triton emitted a low
whistle; a whistle full of feeling as
we'll as significance, but still a
whistle.
you are wrong, Fred" said
Henry, firmly. Il am quite sure
Sophy never misconducted herself as
you suppose. She may have been
weak, but never wicked"
That's just it, ma'am," said jean
nette, approvingly. my mistress
was very foolish, and bitterly, indeed,
she has paid for her folly, but she
never went wrong. She had a secret
which Mr.. Adair possessed himself
of; and, rather than it should be
known to her friends, she married
him"
And what was the secret?" in
CURED man and wife together.
"She had been married before to
MI. Herbert Perry"
What! Sophy a widow" ex-
claimed Henry, in shocked amaze
ment.
But are you quite certain of this,
J~eannette?" inquired Henry.
81 saw them married myself in ST..
Anne's Church, in the city; it was
against my will from first to last. 1
had nothing to do with it except
holding my tongue. I WISH" she
added, with a sigh, II could say as
much of her second venture"
There was a long silence. Henry
was recalling the words Sophy had
uttered during her last visit, the re-
proaches she had heaped upon her
self, the acknowledgment she had so
passionately made that her sorrows
were deserved and only her righteous
punishment. 1T was no wonder"
she felt, and yet she pitied, from her
soul she pitied her. Irton's thoughts
flowed in another channel. Was it
possible that little Willie was not
Adair's child after all? A circum-
stance which, though it could ex-
cuse nothing, might explain much.
when did the second marriage
take place-how soon after she was
a widow" he inquired.
about six months, sir. 1t was
not my poor mistress fault that it
was so soon; the canon hurried it, I
think, poor man, little knowing what
he was about; and, Of course" she
added, her hatred of her master
singing into her unaccustomed
satire, "Mr. Adair was very anxious
to make sure of her money"
Here the clock on the mantelpiece
struck six.
II must be going" said Jeanette,
rising; IF my master comes back and
finds me away from homeland es-
pecially here, he will suspect some
thing"
Quite right" said triton, APPROX
ingly; 1--WE must 'contrive to see you
again, when necessary; but in the
meantime we cannot be too cautious.
One moment; how do you know that
Mr.. Adair knew your mistress was
a widow? Did he yer say so in
your hearing.2"
mo; but it was very we'll under
stood between them"
Still you have no evidence that
he knew it,"
HE knew it," said Jeanette, af-
ter a moments reflection, because
he read a letter of Mr.. Perry's which
spoke of his marriage, and he in
closed it with a letter of his own to
my mistress"
SIS that letter-Adair's letter-in
e~xistence?"
II think it is"
"I will give fifty pounds for a sight
of it."
81 don't want your money, sir"
said Jeanette, doggedly; II have
had enough of doing underhand
things for money"
But this is work for a good end,
work that may possibly be the means
of rescuing your mistress from her
slavery, as we'll as causing your mas
ter to get his Just deserts"
That would be a sight for sore
eyes, indeed" answered Jeanette,
earnestly, hopping her own with her
handkerchief, as she S from her
chair. You shall have that letter,
sir, if I have to break open missus'
desk to get at it,"