A MYSTERIOUS MONOGRAM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9635, 6 October 1894, Page 3 (Supplement)

A MYSTERIOUS MONOGRAM.

BY MRS. GEOttGIE SHELDON, Author of " The Forsaken Bride," " Brownie'a

Triumph," etc.

CHAPTER XlV.— (Continued.)

ft Tm bleu! Ires Men!" exclaimod Mr. Waldmar, at last, "your pronunciation is unusually good for an American, Miss Wellington. Now, suppose we try a little German; if you can manage the gutturals as well, I think I can find a desirable position for you immediately."

Ho then made a remark in German, to which Dorothy replied at some length, thus satisfying her companion that she had nob overrated her accomplishments when she had said thab she was familiar with these two languages.

"I am afraid you will think you are before an examining commibtee," Mr. Waldmar smilingly remarked, when he finally concluded his questioning.

"Not ab all," said Dorothy, "I am willing to satisfy you or anyone regarding my qualification* ; it would be folly in me to assert a thing and nob be willing to prove ib." " Mother," said Mr. Waldmar, turning to madame, "I think I know just the place for her."

" Yes," she responded, comprehending his meaning instantly, " I believe that Mr. Fortesque would be glad bo secure her as an amanuensis. Will it be convenient for you to see him to-morrow and inquire regarding the matter ?" "Certainly. I will attend to ib the first thing in the morning," her Bon veplied. Then ha threw back his fiue head and laughed out musically as ho added : "Bub it strikes me thab we are taking Miss Wellington's destiny into our own hands in a summary fashion, when she should be consulted before we make any application for her." "True," said Madame Waldmar ; whereupon she turned to Dorothy and remarked, " My son has a friend who is very literary in hie tastes and has a great deal of correspondence — especially in French and German —but has been greatly troubled to find a competent and faithful amanuensis, having recently given several a trial, and none proving satisfactory." "Then I fear that ib would be useless for me to apply for the position," Dorothy smilingly returned, "for I have never had the slightest experience in such work, while I also might be regarded aa to» young for so responsible a situation." " The position is a somewhat peculiar one," Mr. Waldmar here interposed, "and thab is perhaps one reason why my friend has nob been able to retain anyone in his employ. Are you fond of children, Miss Wellington ?" " Yes, I believe bo, although I have never had very much to do with them," she thoughtfully answered. "Well, then, to give you the whole story in a nutshell, there are two in this family — a boy of ten and a girl of fourteen, Belle and Walter by name. Mr. Forbesque has nob correspondence enough to keep an amanuensis busy all the time, and Mrs. Fortesque insists that her children shall be taught French and German during those leisure hours."

"I cannob see any objection to that," Dorothy remarked. "Perhaps nob," smilingly returned her friend, " but I have been informed that the before-mentioned young gentleman and lady are, at times, rather unmanageable ; so if you should go there, you will doubtless need a good amount of patience to start with, and considerable tact as well."

" Oh, pray do nob discourage her, Alfred," gaid madame, " for they are really very clever children, and if rightly managed, would no doubt be more tractable. Do you think, after what you have been told, thab you would like to try the place?" she concluded, turning to Dorothy. " I suppose there would be no barm in my doing so," she answered, reflectively, "and I am sure you aro very kind to feel so interested for me. I only hope that I shall prove efficient. Ido nob fear the work as an amanuensis, but as a teacher for Miss Belle and Master Walter Fortesque, I am in some doubt as to my qualifications." " Well, you can at least make a trial of it," said her hostess, encouragingly; " and I should have told you," she added, " that the children's name is nob Fortesque. Mr. Fortesque married a widow by the name of Standish, who had four children—two sons and two daughters— a responsibility, we all thought, for him to assume," the lady concluded, with a gentle sigh and a significant glance ab her son, which led Dorothy to surmise that there might have been something peculiar in connection with the marriage. "Then you are willing thab I should solicib the position of my friend for you ?" Mr. Waldmar inquired. "If you please," the young girl replied, feeling that, under the circumstances, she must take whatever offered first. " By the way," the gentleman continued, " I forgot to ask if you are musical, and to tell you that Mr. Fortesque's amanuensis is sometimes required to entertain the friends of the family by playing for dancing, accompaniments, etc." Dorothy's face expressed her surprise ab this information, while she thought that a good deal was expected from the position ; but she quietly returned : " I hare had considerable instruction uoon the piano, and I sing—a little." "Very well, I will see Mr. Fortesque in the morning," said Mr. Waldmar. Thus the matter was dropped, _ and Dorothy soon retired, for she was excessively weary after her journey, and the exciting events of the day. Nevertheless, she could nob go directly to sleop, but lay awake for some time, thinking over the strange things that had happened to her since her flight from home in the early morning. It was marvellous, she thought, that) Mr. and Madame Waldmar should have appeared upon the scene just at that moment when a fearful fate was menacing her ! wonderful, too, thab they should have been so exceedingly kind to and manifested such an interest in an entire strangerShe wondered if they two constituted all the family in thab eleganb home; if Mr. Waldmar was a bachelor, or a widower without children.

He had a kind and noble face, and she was greatly attracted toward him, while madame, she thought, was the loveliest old lady she had ever seen.

When morning came she felb much refreshed, and dressing herself in a prebby white wrapper, in which she seemed lovelier than on the previous evening, she wenb down to breakfast.

"She ia charming," said Mr. Alfred Waldmar to himself, as he glanced ab the fresh young face, with its wonderful ey«3 and delicate colouring, "and ib would be a perfect delight to have such a sweet presence always at my table. But ah !" with a sigh, "she is twenty— I am fifty! it is a wide gulf to span; and, besides, there's thab young fellow ab Sunny brook. Bub what nonsense for a man of my years to be sighing over," he concluded, waking himself from his sentimental reverie with an impatient shrug of his shoulders.

After breakfast he excused himself and went immediately to confer with his friend regarding the position of amanuensis for Dorothy, while the madame took her fair protegee for a drive in the Park, and to show her something of New York. Upon their return they found Mr. Waldmar ab home before them, and with him a gentleman and lady, whom madame ab once greeted as Mr. and Mrs. Fortesque. She immediately introduced Dorothy, who acknowledged the presentation with deepening colour, bub, otherwise, was quietly self-possessed.

Mrs. Fortesque barely bowed as she pronounced her name, then coolly proceeded to look her over as one would inspect a garment or horse one was aboub bo purchase. Not so with Mr. Fortesque, who arose when the fair girl approached him, and taking her by the hand, looked earnestly bub kindly into her face he greeted her with gentle courtesy.

Then all at once he gave a great sbarb, while, for a moment, he appeared to be strangely agitated, while an electric thrill sob every nerve in Dorothy's body quivering as she met the wondering, questioning look in his eyes. Bub he recovered himself almost immediately, and remarked in a musical voice :

"So you are the young lady whom my friend recommends to me as an amanuensis, and, as he is a compebenb judge, being a perfect linguist himself, I am going to offer you the position on trial. Do you think you would enjoy the work ?"

" lb is not altogether a question of enjoyment, sir," Dorothy smilingly responded. "It has become a matter of necessity for me to labour ; bub I hope to enjoy it also." "Ahem! she is right, Mr. Fortesque," pompously interposed his wife at this point, "ib is nob a question of enjoyment, bub rather of qualification. Mr. Waldmar tells me thab you are a graduate of Smith College, Miss Wellington ; have you your diploma and certificate with you ?"

" Yes, madame ; would you like to see them ?" Dorothy sweetly inquired, bub with a certain dignity of manner that made Mr. Fortesque blush for his wife's superciliousness.

"I would, if you please," calmly responded the lady.

With a little smile of amusement hovering about her lips Dorothy quietly left bhe room to geb the required papers.

She presently returned, and handed them to Mrs. Fortesque who, after adjusting her lorgnette, proceeded to examine them. They were apparently satisfactory, especially the certificate, which testified, in strong terras, to Dorothy's excellence in scholarship. " You are musical, I suppose?" the lady remarked as she passed the papers to her husband, who quietly rolled them up without looking at them, and laid them on the table beside him. " Somewhat so," Dorothy briefly replied. " Which do you excel ininstrumental or vocal?"

" Instrumental, if either." "I should like to have you play something, to ascertain what your technique is like," observed Mrs. Forteaque, with a consequential air. Dorothy glanced ab Mr. Waldmar, and nearly exploded with laughter, as she caught the mirthful gleam in his eyes. He sprang to his feet, however, and moved toward the piano, which happened to bo closed.

"Certainly," he said, genially, "we have not yet heard Miss Wellington play, and I am sure it will be a favour to us all." " I have no music with me. I neglected to bring any with me ; but perhaps I can play something from memoryjust to show my technique," Dorothy demuroly observed. She seated herself and ran her fingers lightly over the keyboard, when, instantly, everyone in the room knew that no novice was handling the instrument. Then she dropped into one of Beethoven's sonatas, a very difficult selection, and the most critical observor could nob detect a flaw in her execution.

" That was very well done," Mrs. Fortesque remarked, in a patronising tone, when she concludod. "I may as well say that we entertain a great deal, and like to have someone in the house who can amuse our friends, and play for little dances, now and then. I think, Mr, Fortesque, she may come to us if wo can arrange satisfactory terms," she concluded, loftily. "Very well," said tho gentleman, with quiet dignity, " wo will offer Miss Wellington, bo begin with, the same that'we paid Miss Minot ; will you accept the position ab forty dollars a month ?" he asked, turning to Dorothy. "Mr. Fortesque!—" began his wife, in an ominous tone.

" I beg your pardon, Anna—waib one moment, please," interposed the gentleman, but with an inquiring look still Iked upon Dorothy. "I shall bo very glad to do so, sir, and thank you, also, she gratefully replied. "Now, Mrs. Fortesque," said her husband, turning courteously to her, "what were you about to remark?" "Ib does nob signify now," '.he returned, with an aggrieved air. " Then," said Mr. Fortesque, rising, •' I will send the carriage for you ab nine tomorrow morning, Mis 3 Wellington, if that will be agreeable to you." "I will be ready," said Dorothy; and thus it was settled that she should ab once enter upon her now career— career thab was destined to be fraughb with much thai was both sweet and bitter to her, in the near future.

CHAPTER XV. DOROTHY MAKES A WONDERFUL DISCOVERY. The following morning, according to his promise, Mr. Fortesque sent his carriage to convoy Dorothy to her new home. Mr. Waldmar bade her a kind farewell, looking wistfully into her lovely face as he shook hands with her, while he bold her thab if she ever needed a friend agaiu to be sure and come bo him. Madame kissed her in a motherly way thab touched her heart, and said that she musb come often to seo her.

The Fortesquos' residence was a long distance farther up town, and as the morning was fine, Dorobhy enjoyed the drive very much, while she was greatly cheered by having so readily found a home and employment. When she arrived ab her destination she was conducted directly upstairs to Mrs. Fortesque's boudoir, where she found thab lady awaiting her, together with a brilliantlooking girl about her own age, who regarded her with bold, curious eyes as she entered the room.

"Good-morning, Miss Wellington," was tho haughty matron's greeting, in an indifferent tone. "This ia my daughter, Miss Standish," she added, with a wave of her jewelled hand toward hor handsome companion. Dorothy turned to the girl with a courteous salutation, but only to be met by a supercilious stare that sent the hot colour flaming into her cheeks, and a flash of indignation to her beautiful eyes. "I suppose you expected to commence your duties immediately," Mrs. Fortesque resumed; " bub Mr. Fortesque was unexpectedly called out of town this morning, so there will be no writing for you to-day. You can, however, make the acquaintance of my younger children, who are to study French and German with you, and thus improve the time." She touched a bell as she concluded, and upon the appearance of a maid, told her to take Miss Wellington's things to her room. Dorothy was conducted to a pleasant apartment across the hall, where she found a bright, attractive girl, and a mischievouslooking boy pretending to study tho lesson which their mother had assigned them, more to keep them quiet and be rid of their teasing than for any real good which she expected they would derive from it. It was not an easy matter for Dorothy to face the eager, questioning gaze of those two pairs of eyes, which she was but too conscious were taking her measure, with

the view of determining their future attitude toward her.

Bub she greeted thorn cordially, and then proceeded to make inquiries regarding her duties in connection with them.

She found that she would be required to spend two hours each day with her pupils to coach them in French and German ; she was also to superintend their music, giving them two lessons a week, besides her regular work in the library with Mr. Fortesque. When Mrs. Fortesque had finished giving her instructions, she returned to her boudoir where her elder daughter was awaiting her in no pleasant frame of mind. Well, mamma she burst forth, in an irritable tone, the moment she made her appearance. "I must say that, for once, you have made a fool of yourself." " What do you mean, Sadie ?" demanded Mrs. Fortesque, looking both astonished and displeased at this unexpected attack. " How could you ever allow papa to engage so young and handsome an amanuensis ?" pursued Miss Standish, with a pout. " Why, Sadie ! what is the matter ? I know the girl is young, but I don't think her handsome, by any means," Mrs. Fortesque decidedly observed, for, in her eyes, beauty, without the accessories of rich attire, did not amount to much, and Dorothy had worn her simple travelling dress, both yesterday and to-day. " Where are your eyes, mamma?" was the impatient retort. '' Her complexion, to begin with, is something wonderful; ib ia almosb like alabaster, while that fluctuating colour in her cheeks is something that men rave over. And her eye 3 ! those large, liquid brown eyes are jusb bewildering. Her form is perfect, her hands and feet are small and beautifully shaped, and she carries herself more like a young princess than a poverty-stricken girl who has her living to earn."

" Really, Sadie, I did nob know thab you could be so appreciative of beauty in your own sex," her mother remarked, with a short laugh. " But, to tell the truth," she added, more thoughtfully, " I was so eager to ascertain what her qualifications were thab I did nob pay much attention to her looks. lam sure she dresses plainly enough to suit anybody—she does nob wear a single ornament except thab plain barpin and one or two simple rings." "Her hands are pretty enough without rings," said Miss Standish, glancing down with an expression of discontent at her own large knuckles, which were all the more prominent because of the costly gems with which her fingers were loaded. "Sadie! actually believe you are envious !" exclaimed her mother, while she searched her flushed and angry face with a look of perplexity and surprise. " Well, I am," the girl frankly confessed, " and anyone in my place would be to have a girl like that brought into the house to outshine me in the eyes of everyone." " Pshaw ! thab is all nonsense," Mrs. Fortesque responded, as she bestowed a fond glance upon her daughter, you have a queenly figure, your face is handsome, your eyes good, your teeth perfect, and I am sure a girl with your prospects, who has reigned a belle for two seasons in New York society, need not stand in fear of the few charms possessed by a poor governess." Sadie Standish was a fine-looking girl, while there was a certain fascination in her manners which won her many admirers ; but her countenance lacked the character, intelligence, and freshness which characterised Dorothy's fair face ; her eyes had not the direct and steadfast look which proclaimed principle and a pure and noble nature, and she had been quick to realise these facts, and also resented having so dangerous a rival in the house. " Well," she remarked, with an offended air, " I only hope thab you will keep her out of Ted's wayyou know how susceptible he is to a pretty face." "I will look out for Ted, if you will take care of Harold," retorted Mrs. Fortesque, with another light laugh and thinking it best to treat the subject as of little importance, although she had been a little startled at the mention of her son's susceptibility, for he was her eldest bornthe idol of her fond heart—and she had secretly planned great things for .him, a brilliant match being ab preseub bhe height of her ambition.

And Mr. Theodore Standish was a young man of whom any mother mighb well feel proud. Ho was fine looking, with a certain manliness of bearing that was far more attractive than more beauty, while he had just graduated from Yale with honours, and was to begin his law course the coming fall, •i Mr. Harold Millman was a conquest that Miss Standish had made during tho previous season. He belonged to a wealthy family, was accounted "a groat catch" from a financial point of view, and Miss Sadie was proportionately proud of her triumph. " Tho idea, mamma ! thab you could imagine for a moment that a Millman would look ab a person in her position !" was the haughty belle's scornful reply to her mother's jest, although she flushed hotly over the thought. " Still, I feel sure that mischief will result from having such a. pretty girl in the family, especially when we go to the beach."

"I cannob understand how," said Mrs. Fortesque. " She will, of course, have her duties to attend to there, as well as here, and I will manage to keep her so employed when she is nob writing that she will have no opportunity to make herself conspicuous."

" Perhaps you will wake up some fine morning bo find that Ted has eloped with her, and then you will wish that you had heeded my warning," sharply retorted her daughter. Mrs. Fortesque frowned, bub did not think it wise to pursue the subject, and it was therefore dropped for the time. The family were to leave town the following Monday to spend the remainder of the season at a fashionable sea-side resort. The Millmans and Waldmars were also to be of the party, and both Miss Standish and her mother were promising themselves a brilliant season.

Meanwhile, Dorothy, left alone with her pupils, immediately set herself to ascertain how much they knew. A few adroit questions revealed the fact that they could read a little French, bub were very deficient in pronunciation, while they knew almost nothing of German. She ab once discarded all books, and taking possession of a blackboard thab hang upon the wall, she proceeded co instruct them, aa she had been taught, illustrating as she went along, while she would not allow one word of English to be uttered during the lesson in French ; bub in German she was obliged to go back to first principles. The afternoon was devoted to music, and Dorothy had never felt more weary in her life than ab four o'clock, when a servanb came to tell her thab Mr. Fortesque wished to see her in the library. The gentleman greeted her cordially, and, asking her to bo seated, began to explain the nature of the work thab he should require of her, and which he believed she would find very congenial. After a pleasanb chab he dismissed her, remarking thab for the remainder of the day she was at liberty to do what she pleased. The next few days passed quickly, and Dorothy found both her employer and employment delightful, while her hours with the children, who had at once been attracted to her, made a change thab often rested her. Saturday afternoon, Mr. Fortesque informed her, was always to be a holiday, and she was free to spend it as she choose. Bub his wife, evidently, was not so kindly disposed, and after lunch she sought Dorothy, and requested hor to go down town to do a few last errands for her, as she was too busy with her packing to go herself. "Certainly," Dorothy told her, "she would be very glad if she could be of any use to her, only, nob being familiar with the city, she feared she might nob know the best places in which to do shopping." " Oh, Belle shall go with you, as guide —she knows the city from end to end," Mrs. Fortesque responded; and, with her mind relieved upon this point, Dorothy and her young escorb were soon on their way down town, and to meet with an adventure which was to have no little influence upon our fair amanuensis' future in the Fortesque family. Belle proved to be a very efficienb conductor, and Dorothy found no difficulty in making her purchases, although the memorandum which Mrs. Fortesque had given her was by no means a short one, and required the exercise of considerable judgment and patience. She rather enjoyed the experience, on the whole, and when bhey were" through, Belle proposed that they should go to Tiffany's to visit the arb-room and look ab the diamonds.

Dorothy readily assented tpttbis, an&tbey

spent nearly a hour very pleasantly, looking about the establishment.

While they were at the cases containing diamonds and other precious stones, a young and fine-looking gentleman approached one of the clerks, and asked to look at some diamond necklaces.

At first the girls paid no attention to him, but quietly continued their inspection of the wonderful collection before them.

Dorothy was very much interested in the display, while she pointed oub and remarked upon the merits of various stones in a way that surprised her companion. " Why, Miss Wellington ! I should think you had been familiar with diamonds all your life !" Belle observed, in a wondering tone, as Dorothy called her attention to a slight Haw in a beautiful stone thab formed the centre of an exquisite tiara. " I don'b believe there are many people who would have noticed that."

" Well, I have seen some fine diamonds," quietly returned the young girl, "and, being very fond of the stones, I have made something of a study of them." Her mind reverted, as she spoke, to a glittering string of diamonds and rubies which lay ab that very moment in their velvet bed at the bottom of her trunk, and which, every week of her life, she did nob fail to take into her hands and examine until she had become so familiar with each and every gem that she felt almost sure she could have identified them anywhere, even if they had become detached from each other.

On her eighteenth birthday Martha Wellington had taken her alone into her room, and, securely locking the door, brought forth that wonderful necklace which had been found in the trunk containing her clothing when she had been so strangely abandoned to their care.

"I am going to give this to you now, my darling," she had said, after sho had told her all the story of that wonderful incident. "Of course it is nob a suitable thing for you to wear in your present circumstances ; but there may come a time in your life when it will be of greab value to you in proving your identity ; so be sure that you will take the greatest care of it, and never tell anyone that you have ib, for ib would be liable to be stolen from you." Dorothy had listened with wonder to the strange story ; she had taken in her hands thab string of crystallised fire and light, at the touch of which an electric thrill had pervaded her whole frame, as if some potent but unseen presence were hovering about her, seeking to make itself recognised. She had often gazed upon thab tiny cross, which she had always worn, and the mystic characters engraved upon ib, and wondered if the secret of her birth and abandonment would ever be solved.

Many and many a time she had taken out these treasures in secret and studied them, with ever increasing interest and yearning, until, as we have already eaid, she was familiar with every perfect stone and almost with every glittering facet. Consequently, when she came to see that marvellous collection at Tiffany's it was nob so strange as would at first appear that she was capable of criticising them so understandingly. " Well, mamma has a lob of diamonds," Belle returned in answer to Dorothy's remark, " and I have looked them over ever so many times, but I should never have noticed that flaw if you had not shown ib to me. Bub, see! Miss Wellington," she added in a lower tone, " that gentleman who has just come in is young Mr. Van Stein ; they— Van Steins—are awfully rich peopleho is going to be married pretty soon, and I ahouldn'b wonder a bib if he is going to buy the wedding present for his bride. Let's watch and see what ho chooses."

Dorothy thoughb there would be no harm in doing so, and while they appeared to be absorbed in their examination of the display before them, they were really listening to the negotiations between the clerk and the young millionaire. " Yes, it is to be a wedding gift," they heard him say in reply to an observation of the clerk; whereupon Belle nudged Dorothy with her elbow and shot a triumphant look at her. Of course," added the groom-elect, "I want something handsome and unique, and then I think I would like a pendant to go with the necklace."

"Are you particular about having ib entirely of diamonds ?" inquired the clerk. "Well, I had thought of having only white stones," said the young man, musingly. " Why I asked," resumed the other, " was because I have a beautiful thing hero which I think cannot fail to please you," and he drew a magnificent .ornament from the case, and laid ib before his customer. Ib was composed of a blazing ruby for the central stone, surrounded by a circle of flawless stones.

" That is fine, and very unique in design," said Mr. Van Stein, admiringly. "What do you ask for it?" "Twelve thousand dollars," quietly returned the gentleman behind the counter, as if the receiving of such sums was one of the commonest circumstances in life; " and if the lady has a good figure and a fine presence, to carry it off, I think you will find nothing more desirable." " If you have anything to match it, in a necklace, you show ib to me, and lay the pendant aside," the young man said as if the purchasing of twelve thousand ornaments were a small matter to him.

" I have a great bargain here, which may attract you, and I had ib in my mind when I spoke of the pendant," the clerk remarked with a confidential air, as he brought forth a handsome case from the safe behind him.

He opened ib and laid ib before his customer, as he ceased speaking. " Oh !" cried Dorothy, in a stifled tone, while she grew deathly pale upon beholding the glistening gems thus displayed, " that is mine ! that is mine I Where did he get it?"