A MYSTERIOUS MONOGRAM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9711, 5 January 1895, Page 3 (Supplement)

A MYSTERIOUS MONOGRAM.

BY MBS. GEOROIE SHELDON, Author of "The Forsaken Bride," "Brownie's Triuinuh," etc. CHATEK XXXIII. IS THE NICK OF TIME. Thk last we knew of Dorothy, alio had mysteriously disappeared from the hotel at Claremont, and her friends, the Waldmars, were therefore thrown into a state of great anxiety and suspense.

She was usually absent about an hour, when she went out for her daily walk. Madame had never felt troubled if she was gone a little longer, for she had never had a thought that the least danger could overtake her; thus, on the afternoon in question, she did not begin to feel anxious until the sun had set, and the had nob made her appearance. " Her long absence is very strange," she remarked to her son. " I cannot imagine where the child can be." "She may have wandered farther down the beach than usual, or, possibly, she may have gone to tha village, and been detained," Mr. Waldmar responded, without the slightest feeling of uneasiness. But when it began to grow dark, and still she did nob return, ho also became greatly alarmed. He went out to search for her, and walked miles along the beach, peering into every nook amoni? the rocks that she was in the habit of frequenting, calling her by name as he went. But he found no trace of bar anywhere, and only mocking echoes responded to the utterance of the name that had become so dear to him. With a heavy heart he retraced his steps to the hotel, where he communicated to the proprietor his fears that some accident had befallen Miss Wellington, and begged that a party mighb ab once be made up bo search for her. '

Several gentlemen, who were standing by when he made this appeal, smiled knowingly, and exchanged significant glances. " It's my private opinion, publicly expressed, that the young lady has taken French leave, in view of the approaching examination," muttered a young coxcomb, who had observed, and thus interpreted, the expressive looks of his companions. " Sir!" exclaimed Mr. Waldmar, who had overheard him, and confronting him indignantly. " Miss Wellington is incapable of such an act. I would stake my honour upon her integrity." * " Ab all events, if she does nob pub in a speedy appearance, he will have a snug sum to fork over, as the price of his hightoned philanthropy," the impudent dude retorted, in an audible aside, as he turned carelessly upon his heel and walked away. Mr. Waldmar flushed angrily, bub otherwise paid no heed to the offensive remark. He did not, for an instant, attribute such a motive to Dorothy's absence; indeed such a thought had nob occurred to him, until this moment, and he now told himself that to lose faith in the beautiful girl would hurb him far more than the sacrifice of the thousands of dollars which he had pledged as her surety. A party was formed, however, and, armed with lanterns, they searched along the beach for miles and for many hours. Ib was a fruitless quest, and Mr. Waidmar was almost crushed by grief and anxiety upon their return, while he did nob feel one whib less assured of Dorothy's purity of purpose and innocence of any intentional wrong to himself. He felt sure, on the contrary, that some terrible accident had befallen her. He would nob relinquish the search for several days; bub always returned at night, weary and disheartened, while both he and his ■ grief-stricken mother so missed the bright presence of the beautiful girl, that ib almost seemed to bhem as if there had been a death in the family. Thus the day set for Dorothy's examination drew near, and considerable excitement began to be manifested among the guests ab the hotel, who felt unusually interested in view of the large amount which Mr. Waidmar had pledged for/the appearance of the suspected criminal, while very few had much doubt regarding what the decision of the judge would be, when the facts connected with the robbery and the later discovery of the stolen necklace, should be laid I before him. [ Mr. Waldmar was known to be rich ' enough to meet his obligations in caso

Dorothy should nob appear, without being I crippled thereby. Still there were many , who felt both indignant and sympathetic over the fact of bis having been so taken in ' —as they believed he had been—by a clever, though extremely pretty, rogue; while there were others who sneered openly at his "philanthropy," and claimed that tu." lesson was just what he needed, to teach him wisdom for the future. The Fortesques were among the latter number, while Mrs. Fortesque and her haughty daughter did poor Dorothy's cause no good by the numerous slurs which they threw out against her, together with insinuations of very questionable acts, of which, they claimed, she had been guilty while she was in their service. Mr. Millman and his betrothed came near having an open rupture upon the subject on the day previous to that set for the official inquiry. " I think you do the girl a great wrong," the young man had remarked in response to Miss Standish's observation that " she had never had any faith in Dorothy's honesty ; she believed her to be tricky, and underhanded, from the first, and she did not doubt in the least that she had skipped her bail." "That is the way with you men," Sadie had pettishly responded. Let a girl have a pretty face, and you will all stand up for her, no matter what she may do." "That is a very sweeping as well as an unjust assertion," Mr. Millman gravely replied. "I should espouse Miss Wellington's cause in this instance, were she the plainest person I had ever seen, for she bore the unmistakable impress of a true lady— of a pure and conscientious woman, and I would a3 soon suspect my own sister of having committed this bold theft as that beautiful girl." " She certainly ought to feel grateful to you for being so brave a champion in her cause," sneered Miss Standish. "I have long known that you were an ardent admirer of her, but I did nob think you would care to flaunt ib so conspicuously in my face," she concluded, losing control of herself utterly. Mr. Millman coloured angrily ab the malicious slur. " Yes. Ido admire Miss Wellington," he coldly returned, after putting a curb upon himself, "bub I did nob imagine you were jealous of her." " One can even stoop to be jealous of a servant, when she becomes the recipient of attentions that rightly belong to one's self, " the angry girl retorted. "I do nob understand you Whab do you mean, Sadie?" her lover demanded, but he grew a trifle pale about the mouth as he put the question. " Do you suppose I do not know about your clandestine offerings to the girl ?" Miss Standish haughtily inquired. " Did she tell you that I made her such offerings 1" Mr. Millman asked, in a frigid •tone. " Of course nob ! The girl was far too sly for that. I found it out myself. In your waste-basket I discovered the note she wrote to you, and charged her with it. She could not deny that she had been receiving attentions from you ; and as mamma could not have the children under the influence of such a person, she sent her away," Miss Standish explained, giving her own version of the affair.

"And that was the reason why Miss Wellington left you V exclaimed Mr. Millman, in a tone of grieved surprise, for until now he had never learned why Dorothy had been dismissed. " Yes." "Well, then, all I can say i«, that both you and Mrs. Fortesque have been exceedingly unjust," the young man sternly rejoined, "for Miss Wellington was guiltless of all wrong. I confess to sending her flowers and fruit; for, as you know, 1 received a large box from my place in the country, every day, and I ventured to place a few on her table occasionally, when she was out with the children. I could easily reach in from the verandah to do so. I never, save once, personally offered her a bouquet, and that called forth the note you have reference to. If that was considered an offence worthy of dismissal, I must say ib was an act of injustice and cruelty, upon your part." With these last scathing words, Mr. Millman abruptly arose from his seat beside his fiancee,, and walked away. Miss .Standish began to fear that she had gone too far in thus betraying what she knew regarding his offerings to Dorothy. She had not intended telling him anything of the matter, but hor anger against and jealousy of Dorothy, when her lover so boldly espoused her cause, got the better of her judgment, and thus she had revealed the secret. She was at heart very fond and proud of her wealthy and aristocratic betrothed, and it would have been a terrible blow, both to her affection and hopes, to have had a lasting quarrel with him ; therefore, seizing her earliest opportunity, she assumed the role of a fair penitent, made her peace with him, and thu? the gulf between them was safely bridged. The day set for an official inquiry into the facts relating to the recent robbery at the hotel arrived, and the court-room of the small county town was filled to overflowing by the many who were interested in the case.

Although Mr. Waidmar had done his best and failed to have the examination deferred, he did not, up to the very last moment, lose all hope that Dorothy would appear to answer for herself; and, accompanied by the competent lawyer to whom he had submitted the case, he presented himself before the judge, to do what he could toward establishing the fair girl's innocence, even in her absence. The counsel for the prosecution presented the complaint of his clients against! Miss Wellington, together with the facts in his possession to substantiate it, after which what witnesses they had were called and examined. The diamond and ruby necklace and pendant were minutely described, their story told, and their purchase sworn to by the clerk from Tiffany's establishment, who had sold them to Mr. Van Stein, The necklace found in Dorothy's trunk was afterward produced, and the man testified that, as far as he was able to judge, it was the identical one which the gentleman had bought of him. All the evidence elicited for the prosecution seemed incontestable, and there was hardly a person in the room—save Mr. Waldmar and mudame —who were not convinced that Dorothy had stolen the jewels, and then, upon the discovery of the necklace, had absconded, taking the valuable pendant with her..

When the evidence for the prosecution was all in, and the whole , audience in a flutter of excitement, in view of the denouement to come, the judge, as a matter of form, ordered the defendant to be called. There was a moment of awkward hesitation, while absolute silence prevailed throughout the court-room. A whispered consultation between Mr. Waldmar and his counsel followed, when the latter arose and resolutely facing the desk, began : "Your honor, I regret to be obliged to state — There had been a slight commotion at the door just as he arose, and he had gob thus far in the announcement he was about to make, when Mr. Waidmar bounded to his feet, crying out excitedly : " Hold on, Warner ! hold on 1" Then he made his way down the crowded room to meet two individuals who were coming toward him. Every eye was attracted in thab direction, and instantly the entire audience were wrought up to the highest pitch of curiosity and excitement.

The judge turned his astonished gaze from Mr. YValdmar's counsel, toward the group, which had now met midway in the room; the lawyer whirled about to ascertain why ho had been bidden to " hold on" in that unceremonious and authoritative manner, when he caught sighb of an excited couple who were shaking hands in the heartiest way imaginable with Mr. Waldmar, whose fine face was all aglow with smiles of welcome and delight. The couple who had created all this commotion were no other than Archibald Wellington, and—the long-missing Dorothy ! When the audience realised that the fair girl had nob been wilfully delinquent, but was there voluntarily to answer to the charge against her, the tide of popular feeling turned instantly in her favour, and cheer after cheer arose from more than two hundred throats, making the rafters of thab dingy room ring with welcoming applause. Even the face of the judge, who, of course, had been aware of the trying predicament in which . Mr. Waldmar and his counsel had found themselves, relaxed in sympathy with the prevailing feeling, as he comprehended the situation., ' " v >.

Bub ib was bis duty to preserve order, and, in a tone ,of stern authority, he commanded silence. This was nob readily restored, as may be imagined, and all the while -Archie and Dorothy were rapidly conversing with Mr. Waldmar, whose countenance betrayed intensest interest in their communications.

But comparative quiet was finally established, when the judge turned to the lawyer, who still remained standing before him, and ordered him to go on. The man was equal to the dccasion, and, with a humorous twinkle in his eye, repeated himself. ..." Your honor, I remark again, I regret to be obliged to state that there has been a little necessary delay upon the part of my fair client; but," with a courteous bow and wave of his hand toward Dorothy, who had now come forward and was standing beside him, " the defendant is here." Another burst of applause greeted this adroit parrying of the humiliating confession which, a few moments before, he had been upon the point of making. But curiosity and interest in what was to come did more than the judge's commands to silence the multitude, and then the defendant was ordered to take the stand and be sworn, which the beautiful girl did with a modest demeanour, but flushing sensitively beneath the gaze of so many critical eyes. She was then questioned regarding her name, age, place of birth, etc., and the interest of the audience was increased a hundredfold, when it became apparent that a romance was about to be unfolded in the forthcoming examinations. But, at a suggestion from Mr. Waldmar, Dorothy's lawyer objected to all curious interrogation regarding the circumstances attending her adoption by Mr. Wellington, for he claimed they had no bearing upon the case in hand. " Where were you on the nighb of the tenth of September?" the counsel for the prosecution inquired. " I attended the ball ab the Hotel, as a spectator, with Mr. Waldmar," Dorothy replied. "I was in the pavilion until midnight, when we went to the dining-room and had supper, after which I retired immediately to my own room." " Did you leave your room again that night?" " I did not. Ib was seven o'clock in the morning when I arose. It was nearly eight when I went down to breakfast with madame and Mr. Waldmar, and immediately afterwards we left the house for a day of yachting." " Did you notice particularly the necklace which Mrs. Van Stein wore on the evening of the ball ?" " I did." " Did you remark upon it?" " I did not; but my companion, observing my start of surprise, when the lady entered the pavilion, spoke of its beauty and costliness." " Why did you give a sfcarb of surprise?" "Because I had seen both necklace and pendant before, and recognised them." And then Dorothy was obliged to rehearse the story of her visit, with Belle Standish, to Tiffany's establishment, on the day when Mr. Van Stein had purchased the stones.

" So you thought the necklace had been stolen from you, and been sold to the great diamond merchant ?" was the sneering remark, which Mr. Van Stein's lawyer interposed, when the young girl spoke of the terrible shock she had received upon beholding them in the store. " Yes, sir, I did," calmly responded the beautiful defendant, as she unflinchingly met the gentleman's sceptical glance and smile, " I felt sure that its presence there could be explained in no other way." " Why did you nob claim it then and there, if that was your belief?" inquired the man, in the same tone as before. "I was almost upon the point of doing so, then checked myself upon realising how absurd my claim would appear. I think the gentleman will remember my emotion, and the slight exclamation of surprise which was forced from me when the necklace was handed to him," and Dorothy turned an inquiring glance upon Mr. Van Stein, as she concluded.

" Yes," Mr. Van Stein unhesitatingly responded, as Dorothy appealed to him to corroborate her statement, "he had observed her emotion and heard her exclamation. The latter circumstance had attracted his attention to the young ladies, whom he had not particularly noticed before ; but he had thought the cry merely one of startled surprise and admiration, called forth by the exceeding beauty of the jewels." " I suppose you went immediately home, in great fear, Miss Wellington, and looked to see if your own were safe," the prosecuting attorney remarked, in a sarcastic tone. He had nob a particle of faith in her story. It seamed simply preposterous to him— her assertion that there were two necklaces of such beauty and costliness, exactly alike, and one of them owned by herself, a poor girl who was obliged to earn her own living. " Yes, sir, that was just what I did," Dorothy returned, and skill undisturbed by the man's sneers. " And were you so fortunate as to find it safe 1" " Your honor, I objecb to the tone and manner which the opposing counsel is employing in conducting the examination of my client! It is embarrassing—it is discourteous!" Dorothy's lawyer here interposed, as he sprang indignantly to his feet.

"Let; there be courtesy in the court!" his honor commanded. The sceptical lawyer bowed deprecatingly at the reproof. " I beg the young lady's pardon, if my queries have seemed discourteous," he politely remarked ; then added : " But if my last question is in order, your honor, I would like to have it answered." "It is in order—the defendant may answer it," said the judge. " Yes, sir, I did find the necklace safe in my trunk when I returned to West Eightieth-street," Dorothy replied. " That diamond and ruby necklace which you see upon the table ?" " Yes, sir ; that one." " And you still assume there must be another somewhere in existence, exactly like it?" " Yes, sir, I do so assume." And you claim this one 39 your individual property ?" " I do ; it belongs to me," the girl quietly responded. How long has ib been in your possession?" " Since my eighteenth birthday." "Explain how you came by ib, Mies Wellington, if you please," and it was now noticeable that the lawyer's tone and manner wore radically changed, while he regarded the lovely defendanb with grave interest.

" My mother, by adoption, gave it to me at the time I have mentioned, and related to me how she had come by it." "Be kind enough to tell the court, what account she gave you concerning the article." Dorothy flushed at this command. She was, as we know, extremely sensitive regarding the story of her own mother's abandonment of her, and it seemed as if she could nob repeat it there before, that crowd of curious people. She turned an appealing glance upon her own counsel. He gave her a smile of encouragement, and quietly remarked: " I think it will be best for you to explain everything, Miss Wellington." The fair girl still hesitated a moment, then finally said : "My mother told me that the necklace was in the trunk with the clothing that had been provided for ma when I was given into her care."

" By whom was this clothing provided ?" "By my own mother, I have every reason to suppose." " What are your reasons for that supposition (To be continued)