Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-05-14
Serrers by the deathbed of her grand

Ferrers by the deathbed of her grand
father"
The announcement was like the
bursting of bomb. The ladies stood
petrified.
Married." he repeated coldly. you
have married that girl, Heron?
Precisely. 1t is now my right and
purpose to refute the charge of theft
which has been brought against her.
Miss Ferrers was your invited guest,
Colonel Rivers, and the intimate friend
of your ward. Yet, here at Wolfsden
you suffered her to be overwhelmed by
an outrageous accusation, which you
must have known to be false-you tried
in no way to defend her. AS master Of
this house you are responsible for what
occurs in it. 1 hold you responsible,
sir, and tell you to your face that you
are a liar and a coward!"
Pitt Rivers changed rapid color, but
he controlled himself admirably, as be-
came a high-bred gentleman.
in the presence Of ladies'" he said, with
quiet dignity. Heron, l forgive you
the insult, for it is evident that you are
not yourself. This morning Miss Fer
rers was betrothed to Sir Griffin Hope
wood-tonight you declare that she is
your wife. All is plain to us now-you
are laboring under strong excitement,
and must relieve your feelings in some
way, of course. These ladies will bear
! witness that implored their clemency
for that wretched girl. know the
power of inherited tendencies-her
father But do not frown-I will not
speak of her antecedents. The whole
household saw the contents of the
/ trunk. Even in your present state of
mind, you really must not ask us to
disbelieve the evidence of our own
eyes,"
His forbearance, his imperturbable
serenity, went to Mrs. Van Wert's
heart.
How can you be so violent, Mr.. He
|
my diamonds are paste, as you de-
clare" she smiled incredulously, Hazel
could not have known it when she ap-
propriated them. The quality Of the
gems does not lessen her crime. You
say that she is innocent-fie! it would
be more to the purpose il you would
explain how my bracelets came to be
hidden at the bottom of her trunk,
along with the ring and money, stolen
, from Miss Carbury while Colonel Riv-
ers was absent from Wolfsden. 1 tell
you frankly, Mr.. Heron, but for the COL
oners intercession, that guilty girl
would have Jared i'll at my hands.
Heron looked impatient.
Il do not pretend to know who put
the money and jewels in Miss Ferrers's s
trunk-who laid the plot-for such 1t
plainly was-for her destruction. All
the same, l say again, and thousand
times over, she is innocent! 1 am here
to demand a thorough investigation of
the whole affair-the mystery sur
rounding it must be sifted to the bot
tom. Has it occurred to any of you to
explain how Hazel Ferrers could have
entered Mrs. Van Wert's chamber,
when the door was secured from with
in, and the key left in the lOck?"
Rivers smiled quietly.
"The room has another door, commu-
nicating with the closet of Annette, the
maid. This morning the detective dis
covered that the key to Miss Ferrers's
own chamber fits perfectly that second
door"
Not a muscle of Heron's stubborn
face changed.
Doubtless you have duplicate keys
Colonel Rivers. Your housekeeper
Mrs. Steele, carries a prodigious num-