PAOLINA OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10180, 4 March 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 XLl.—Continue!, j "1 shall require a furtner bribe " replied Huntingdon. "You are as insatiable as the grave, ray dear fellow," replied Grandin. "What is your price?" "I want to go to Europe and live out my term on the Continent. Give, me your cheque for 10,000 dollars and I will execute a deed of the place-to you and start for San Francisco tomorrow." •>..'. '•'And you will tell her that : you are going?" "I would rather n«t see her again, but I will"leasts''he'r a note," said Huntingdon, "announcing my departure and bidding her adieu. That will answer every purpose." "It is do'he, then," said Grandin. "When you are once out of the way, I think she will yield. There is a limit to a woman's power, of resistance." Huntingdon' bad left the dinner table, and Hannah stole down to the kitchen to apprise Francois, the cook., j that she wished to go to.Sonora that night, and would be thankful for hisassistance to enable' her to leave the house unobserved. "Mr ; Huntingdon has gone to his. room," 'she'said, '-pud if he makes his appearance again to-night, it will be contrary to his usual custom. There will be nothing to prevent you- from letting me out." ■ Francois' fkqe'-suddenly became very grave. ~ ' "But-there is a new obstacle," he said. "They have brought up a ferocious mastiff from the mill, and turn-* ed him loose in. the grounds. He will give the alarm if anyone leaves < the house. He growled savagely at,me a, few minutes ago when I ventured out> of doors." - • • ■ "What is to be done?" asked Hanriah. , "Can", you think of nothing ?'' "Put/is,off until to-morrow night," said: Franciois; '>nd I will poison the dog.' He bjt'one of the greasers down at the men's quarters this morning, and the follow ,_ threatened revenge.. Thejdjed will be'laid to him." : , "If there;is no other way, I suppose I must wait,'' said Hannah, ''but the time no wis precious." "I can,think of no other," returned Francois: ' 'By the way, do, you know that ,the Frenchwoman is not gone, as you supposed. ;She is still on the •place.".-:./,' / '. ( / '.; ■ "I saw her driven away in the direction of the tbwp," said Hannah. "You don't' mean that.shVis in the house?" "She*.is established.in the cottage down by the mill. I don't, think she/ was evei' really off the place." / "Not long after this interview Franrcois was summoned to Mr don's presence .and there learned of his master's ..intended trip, to San] Francisco /'and received directions, to., pack tlie r truhks immediately. The information-was quickly imparjted to the. bewitching Hannah. /< ~ . \

j. "To-morrow," said the desperado, l "is hanging day. Won't it wait till ; then?" Hector said he feared it would not, ' and Dacle finally promised to have his. force ready by ten o'clock. "But it would be a much smoother job," he added, "to-morrow night at the same hour." On this morning Sidney Huntingdon took his breakfast in his own room. An hour later he had a long interview with Grandin in the . library, during Avhich one voice, was heard loud enough to indicate an angry altercation. This, however, lasted only a moment. As the two men came out of the library together, Sid- . ney Huntingdon said in a low tone which indicated that a good understanding had been restored: "You have made it for my interest to wish you success. Let me give you a hint that may help you. She relies a good deal on the girl Hannah, and derives strength and courage from her. On the other hand she is in mortal dread of the Frenchwoman. If "you want to shake her spirit send the girl away and put madam in charge of her. She has plenty of pluck, but, after all, she's a woman, with a wo- ■ man's nerves." " ~"* v It.Avas about eleven o'clock when Paolina saw her uncle, with Hannibal -stowed in the back of the vehicle, driven away from the house. The quantity of baggage that had been placed in it showed that he was, going on a long journey. The carriage was scarcely out of sight \\dioii d'note:-was; sent to PaoUna's *room, which read !>as follows: ''My dear niece: x thought it best "to leave without bidding you adieu in person. After destroying so, ruthlessly bne_of the illusions of your" girlhood 'it is better that I should not intrude upon you. Turn the picture of your Uncle Sidney to the wall in the portrait gallery of your memory, and beJieve that the original exists no longer. In fact, the original never exist-j ed. He was but a girl's ideal. Grandin loves you in his way, and I do not! /see that you can do better than ; marry, him. My advice is to yield at once. He is not a knight of romance, and if you provoke him too far by a-n | obstinate resistance, he is capable of ! { : brutality. Once married, you can eas r : lily manage him. I console myself for having been compelled .to leave you thus suddenly by the reflection that your fate is in your own hands,ahd no- , thing worse need befall you than be- : coming the wife of a millionaire."* ' Paolina: had scarcely recovered from the shock caused by this inhuman letter, when she was subjected to another .still more painful.

CHAPTER XLH. ' PRISONER. ; Hannah reported to Pablina the intelligence she had received from Francois in regard to the contemplat-ed-departure of Sidney Huntingdon, and the continued presence of Madam Campan on. the place. , "I see.how it' is," said Paolina, "I am utterly, betrayed. This woman is to come hack, and the old practices against my reason are to be renewed. Only'a few ininutes ago, while you were gone, I heard a stealthy step on 'the.stairs. •■' I fancied- that it paused before, my door, and I mustered sufficient courage to look out into the hall; just in time to see Doctor, Guberlet gliding away toward the room that you •formerly occupied, and which had joins my bedroom.: My-uncle pretended to dismiss the Fre-nch woman, only in order to secure my signature to those papei - s. He will now leave"-me utterly in the power of tin's man and -his creatixres. The next thing-will.be to send yo ( u aw.ay'from me.' lam sure of it, and then I will be helpless. .Jndeed." :.''■'■ - ; ■';"..; ■ • '/'■'■ • ; "Do not giva up to despair," said Hannah stoutly';' "to-morrow night I "will go to Sonora and find my brother and,your friends. K I will tell them how things are situated here, and they will> com©, at'once to your aid." ,- On Thursday morning came"another despatch from Taggart, sayhig :r\ •• : "McGinnis has given me the slip. I think he left town yesterday."', i Hector immediately.sought put M Dade, and requested him to hold-bin j self in readiness, to act that '-night.

1 Hannah; who had slipped down to • the, kitchen to consult with Francois ill '.''regard to the' necessary arrange;merits,for her- nocturnal visit to Sonora, returned in a state of extraordin-" aiy: agitation. She had encountered Gfrandin in the lower hall, and he had called her into the dining room, where, after questioning her for some .'time, told her that her services would hot bo required any longer, fend ordered her to get ready, to ieave the hWse in an hoiir. She should be paid two months' wages, he said,.and hef uncle, Mark P underson, should escort her to her home-safely. / : Hannah was in tears, and both women seemed to be thrown into a state of consternation by this unexpected' .blow. Paoliua was the first to re-; ;,eover herself. ' , * '•".-''!■'' : "Hannah," she said, "you have a pair of pistols., Let me have one of i.them." ."*■■■' '''■*' .'. "< Hannah eyed her doubtfully, and' made no reply. ! v" "Do not imagine that I mean to kill .myself. -,lt is not that. But let! .that.man beware how he drives me to/ desperation. I feel something in me i that.shoixld make me dangerous." "¥ou t shall have it then," said Hannah. ','lf you should kill hjm in your extremity 1" don't believe it wouJd.be counted against you for a sin. . And,' dear lady, it is for the best that, I am sent away. I will be-able to'see those whom I wish to see all. .the sooner and more surely; for, depend upon it, I will find a.way to escape from Mark Punderson's charge at. Sonora." ..;: ' '. ■ .".•..>■'. ■•■ / (Tn Be Continued.)