The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-08-03
CHAPTER NJ.
Continued.

We ~ Shh cS>
Once I get there safely, / shall con-
suit the proper authorities how best
to deal with this thing. 1t doesn T.
matter to me whom / go with so long
as I get there, and since your friend
brought me here without volition of
my own I have felt it but right he
should pay all expenses and take me
home. I have no money, nor have ]
sent home for any. And expect
every comfort when travelling that
should be given a Lady Of my age"
Having thus stated her wishes, she
looked at the clock.
we have still twenty minutes be-
fore the gate opens,' she remarked.
Very WE'LL" I agreed; "but l
should like to telegraph to my wife,
who will expect me back at the
hotel"
Poor deluded young woman"
said my companion. Telegraph by
all means, but l shall go with you
Would you mind telling me your
name?" l hazarded. Since We are
to travel together, perhaps it would
be more satisfactory"
II am Miss Schuyler" she replied.
Miss Harriet Schuyler"
] dropped the bandbox and stared
l%ncredulous.
Miss Harriet Schuyler?' ! ejacu-
lated. Aunt Harriet?'
II don't know why you Shout call
me Aunt young man." she returned,
"but I am Miss Harriet Schuyler.
Pick up my box"
Instead, I grasped her hands and
squeezed them fervently. Never in
my life had I been so glad to see any,
one, and I said so.
Tell me all about it," I begged.
"Tell me all about it."
Aunt Harriet's story was briefly
thus:
She had gone that stormy night to
see her nephew, because she wanted
to surprise him. I was quite familiar
with all details of the expedition up
20 the time she disappeared into
Starts ROOM, but from that pont I
listened with breathless attention.
"And when I went into that ROOM"
she solemnly stated, Il found it was
not BERTHE at all, but a vile imposter
who had wormed his way into the af-
fections of the family by false pre-
lenses. I told him what I thought
of him, and what I proposed to do
about it."
I gathered that the interview had
been Unpleasant for Starr, but was
careful to express no sympathy for
him. Nor, indeed, did 1 feel any.
We had all suffered from his esca-
pade, and just %retribution vas but
his due. Aunt Harriet said Starr had
clustered at first and tried to insist
that he was the missing BERTHE, but
she soon brought him to his senses"
He then became very meek and hum
BILE, and proposed that he should go
home with her and confess to Mrs.
Schuyler-Smythe what he had done.
Had she but known that when Starr
is apparently most amenable to rea-
son he is always to be distrusted. per-
haps she would not have followed him
so confidingly downstairs.
He brought up his friend, Mr..
~Ferguesson," she said, and they both
seemed to be such polite young fell
lows shat I felt downright sorry 7
must expose him to Mildred, but of
course l could not let her marry an
impostor."
"Of course not" / conceded.
1--WE got in a cab," she continued;
"Mr. Ferguesson anne inside with
me, and Mr.. Starr went on the box.
After a while we stopped and I saw
We were on the dock. They told me
there was congestion of traffic owing
to a fire, and 1t would be better for
us to go round by ferry. The next
thing / knew we were off. I sat
and waited for a while, but nobody
came near me. We seemed to be a
long time getting round, but I had
heard ferries were slow boats, al
though I did not know very much
about them. 1t seemed to me ages
passed, then Mr.. F~erguesson came
in, looking perfectly distracted and
using language that was a disgrace.
He said we were aboard the steamer
bound for Boston,"
Aunt Harriet here swallowed sew
eral times audibly. 1t seemed as
though her feelings were getting the
better of her. Indeed, she was so
absorbed in her recital that she did
not notice the New York train was
called, and I did not bring it to her
attention.
I'VE had a most unpleasant trip"
she resumed, for I was very i'll, and
your friend was entirely without SYM
pathy. Strange to say, there was q
good stateroom reserved for me, but
Mr.. F~erguesson had to get what sleep
he could in the cabin. We arrived in
Boston and went to the Fremont
House. I had no money, my black
bag having been stolen, and he said
he had but very little. / did not be-
lieve him, of course, and insisted up
on the best hotel. I demanded that
he should take ne back to New
York, and thr eataned to call in the
police. In short, I have made it as
disagreeable for him as [ possibly
could"
remembered Randy's harassed en-