A ROMANCE OF A MONSTROUS PERSONATION FRAUD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 81, 7 April 1902, Page 6

A ROMANCE OF A MONSTROUS PERSONATION FRAUD.

(By A Famous Aothob.)

"**"■; SUMMARY OF PRECEDING

CHAPTERS.

At the hour of midnight, a closely veiled woman, erect and graceful, calls at the* residence of a New York physician, Dr. Krafft, and induces him to brand the sole of her right foot with a hot iron. She endures the torture with fortitude, and departs after she has exacted from him a pledge of secrecy. The first step in her ■plot, and one of the most difficult, is accomplished. Some hours later Dr. Krafft is called in consultation in the case ot Commodore Jerome Schuyler, a hopeless invalid. His troubles are mental as well as phv_lcal, and the memory of crimes committed 1G years before has burdened him with depressing remorse. He sends for Mrs Robert Schuyler, the widow ol ( the Commodore's elder brother, and to her confesses himself guilty of horrible enormities. These are the drowning ot his brother and the abduction of his brother's daughter May. The motive was to secure the estate of the elder brother, who had been favoured by his father. Until this confession was made, it was believed by the widow that her daughter had perished with her father. Now the Commodore descloses that May's nurse, Lucy Millburn, had relented, and refused to go in the small boat, the upsetting of which had been planned. Instead, the little girl, then four years of age, was taken charge of by Lucy's mother, lies- ■ ter Millburn, who had been liberally paid | by the Commodore. From that hour Hester Millburn and her daughter, with the abducted heiress, had disappeared. The Commodore gave Mrs Schuyler an advertisement which showed her how she could be certain of the identity of Hester Millburn, if she succeeded in finding her. After leaving the house, Mrs Schuyler was called back to the deathbed of the Commodore, and there met Hilda Krafft, niece of the doctor. She was immediately attracted by the beautiful young girl. A carefully worded advertisement brought a prompt response. A graceful woman of fifty, announcing herself as Hester Millburn, called on Mrs Schuyler. She exhibited her burned foot, and otherwise established her identity. To the joy of the afflicted widow, she declared that her daughter still lived. After promising to bring her into her mother's presence within an hour, the visitor left the mansion. She hurried to her humble home, and thus accosted her accomplice: "From this moment you cease to be Fannie Beaseley, just as, half an hour ago. I ceased to be Jane Beaseley. Henceforth you are Miss May Schuyler, the long-lost daughter of Roberta nd Lucia Schuyler." The spurious May was soon installed in Mrs Schuyler's palatial home, and received as the child she had long mourned as dead. A few -weeks later mother and daughter went to their country home in Beverly, Mass., •accompanied by Hilda Krafft. a niece of Dr. Krafft, a girl of engaging manner and attractive appearance, whose age was about that of May Schuyler. At the urgent entreaty of May, Mrs Schuyler engaged Hester Millburn as an attendant to her daughter, and the plotting couple were thus in constant communication. At Pinemere, as the Schuyler estate in Beverly yfas called, there came a visitor whose presence caused alarm to Fanny and her mother. This was Jack Matthews, a young man whom the schemers had known in London. Now he appeared in the role of Donald Gordon, the next or kin to the afflicted Commodore. Fanny J was really In love with him; but whatever affection he had once manifested for her had long since cooled. He suspected < their. plot and threatened exposure. Fanny proposed a bribe; but this Donald angrily repulsed. By this, time it came to be generally remarked that Hilda Krafft bore a strong family resemblance jjlo the Schuylers. To study this resem_blance, Fanny, feigning a trifling illness, . adroitly led Hilda to the picture gallery, and seated her under the portrait of the former owner of Hillcrest. The similarlty t of features was indisputable, and from that moment Fanny looked upon Hilda Krafft as her enemy. That very day a ■black-robed, white-haired woman appears In the grounds of Pinemere, and is startled on meeting Hilda Krafft, whose features seem familiar. Later she comes face to face with Jane, and the latter stares at her as if she were an apparition. In -this dark-robed figure Jane Beaseley recognises a Nemesis. In response to questioning-, Jane informs the stranger that Mrs Schuyler has recovered her daughter May, and that she was returned by Hester Millburn. The announcement of this news almost stuns the strange woman _"* .Jan, e,', s„^ urther assertion that she is ■Hester Millburn is the climax. Jane has to contend with the real Hester and in this way she puts a' bold front on it