WHY DID HE LOVE HER?

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9879, 26 February 1901, Page 3

WHY DID HE LOVE HER?

CHAPTER, XXXlX.—Continued.

Benetti trembled, and seemed greatly alarmed. She closed her lips firmly, and again, resumed her work. Fontani drew near her, took a purse from his pocket, through the meshes of which, gold glit. tered, and quietly said:

"Here are three hundred scuddi. The gold is yours on one condition. It wili buy you the comforts you need, and, in addition to this, I will give you enough to keep you above want if you will speak the truth. How long is it since this young lady came t» you, and whafb Ua» now become of her?*

"I have not said she was here; it was only an assertion of your own," she sullenly replied. .

"Perhaps it was, but it is-Jiot the less true. Ido not wish to alarm you by threats, but I "must say to you, that if you will not answere me truly and fairly I will take measures to compel you to do so, and you will then lose the reward I aim willing to pay you. Think of it; I am rich; I will give.you all your age requires in return for the information. I seek. Besides, you will do a good deed. You will rescue a. wronged child from tho dark fate that threatens her."

After & pause, during which Fontani attentively regarded her, she muttered:

pHfcJiv frtoi j* \fcnchvi ifchMi you (will rfceep your word? She broke hers, but she sends me word she will soon be able to help me. She ias sent me money once; she may do so again; why should I give up a certainty for a|i flmcertaSinjty?" Sh< seemed communing more with horsed than speaking to her companion. He said: „ . ■ ■

"One thing is very certain, and that Is. that Senoni Roselli will soon have noth. ing 'for herself but what my clemency allows her to ietoiiu You navfe recog. nised mo as Henry Fontaine; I am now on my way to Virginia to unmask thj'i < woman, and prove that the girl she took with her is no child of mine."

Benetti trembled, and she hurriedly Raid:

"I had .notndng to do with it; she fixec' it all with her husband, I let them cal tho little girl Savella Fontaine, thoug)' I knew that wasn't her name; it couldn' harm any one, for the 'child that should havo been so willed was lost, so I le' things go as they wished.''

"You confess, then, that you were ay indirect accomplice in this fraud, foi which I can call you to a severe account, but it ia not my wash to do si All I aslof you ds to givo me n clue to the you-.ij.' stranger who came hither nearly tweweeks since with a man calling himself Roselli. He represented .-.himself uher father, but you were all aware th;;' she was not his child."

"How should I know that? Roselli mot a person to seek an old woman un less he wanted some service at her hand; What if I did give shelter to the girl ;* few days? anybody might have done th same for pay?"

"Then you admit that she whs hen That is much gained. Now tell me w1) % ther she has been taken, and where . can find the man himself, for I must sohim."'

"To have him put in prison, belike No—l hadn't anything to do with h; wickedness, but I knew when he was . boy, and I don't like to do anything t hurt him now.*

"It is not my intention to harm him On tho contrary, I will pay him better t.i undo what he has done than those wh tempted him to this outrage have paic him to commit it. If Koselii will gtvo uj tho girl to me, I will double the brib offered Em by Bianca, and let him escape tho penalty- H not, I will set th' sbirri on his track."-

She nervously moved her hands, a,n( eagerly said: ( .

"Oh! not that—not that—it wouM—' Pausing abruptly, Fontani took uphei words:

"'Ruin his—yes, I comprehend that. 1 remember now, Mother Benetti, that yor onco had a son who was something of i scamp. I have m.y suspicions that he and Roselli are one. If he is, you may b'i mire of one thing—l will track him, ui> earth him, nnd force him to disgorge hi prey." «Tho excitement of the old woman in creased to such a degree that Fontani fe I.' convinced he had touched the mark. He jaw fell, her eyes became glassy, and he wrinkled hands shook so they could n< longer go bn with the employment whicJ has become almost mechanical -with her She spoße in an irritated tone:

"I don't know why you should com here to threaten me so. What is this gii to you ''

"She is my daughter; she is the chili' of the young mistress you loved. Shewn.' rescued from death by my brother; Ik reared her as his own, and when Bkmci found a rival in her way, she devised tlviplan to rid herself of her presence. Nov will you refuse mo the information I sect at your hands?"

"If it is true—if this is Savella'x chili' I would help you if I dared, but I diiv not I must usk him. He will be feaiful"\ asgry, but I have known .that somellmn was wrong ever since that poor, pnl< child came here. But she isn't hero now; no no he took her away."

"Are you quite sure of that? But nevemind. When will you see Leo?"

He is to come here to-night—he come: every night."

"You are certain that .my child is safe?'

"Oh "yes—l know that. He does noi treat her badly, and the poor thing begins to believe that he as really her father. Xeo wouldn't listen to me; he has his own plans, and I don't know bul lie may Ell me for betraying to you what I have done. 1' . "Is he violent, then?" " . -.. "Sometimes when he is angry; but then he is sorry for his harshness and tries to make me forget it. You won't • hurt him, 'Senor? You'll buy his secret from liis and let him go unpunished." "If he gives me back my child unharm. cd. If not, the law shall grasp and hold lim in its iron vice. Good afternoon, Mother Benetti; here is the. purse which you have fairly earned. I shall return in three hours in the hope of finding your son with you. Tell him all I Tiave said, and say to him that flight is useless, for the sbirra are on tlie watch for him,' and ho will not be perfitted to escape."

(To be continued.)