Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-12-08
Cont nued from Page Eight

this time she died during her ac-
couchement, and the infant with her,
and was buried in Nanticoke, exactly
as Roger Hews reported. This event
1t must have been which reached the
ears of Andrew Meleen, denuded of
the one vital fact that Minna had
married again and that his. own child
still lived.
To the day of her death John Trevec-
ca supposed she had been really a
widow when she married him-as, of
course, did Minna herself. The only
deception she had practiced consisted
In the concealment of her true name
J When Minna died, John Trevecca
cherished her flrst-born, the little
Eunice, as his own, bringing her up
under his name, giving her a good
education, even sending her to a
country seminary for couple of
terms; then, in turn, he moved away,
and no one in Nanticoke heard of him
for many years.
So much of the past Roger Hews
had discovered when he returned to
San Francisco to report to Mr.. Car
pressed the essential facts, complete
ly misleading the astute lawyer When
he went east for good it was with
the idea of tracing John Trevecca and
his stepdaughter. He hoped that the
girl still lived, and that, fortified with
! proofs of the foregoing facts, he could
Eventually produce her as the right
full heir to the millions of old Andrew
. Meleen-for that she was his legiti-
mate daughter, born in lawful we'd
lock, no one would be able to gainsay
in the face Of the evidence he could
produce
In one of two or three ways Hews
proposed to turn this valuable secret
to his own profit: If the girl were
alive and unmarried and in humble
circumstances, he would try to make
her his wife and divulge the truth
afterwards; in which case Roger Hews
would have somewhat to say con-
corning the spending and scattering
of old Andrews boarded wealth. If
the girl were already welded to an
other, then he hoped to find his ac-
count by selling her and her husband
fhe story on the best terms possible.
Thirdly, If neither of these things
were the case, then he could find q
market for his wares with Wilfrid
Stennis, who might be expected to
pay handsomely for the suppression
of the secret, thus insuring to himself
clear title to the property.
1t was a clear case of Heads win,
tails you lose!" So far as he could
see. only one contingency could de-
feat the major plot-the daughter of
Minna and Andrew Meleen might be
dead.
Meantime, he had no objection
whatever to letting a wrongful heir
enter into possession. The informa-
ton he possessed would have a sure
and certain market value in any case.
1t took Roger Hews three or four
months to trace the migrations of
John Trevecca, covering, as they did,
period of ten or twelve years. But
run him to earth at last he did, and
found to his joy that Eunice was very
much alive, and we'll worth winning
for her own sake. But one other
thing was not so much to his liking
the discovery that Eunice and the
man in possession had been friends
for years, and were even then sup
(posed to be engaged lovers. This
WAS an adverse conjunction which the
astutest mind could not have imag
ined or oreseen-indeed, it was of q
piece with all the other strange fac
tors In the case.
However Roger Hews was content
to play a waiting game. He was very
careful to keep out of Wilfrid's way
but he lost no time in making the ac
Quaintance of Eunice and her step
father, and at the time of Wilfrid's
departure for Europe Roger had beer
for some months on terms of easy
acquaintance with both of them. He
attended the same church as Eunice
he joined the ward club and the lodge
to which Trevecca belonged, ant
among the decent denizens of Mac
dougal street passed as a writer,
character which was not belied BY
appearances, owing to his quiet
Nsteady demeanor and his careful
acting and dressing of the part.
Nor did 1t take Hews long to dis
cover that there was a little rift il
the lutte between Eunice and Wilfrid
This exactly suited his book. Per
haps a less observant person coul,
have foretold such an outcome o
their odd romance. Anyway, thi
was Rogers opportunity. AS Wilfrid
visits became fewer, and the coas
more clear, the other took to dropping
in of an evening, ostensibly to se
John Trevecca; or he would contriv
to meet Eunice at church and prayer
meeting and walk home with her. HI
even escorted her to the park, to tn
theater, and to some popular concerts
Never by word or look or action di
he hint of any knowledge of her aC
quaintance with Wilfrid Stennis. She
on her part, from motives of pride an
delicacy forebore to allow Stennii
name to pass her lips; old Johl
nrauacna mau naturally clnca mnuth o.