Eveline Mandeville

arles! Where

n her couch of fever, pain and unconsciousness, and the tones of her voice were so full of sorrow, the fa

n accents more sadly plaintive than any words that had

thousand times that Hadley should be with her for a few hours. He may not be guilty after all. Why ought I to believe Duffel's word before his? Yes, and before that of my own daughter, too? and that without

de from a position once taken or to change an opinion once formed, unless the most positive evidence compel

oint where he was willing to confess the wrong he had perpetrated, by "undoing what he had done amiss." This was a great achievement for one of his temperament-a conquest over self in a very selfish and stubborn nature-which gave evidence that t

formed a resolution to retract, he was not long

came to a certain designated spot, where one of the two met him to impart such information as he desired. No sooner was Mr. Mandeville put in possession of this piece of news, than he resol

ppearance. As he leisurely sauntered down the path and neared the spot, his eye fell upon a piece of paper fo

Hadley, -

placed in such a manner as to catch the eye at a first glance on either side of the letter. The

e of the breach of good manners, and the violation of every principle of honor, he retired to an obscure co

not to fail in the execution of that part of the transaction assigned to you, and then burn the letter immediately, that you may prevent the possibility of its falling into other hands, which would lead to the most disastrous consequences-perhaps to the destruction of our organization. When

not understand, and which were evidently to be intelligible only to the members of some band of villains, by

gone? It will be using him right for the

he softened expression of benevolence, which had lit up his countenance with a glow, left

executed, was evident from the contents of the letter; but where and when the act or acts were to be committed, it was impossible to tell, and consequently, a very difficult matter to decide upon a course of policy likely to thwart the designs of the rogues. After much reflection, Mr. Mandeville concluded it was best to lay the case before the magistrate and take legal advice how to proceed He did so. In a private conference with that functionary, t

ings against him, we have only this letter to rely upon, which is not sufficient to convict him, as there is no legible name at the bottom of it, and no witness to corroborate the statements. If he is guilty, premature act

ate, and then they agreed to keep the mat

the letter?" inq

en leave it with you," was the reply-and

, which, for deep cunning and calculation, was superior to anything he had yet conceived and carried out, though it was but a link in the chain of criminal acts he had forged out and was about

d Duffel, after he had been explaining some inten

ly," was

aken them. I have a measure to propose which will throw suspicion on the wrong track a

he halter around some other rascal's neck.

pon, and as the fellow may possibly be something of a hindrance to my plans of operation in the future, I think this will be a first-rate occasion on which to dispose of him. As I said, somebody will be accused of stealing the horses, and as it is known that you, gentlemen, have recently been in these p

s mighty lik

ely? Don't it look just as i

does look so,

like to cast the bl

, that's

ed the way, and if you will follow my inst

o the life," said Bill, who had been spok

"and to the dea

"Do you think you will have the nerve to perfor

to be cowards, that he makes s

ow if you were now prepared for a

ime and alw

ssible after the animals are missed, and take part in the search, few, if any, will think of us as being the thieves, as they are pleased to term such operators, while we can, at the same time, turn the hunt after the

nders

to be done; we must direct suspicion to some one else; some

fect

eep already prepared

nd where will

place-the dark passage in the road to C--; he passes that point ev

m to the save and imprison him? You

t would be the end of us all; so we should have to both imprison and murder him in the end, which would

ig

ll have some one on w

za for Lieute

len

g par

ay night, and don't fail to be

ear; and the thing shall

feller's body when he's dead, I'

at point. Take him to the sink in that black swamp, and be sure to ma

nt; once there and he'll never see

es as may be necessary for the work before you. Leave nothing in

black-hearted crime. This was Monday, in the afternoon, and consequently, but three days until Hadley was to be waylaid and slain, and immediately afterward somebody's horses stolen and run off, the cri

during the captain's absence, he had resolved to make the most of his time and authority to bring all his plans to a crisis and an issue. Hadley was to be disposed of; Mandev

. Having been deprived of so much rest, during the previous two weeks and more, his slumbers were unusually heavy, and it was a late hour in the morning when he awoke, and the dismal weather adding to his drowsiness, he continued to lay and rest af

is only Mr. Duffel, who has

ll be down in

Mr. Mandeville hastily dressed and went into the parlor, whe

ghter, I could not wait for the storm to abate, but hastened at this unseasonable hour to inquire after her welfare and you

, but she is greatly reduced, and when the fever leaves, will, doubtless, be very weak.-I both hope and fear for her. The fever will r

the most skillful and far-s

use me for a short time? I have not

plea

outh a peculiar smile was playing as he pass

d in some consternation announced that his

se. "What villain could take advantage of the sickness of

numbers of thieves infesting the country. They are regularly banded together; and, would you believe it,

with what I told you in the

ru

seen him

ave

found thi

running in the same direction as m

one could tell whither he had gone, or what had called him away. When these facts were ascertaine

also, because, as he believed, the detection of the culprit would expose the baseness of her lover to his daughter, and cause her to discard him at once from her thoughts.-Full of these thoughts, he offered a handsome reward for the horse, and a very large one f