PAOLINA OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10176, 28 February 1911, Page 2

PAOLINA OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

OUR SERIAL.

By MARIPOSA WEIR. Author of "Evadyne's Temptation," "A Chase Round the World," etc

CHAPTER XXXVll—Continued. "If lie conies now, he will come as , my guest, and you will not he compromised by his presence. Do not interrapt me.' It was a part of the agree- j menfc 1 that he should come here to [ spend a week with me, during which I time he is to have every opportunity, by fair persuasion, to' induce you to reconsider your answer to his suit." "It will be utterly useless,"-said Paolina-,; in a tone of quiet decision: E never 1 could love the man under any circumstances, and now that he has become detestable to me I declare that I would rather die where I now sit than become his wife." »i "Be it so; I do not disapprove your resolution. You have only to remain firm. If, at the end of the week you shall not have freely consented to listen to his suit, he is to take his departure. And meantime I am here to see that no undue means are taken to constrain your choice. Remember that you are under your uncle's roof, The servants here are mine—selected and employed by me. Think how different would be the situation if you were in some other place, remote and secluded as this, where Grandin was master, ■and you were surrounded by none but his creatures. Such would in all probabaility be your position at this moment had I acted otherwise than J have done." Paolina remained silent. Plausible as this explanation seemed, a strange distrust, a dark suspicion that*'all was not right, began to make itself dimly felt in her mind. - "Dea,r uncle*" she said, after-a long pause, " all his seems very strange and bewildering to ,me. Surely there can have been ; no necessity for so violent a proceeding. I do not wish to meet this man, or to be; again subjected to his importunities. Take, me back to Mrs Cranch's, and I will make 110 attempt to have tile villain punished for what he has already done, and'will rely upon the laW to protect me from similar attempts in the future." , The shadow <#f a frown passed across Sidney Huntingdon's, well-bred face; but it was gone in an instant. "That cannot be, my dear," he said, in his sweet, exquisitely modelled voice —"you must now go through with the ordeal. It' is 'doubtless disagreeable, but it will soon be over. Then, if such shall bo your desire, I will escort you safely to Mrs Cranch's." "Surely, Uncle Sidney, you cannot approve of the way in which I have beeu-practis6d on and abused since I was taken from my home. I have been insulted, arid placed under the influence of poisoned drugs. I have even been beaten, and only this morning, here in your own house, I was;,again threatened with personal violence by the woman who seems to act as my jailer. .' . Sidney Huntingdon looked the picture' of apiazement and indignation as he listened to these, words. ' \ "For wiiat indignities you fliay have V been subjected to on the way here J. am not responsible," He said. "That portion of the business was managed by persons einployed by -Grandin, and I willChold' liim; to account for the matters you allege. ; As tb the 1 understand slie was : in chargeofyou during the/passage up "the-river. She shall lie dismissed'with- , - in an hour. Have you any to maike of the. other womany the» girl : Hannah?" ' .the check- ■ ed herself, in obedience .to some impulse which she could'not 'liavd ex- : plained. She had been 011 the point of expressing herself with enthusiasm. Instead of doing so, she simply added: f'Tlie girl seems respectful; and disposed to be as serviceable as her limited experience enables her to be." . "Ami, now," said/Huntingdon, "a • wprd on another subject. When I was abroad three years ago I visited Ravenna to examine the wonderful mosaics which are to be! seen jn some of the old churches of ; that city. You are aiyare of my enthusiastic taste for art. Ravenna, you are aware, ;was your Mother's,birthplace, and it was, there that' my brother; first met her. While there I learned more than I had ever before known ( of her family history. Among,other things of less interest, I , learned that she was the heiress of a considerable estate, which, by her death, descends 011 you. Of course, my natural interest in you led me\to look into the matte!' with the utmost care. I found;.that there would be no difficulty in establishing your right to

the iuli'eritancc, and one oTjjoot of my coming to California immediately after my return to the United States was to cause the proper steps to be taken in, your' behalf. In a few weeks I expect to start for the East for the purpose of again visiting Europe. I had thought it possible that you might feel disposed to accompany me in case you should persist in rejecting Grandin's suit. You are now of that age when a year's travel will be of the greatest interest and benefit to you, and I venture to shy without vanity that a young person desiring to see anything of foreign countries, might ha\;e a worse travelling companion tlihn myself. I have lived in every European capital. I lira also familiar with most of the chief objects of interest to he seen on the Continent. I thought that you might benefit somewhat by my experience, while for me . these old scenes, revisited with you as my companion, would have "'a fresh charm. But that is enough for the present on this point ■ —l wish to call your attention tcl another. Do you think of any suitable 1 person—of any person who you would prefer to myself—to look after your interests in connection with the inheritance of which have spoken ?" To Paolina the inheritance seemed enveloped in a haze of unreality. She did not believe in it, and attached no importance to it. . She expressed as much to her uncle, adding, that, of course, if he was willing to trouble himself about the matter, there was no one to whom she would so gladly confide the management of the whol& business, as far as it concerned her "It is a large fortune in Italy, my dear," said Uncle Sidney, "though it would not be'so. considered here.; The steps necessary to be,taken to secure it will-occupy some time) and involve some little expense, both of which I shall gladly bestow in your interests. There are some papers—a power of attorney, a deed of trust; I. don't 'know the technical names —which it ' will be necessary for you to execute [ in order to give me the proper author- ' ity to act for you in the premises. My 1 lawyer, who resides in San Francisco, happens to be in Sonora to^day,attending to some business before one of ■the courts, and I think the papersharf : tetter be, executed while . he f is here. As I am going into town , this morning it is possible that I may bring him out to-night. I shall not- be back f6r din-' ner, and you can have yours served in the dining-room, or in your own apartment, as you prefer. And now, before leaving the house, I must attend .to the case of the Frenchwoman.'' / He rose and bowed in an old-fash-ioned, stately .way-to Paolina', and she felt that she was formally/ dismissed, like a person who ha s been admitted to the presence of royalty. v\ I , As she left the room he rang a little [ beil that, stood upon the centre table, | and'Ha;ninbal presented himself With j the. sudden promptitude of a jumping | jack when the string is pulled. She i was half-way up the stairs when sKo | heard the sonorous voice of heir uncle saying: . ■ ' r \\ "Give omy compliments /to Madame Cairipan,'and telpher I desire the honour of a few minutes' conversation witli*lier." ■;/, ; l.i' : A.bbut an, hour had elapsed when Hannah, after a delightful breakfast ; wi,th the cook; Francois, met Campan on the stairs. .; < 'She was bonrietted and shawled, and behind her came Hannibal, bearing her : satchel and a hand-box. "Ah, bon jour, Mees Speetfire!' 3 J said Madam, with a wicked glance and J a horrid grin .'that revealed the whole, of her discoloured teeth. "I'am going I to leaf you, but I shall .return. 'Gif my lofe to zat doll zare, , and tell Ker I shall ,return, and s'all haf my revenge, on her and you." ''** * ' : It was past nine o'clock when Sidney Huntingdon returned from Sonora on the day of , his interview with His niece.'' ' V- - : ■ ■ r Looking from hoi- window as the carriage drew up in front of the house, Paolina could see that he was accompanied by another man. • Ten minutes later Hannibal tapped at Paolina's dool-, and being admitted by Hannah Hagburn, presented "Massa's compl'munts, and would Miss Huntingdon be good 'nough to give! him the plesher of her comp'ny in the | library for a few minutes?" I (To Be Continued.)