The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1913-12-19

Aggles Winsome Innocence.
became young lady of Independent
fortune. who had living with her a
cousin. Miss Agnes Lynch. The fiat
was abandoned. In its stead was an
apartment in the Nineties on Riverside
drive. in which the ladies lived alone
with two maids to serve them.
Carson had rooms in the neighbor-
hood, but Jim Lynch, who persistently
refused the conditions of such an alli-
pnce. betook himself afar, to continue
his reckless gathering of other folks
money in such wise as to make him
hmenable to the law the very first time
he should be caught at it.
A few tentative ventures resulted in
profits so large that the company grew
nightly enthusiastic over the novel
manner of working In each instance
Harris was consulted and made his
confidential statement as to the legali-
| ty of the thing proposed. After q few
! perfectly legal breach of promise suits,
| due 70 AggIe's winsOme innocence of
dehIeanor, nau been setCIeu auvan-
| tageously out of court Mary devised a
scheme of greater elaborateness, with
the legal acumen of the lawyer to in
dorse it IN the matter of safety. 1t
was planned as the swindling of a
swindleT, which, in fact, had now be-
come the secret principle in Mary's
morality.
A gentleman possessed IF some
means, none too scrupulous himself,
but with high financial aspirations, ad-
vertised for a partner to invest capital
In a business sure to bring large re-
turns. This advertisement caught the
eye of Mary Turner and she answered
1t. An Introductory correspondence
encouraged her to hope for the victory
in game of cunning against cunning
She consulted with Harris and espe-
cially sought from him detailed infor-
nation as to partnership law. His
statements gave her such confidence
that presently she entered into part
nership with the advertiser. By the
terms of their agreement each depos
tied $4,000 to the partnership account
This sum of 100000 was ostensibly
to be devoted to the purchase of a
tract of land, which should afterward
be divided into lots and resold to the
public at enormous profit. AS a mat
ter of fact, the advertiser planned to
make Il spurious purchase of the tract |
in question by means Of forged deeds |
granted by an accomplice, thus max |
ing through fraud a neat profit of $780, |
600.
No sooner was the 100000 on deposit |
in the bank than Mary Turner drew |
out the whole amount, as she had n |
perfect right TO do legally. When the |
advertiser learned Of this he was, nat |
urally enough. full to overlooking with /
wrath. But after an interview with |
Harris he swallowed his wrath as best
he might He found he could not 90
into court with clean hands, which is
a prime stipulation of the law, though
often honored in the breach. SO he
let himself be mulcted in raging ST
lence.
The event established Mary as the
arbiter in her own coterie. She next
decided that certain General Hast
ings would make an excellent sacrifice
on the altar of justice-and to her own
financial profit. The old man was
roue. Of most unsavory rep
utation as a destroyer of innocence.
1t was probable that he would easily
fall victim to the ingenious charms
Of Aggie. As for that precocious dam
sci, she would run no least risk of de-
truction by the satyr.
General Hastings met Aggie in the
most casual way. He was captivated
by her freshness and beauty, her de-
mureness. her ignorance Of all things
vicious. Straightway he set snares.
He showered every gallant attention
on the naive, bread and butter miss
and succeeded gratifyingly soon in
her heart-to all appearance. {
But he gained nothing more, for the
10Y creature abruptly developed most
powers of resistance to every
that went beyond strict
sst propriety. His ardOr cooled sud
ienly when Harris served a summons I
N suit for $4,000 damages for
preach OF promise.
Even while this affair was still In {
he course of execution Mary found her ;
'elf engaged in a direction that offered '
It least the hope Of attaining her great
against Edward Gil !
Ter This opportunity came i'm the
,erson Of his son. Dick. After much {
she got an introduction 10
hat young man. Forthwith she show q
d herself 50 deliciously womanly. so a
SO daintiy feminine. so G
ingularly beautiful that the young
nan was namored almost at once 1
The fact thrilled Mary to the depths 4
Il her heart for in this son Of the man T
whom she hated she saw the instru- (
nent OF vengeance for which she had Il
% longed. Yet this one thing was so 5
-ifal 10 her that she said nothing Of