Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1899 — AUNT HAANAH'S SECRET. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AUNT HAANAH'S SECRET.

By H. E. Scott.

CHAPTER Xlll.—(Continued.) “Surely, Mr. Dobbs," said Herman, to all appearances not in the least disturbed, ‘•you must be satisfied that my loved uncle Had every confidence in me. I cannot betray it. My conscience would not allow me to vote for other than Herman Craven. Until my guardianship of my dead uncle’s daughter shall expire I must hold the reins of this bank in my own hands, and to yourself and the directory I look for aid and encouragement. I desire Mr. Chadbourn to remain our vice-president, and there shall be no change in the policy of the bank. You, its able attorney and my uncle’s lifelong friend, will, I know, be here to counsel me. I desire you to talk with the other directors before the meeting this evening and to assure them, for me, that it is not ambition that impels me, but a feeling that I shall be carrying out the wishes of my murdered uncle. You understand, Mr. Dobbs?" “Yes, yes, I understand," answered the lawyer. “The directors will be greatly surprised. I had best see them at once, since you have fully determined on this course. I cannot answer for what some of them may do. They may withdraw their interests from the bank.” “I trust not, Mr. Dobbs. You will still be our counselor—Mr. Chadbourn, our vice-president. The directory will remain unchanged, and if after my duties as guardian and administrator shall cease, the directory desire, I will gladly join them in placing any one of their number at the head of the bank. You must understand how I feel about the matter.” “Yes, certainly! I think I do, and I will lose no time in conferring with the directors. At 7 o’clock this evening we assemble here in this room. I may drop in and see you before that time." “Pray do; but in any event I shall r*ly on you, and in all matters be guided by you and the directory.” The old attorney arose from his chair and left the office.

“That was smooth work,” thought Herman, “and it will win. I don’t believe a man will vote against me after that. Chadbourn will be in and I will promise to withdraw in his favor at the expiration of two years. They may have the bank then and welcome, or what there is left of it. I think before, for I don’t believe I can stand two years of this humdrum life, now that I have money. I hope Dobbs won’t visit Hattie and confer with her on the matter,” and Herman drew a cigar from his pocket, lighted it and puffed the wreaths of smoke contentedly aloft. Attorney Dobbs had left the bank with the full intent of doing the very thing Herman Craven did not want him to do—namely, of consulting the young heiress and counseling her to appeal to the courts for protection against the wiles of her guardian and the administrator of her father’s estate, and straightway he bent his steps in the direction of the late banker’s residence.

He had reached Market street and turned the corner when he saw before him the tall form of Lang Sellars. “Good morning, Mr. Dobbs,” said the detective. “I am just from your office. 1 desire to see you on important business. You look annoyed.” “I am, Sellars, I am, and a very important matter takes me at once to the residence of our lost friend. Igo to consult his daughter. I fear for the future, Sellars. I will see you later.” “Have you spoken of fears to anyone else?” "Not in the matter that is now agitating me. Of course, you know we are all at sea. But I must not delay. I will be at the office later.” “I must see you now, Mr. Dobbs—at once, before you visit Miss Deßosette.” “But, Mr. Sellars—” “The matter agitating you is that Herman Craven has decided to become president of ’The Cape Fear Bank.’ ” “True, Sellars, but how ” “Never mind now, Mr. Dobbs; but please return to your office with me and I will convince you that it is to the interest of all parties concerned that Herman Craven be not thwarted at this time.” “Is it possible?” exclaimed the attorney. “Well, there would in fact be but one way to thwart him.” . “And that one way must not be resorted to.” “I am glad I encountered you. That you have reasons for your statement I am well aware. Come!” Ten minutes later the two men were seated in the lawyer’s office in close conversation, and for fully an hour were they there closeted. At last Sellars arose to his feet, and the attorney accompanied him to the door. “You have convinced me, Sellars,” said the lawyer. “There shall be no obstruction. Ilerman Craven shall be elected without a dissenting voice, nnd his every movement shall be watched.” “It is well,” said Sellars, as he strode from the door. Ten minutes later Attorney Dobbs dispatched a messenger for Directors Chadbourn, Hammond nnd Hoyt, and when they were arrived there was another consultation, the result of which was that at 7 o'clock, when the directors convened, Herman was unanimously elected president of “The Cape Fear Bank,” and when an hour later he wended his way home there was a look of triumph on his fea-' tures. “Quite a raise in the fortunes of Stephen Craven’s son, my dear uncle,” he muttered. “I have stepped into your shoes very nicely. Your foul murderer soon comes to trial and will die on the gallows. Your fortune mine, your daughter mine! So much for Stephen Craven’s son!” And onward strode the new bank president in fancied security, CHAPTER XIV. At 8 o’clock on the night of the first of September a tall, raw-boned man, dressed in the garb of a Southern planter, entered the office of the Chesapeake Hotel in Baltimore, and on the register inscribed the name, “O. A. Maltby, South Carolina." “Sapper. Mr. Maltby?” asked the clerk.

“No, no, thank you; had supper on the boat. Save me a room on the second floor. I have some friends I wish to look up and may be opt late.” “Yes. Well, there is a directory on the counter there. If you don’t know exactly where to locate them, you wil\find their names and places of residence there, if they are Baltimoreans.” “Thanks,” said Maltby, as he moved towards the directory. “I will avail myself of it.” ~ Mr. Maltby turned over the leaves of the directory, casually glancing from leaf to ieaf, until he had reached a page at the head of which appeared the letter S. Four pages of names commencing with S he passed, then bent over the book. “St—St—Here we are! St—St—Stephens! I should find the name here—Stephens Adam—Stephens Alfred—Stephens Benjamin—Stephens Bruce, and here is Charles M. Stephens, wholesale grocer— Clarence Stephens, attorney at law—Stephens Stephens Stephens Humph! There is no C. A. Stephens recorded here,” thought Mr. Maltby, as he closed the book. “Well, have you located your friends, Mr. Maltby?” asked the clerk. “No, lam disappointed, too. The name of the one I most desire to find does not appear here.” “Then your friend is not an old resident of Baltimore. That book is this year’s directory, and unless he has taken up his residence here since April last his name would appear there; but perhaps I can assist you. What letter were you tracing?” “S. My friend’s name is Stephens—C. A. Stephens.” “No such name here," said the clerk,” “and I never heard of a C. A. Stephens. Here is the wholesale grocer, Charles M. Stephens. He is an old man near seventy, and resides on Laurel street. Here are a dozen others commencing with C, but na C. A. What business is your friend engaged in?” “Oh, he is not a friend, merely a friend to parties with whom I am acquainted, and who wished me to look him up. They were not certain that he was in Baltimore. It does not matter in the least. If I encounter him, well and good; if not, the same,” and so saying Mr. Maltby turned away and a half hour later entered the office of John L. Thorp, chief of Baltimore detectives. “Could I see the chief?” he asked of the young man who was seated at the desk within the railing. “He is engaged in his private office,” said the secretary, “but I will take in your card.” “I declare I forgot to provide myselt with one,” said the planter. “Just tell him that O. A. Maltby of South Carolina is anxious to see him.” The secretary vanished, but soon returned and conducted Mr. Malt'by to an inner office. “Pray be seated, Mr. Maltby,” said the chief. The planter complied, and the secretary withdrew. “What can I do for you, sir. You are a planter, I judge. Runaway negroes that you are trying to locate?” “No, sir! No, Thorp, no! I have come to interview yon,” said Maltby, in an entirely different voice from that the chief had heard when he inquired for him in the outer office. “Hey!” exclaimed Thorp, jumping to his feet. “Well, I’ll be —So you have turned planter, Mr. Sellars—planter! Give me your hand. I have not seen you in a coon's age. What wind blows you here?” “Thorp, you sized me up about right when I entered the office. I am Planter Maltby of South Carolina, for the time being, and I am here to inquire if in your department you have any record of one C. A. Stephens.” “I can answer that without even referring to the books. I nevef heard the name before. Baltimore contains no man of that name.” “Are you sure, Thorp?” “Certain! To be sure, some one of the many crooks that infest the city may on occasion have used the name.” “I understand that. What I wished to ascertain was whether there was a man known to your department as C. A. Stephens.” • “There is not; but what crime has C. A. Stephens committed?” “None that I know of. I merely wish to locate the man.” “I see! He may have committed a crime! Well, I can’t help you Without a description of your man, perhaps not then. What does he look like?” “I have never seen him, to my knowledge.” "No?” “Nor have I his photograph. I under stand he is about six feet in height, of middle age and has a grayish mustache. That is all I know about him.” “HUmph! You will find five hundred men in Baltimore, who would answer to that description.” “I know it. I imagine he is a sporting character—perhaps a drummer.” “You might make a round of our gambling houses. No one on earth would know you. True, some sharps might try td do you.” “I am willing,” said Sellars. “Yes; well, I will give you a list of the new houses. You know the old ones, or if you will wait ten minutes I will go with you.” “Good! I will.” Two planters were soon making a round of the gambling houses. They explored fully a dozen, and several men whose faces Planter Maltby closely scanned would have come up to Adam's description of C. A. Stephens, but something was lacking. Of course, Thorp knew them all, and Sellars was fully satisfied that he had not yet encountered his man. “There is but one more of any note,” observed Thorp, as they stepped from the door of Bartridge Brothers about 12 o'clock. \ “And that?” ’’Abbott’s, on Calvert street.” “Well, It’s on the way to the hotel,” said Sellars.

house jfa Baltimore. Asllßtea»a?w®i!!lS® all stations ot life. Two roulette wheels ikqpt qp » ouuuslhsß hum in their circles, oanfl qflnsymn mans seated Ht three Add tables, wflilte tflstaflßfashioned (iff ipdbsr mgDqpdhri , attention of many. The two planters flail! at fifiQar oar them here and there do divert mg snmptnnm, and soon left the place. Asthey neared the floor niflnflffir <ftn»efl young sport entered xtt, tmfl Sfeflhn* beard him ask an attendant iif Attihntt ifanfl returned. “He’s doing the bqys in Was the answer. “Thanks, Tharp” said aSdlters, w*bbb they were again on the retreat. “9 Hum® at least accomplished sill I trip. I have Jammed that iff C. A. Stephens is a Baltimore man dm wests itillhg: under an alias on the otwontenidh off 11®E month. That is mot ranch, tlmt itt wdH ifadpj me to shape my course”’ "Yon are entirely welcome, Lffl*. I am at your service at any time I earn ft® of assistance. Good night”’ At 7 o’clock on the rrigflit off tfte tftihdj, Sellars entered the dour off theme ttn Wilmington. After supper be onterefl the offline, ilgflfied his pipe, sat batik tin ihte qnmrilmir aanfi sent far Galhan. “I’s got nothin’ to ipmtt, Mars lans!” said the negro, as the entered the offline. “I has watched de banker’s thorn® sftsng night close, and ns one omit game iin ascome out ’eeptih’ them 11 know!” “That was nil you earilfl flu, ghfttem. There, see who is at the flnar.”’ The negro opened it, and Jkmtt Btwin«fli. looking much agitated, -entered, ffdlteamfi by her daughter Millie. “Ah, you, Hannah, and Millie, ttreoT? TTVws chairs. Cal ban! Here, -net them adits® On the desk. You have something mew, Hannah?” “Mars Lang,” said the negre», saniitedly, “Millie de one what’s gat ms, said itt may be ’portent news. 3 jjes tfine Ht auc to-day.” ~ “Well, Millie.” said Lang, omnoirunging ly, “what is ±e?” “Mars Lang,” said Millie, flunking wdilßly at the detective, ‘you wank Itet Ibis Herman sell me?” “Sell you, Millie? Yin, am, dm azarik still yon. Y out mistress, I fioiikt tnnt, mdll soma free you, and until she does yon asm mats assured that she will not past with ynn No, no, or after, -either, tiperik tqp, I mill] defend you in case of necessity. Brinnii her your murdered master. Month army depend on you.” 1 “Mars Lang, Mammy say ttntflgy (flat Mars Herman neb her bring tiny ante’Sides hisself into de bouse!” “Well, did lie?” “Mars Lang, an fie night befu tfte murder, Miss Hattie bub fie hniftnrih*;, and I was in her room riilibin’ her timid mi id camphor’til twelve d’clodk. WhenDienme out of her room into fie Shall, I (dim® *lte do’ bellin’ me. and start flown >tte Until ttn my room. As 3 open fie fid’ I <ghrnm»fl back, and I seed a light shin in” as tfinqgh somebody was earnin' dawn -de stnhs dhann de do’ above. Dar was mo flight Annum]’ in de hall, and 3 slipped in my atones; Butt lef’ de do’ ajar, and soon two men <mmw down de stairs.” “Two men?” exclaimed Salters. “HWm men ?”

“Yes, two men, Mhts Long, tfflu® wa» Mars Herman, and de odder vwas a tniller and an older man, wid a mnsuuflie. ffn* Herman was carryin’ a lump, and fin •v.ms both iu dar stockin’ Teet. 3tta ilndkad mighty nerbous, leastwise. Mm® ffieirrumi did, and da walked mighty fieerful. IDta come on down de fliall and went in Mans Herman's roam. “I was flat steered 3 flak To Sell down. First, I tongbt 3 go tell Mias ffinttin. ICten I was skeered, and 3 dossent, so 3 Itedtati my room do’ and Jaifl flown waflaryfilntheß on, and dar 3 fluid ’til mswnhi!, wihen mammy called me. 3 mtiliher said -nmilini’ kaze I was skeered of Mars Hnnuun. Now, dat’s all.” “Does your mistress know off tfliis. Millie?” “Not a soul know it, Mars Lang, 'iißgttin’ what’s hyar.” “Then not a word, Millie; nor won, Hannah, to ■ living soul. Yon axe sure Herman Craven did not see yon, and ;is: ignorant of the fact that ynn saw him and ttfia companion?” “Certain, Mars Lang!” “Y ou never sa w this man that was wtifa Herman before or since?” “Nebber, Mars Lang, .flat 3 flaiuws off, dough de light was dim mid 3 cmildn’k see berry well.” “Well, that is aIL Eetum hame. Yarn information may be weiy ihqpmttuut. I shall be at the house at Ml fi’dlmik tomorrow. Look Jar me at the truar finny, and if your mistress stmts to Iteave tfh® house, detain flier. *Gtherwise. saw -thttHi rrg» to her. Remember, ant a ward. (Gaud night. Show them out, iCalban.” “Good night, Mors Tang!” “So, so!” exclaimed the (detective, as the door closed behind the aegxess amd ttmr daughter. “Another fliiik iin the -chain— C. A. Stephens visited the taksrV ihnm*, on the night as the seventeenth, anil nmna. he was on the second hoar iin immqiaqy with Herman, and in his stocking 3etfi. “Gods! They had visited the mrfirf! Fool that 3 was not to have texpluxud itt on the night of the murder. Ytedl! Fouff! Then and there, 3 should Ilinwe cupturad C. A. Stephens, the murderer of Alflvin IBleRosette.” (To be continued.)