PLOTS DEVELOPING.
"Charles, Charles! Where is Charles?"
This name and inquiry were often repeated by Miss Mandeville as she still
lay "between life and death," on her couch of fever, pain and
unconsciousness, and the tones of her voice were so full of sorrow, the
father's heart melted at last, and he began to relent. And when, after a
pause, his daughter would continue:
"He is gone! gone!--gone forever!--ah, my poor heart!"--in accents more
sadly plaintive than any words that had over fallen upon the parent's ear,
he said to himself:
"It must not be! Hadley shall be, sent for; she loves him, and his voice
may call her back to consciousness. I cannot bear to think of her leaving
the world in ignorance of her father's good will; better a 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 a word of explanation! No, it is
unnatural. I wonder I have been blinded so long! Yes, Hadley shall be
heard, and if he can show a clean hand, Eveline shall no longer mourn over
his absence and my rashness."
This was going a step farther than Mr. Mandeville had ever gone before: for
he had never been known to recede from a position once taken or to change
an opinion once formed, unless the most positive evidence compelled him to
do so, and then it was a silent acquiescence to the right rather than a
willing change of opinion.
But a long continuance in the sick room, and the great distress of his
child, had had an effect upon his mind, which no amount of reasoning could
have produced--he was constrained to acknowledge himself in error, and
brought his mind up to that point 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 there was yet an
under strata of good, a foundation to the character of the man, which,
though covered up by the rubbish and rank growth of pride and other
unamiable dispositions, still existed, and was capable of exciting to good
and noble deeds.
Having once gained the consent of his mind and formed a resolution to
retract, he was not long in taking the initiatory step toward amendment.
He inquired of the maid and nurse if Hadley had been seen, and learned from
them that he had been in the daily practice of asking after the condition
of Eveline, and that for this purpose he 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
resolved to meet Hadley at the place of conference himself, and then and
there recall his words and invite him to the house, from which he had been
excluded so unjustly. Verily this was a change!
Acting upon this resolve, he walked out in the direction of the place where
Hadley was expected to make his appearance. As he leisurely sauntered down
the path and neared the spot, his eye fell upon a piece of paper folded up
in the shape of a letter. He picked the document up and examined it. It was
directed in a bold hand to
"_Charles Hadley_, ---- ----, ----."
On the back of the letter and above the seal were the words: "_Private and
strictly confidential_," placed in such a manner as to catch the eye at a
first glance on either side of the letter. The seal was broken and the
letter bore ample evidences of having been carefully and repeatedly read.
An irresistable desire to examine the contents of this paper took
possession of Mr. Mandeville, and in spite of the breach of good manners,
and the violation of every principle of honor, he retired to an obscure
corner of his garden, opened and read so much of the epistle as was
intelligible to him, which ran as follows:
"_Dear Hadley_:--According to agreement, as entered into by us at our
conference in old Marshall's garden, I now impart to you the following
information, which you will receive at the hands of one of our most
trustworthy associates. You will please note the contents of this
communication, so as 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 taken, bring the horses at once to the rendezvous, with
such other valuables as may come in your possession; and be sure that
everything is done secretly, and in such a manner as to avoid detection. Be
bold and determined in resolution, but cautious and guarded in action.
Yours, ---- ----, Capt."
The captain's name was written in characters, as well as all the body of
the letter, which Mr. Mandeville did not understand, and which were
evidently to be intelligible only to the members of some band of villains,
by whom the signs had been adopted as mediums of communication. At the
bottom of all was a line to this effect:
"P.S. What will the old man say when he is gone? It will be using him right
for the scaly trick he served you so recently; eh!"
What a change the perusal of this document brought about in the mind of Mr.
Mandeville! The softened expression of benevolence, which had lit up his
countenance with a glow, left it in a moment. A dark frown settled upon his
brow and clouds of blackness over his face.
All his former prejudice against Hadley returned in ten-fold strength; for
had he not the most positive proof of his villainy? Not a moment longer
waited he for an interview, but with the letter carefully stowed away in a
side pocket for future reference and use, he bent his steps back to his
house, revolving in his mind how to proceed in the present emergency. That
some great scheme of theft and robbery had been planned, with a design to
be speedily 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, they talked over the matter. The justice was a
worthy man and a friend to Hadley, and though the evidence was overwhelming
and nearly positive of his guilt, yet he could not find it in his heart to
condemn the young man without a hearing, and was equally unable to get the
consent of his mind to make the matter public, thereby injuring the
reputation of his friend, until he could see and converse with him on the
subject. He advised Mr. Mandeville thus:
"I think the best thing we can do is to keep an eye on the movements of
this young man, Hadley, as well as upon others who may be associated with
him, if he is the villain he is here made to appear. If we institute
proceedings 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 action will give him all advantages, and enable him to clear
himself; whereas, by instituting a strict surveillance over his acts, we
may be able to get at the truth of the matter, and can then act
understandingly in the case."
Mr. Mandeville coincided with the magistrate, and then they agreed to keep
the matter strictly to themselves for the present.
"Shall I retain the letter?" inquired the justice.
"No, I wish to use it, first, and will then leave it with you," was the
reply--and thus the matter was settled between them.
While the events just related were transpiring, and at the very hour when
Mr. Mandeville was consulting the man of law, Duffel was engaged with his
two ruffian associates in a plot of villainy, 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 to follow up. The two held their consultation in the
tongueless and earless solitude of a dense swamp, where none could hear
their words or learn the purport of their schemes and give warning.
"You understand about the horses, do you?" queried Duffel, after he had
been explaining some intended operation, in which horses were to be stolen.
"Yes, fully," was the reply.
"Well, the horses will be missed, and, of course, it will be known that
_somebody_ has taken them. I have a measure to propose which will throw
suspicion on the wrong track and relieve us from any fear of being charged
with the theft or even suspected of guilt."
"That's the sort! do the killing and get the halter around some other
rascal's neck. Let us hear your proposition, lieutenant."
"You have not forgotten that I mentioned to you in the cave the other
evening, that I might need your services in getting rid of a troublesome
fellow who was in my way. I did not then expect to need your services so
soon, if at all, in this branch of our agreement; but, as the horse
business is agreed upon, 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 parts, and as suspicion has long since pointed
to you as having had a hand in several transactions held to be unlawful,
you will, as a matter of certainty, be designated as the thieves in this
instance, unless, by some master-stroke of policy, you can fairly show that
you are not guilty. Do you see this?"
"It all looks mighty likely, certain."
"Don't it look more than likely? Don't it look just as if it could not be
otherwise?"
"Why, yes; it does look so, that's a fact."
"Of course you would like to cast the blame somewhere else?"
"We would, that's certain."
Well, you can do it. I have already prepared the way, and if you will
follow my instructions to the letter, the thing is done?"
"Give us our parts and we will act them to the life," said Bill, who had
been spokesman for both, as was usual at such times.
"Ay," said Dick, "and to the death, too, I guess."
"Quite likely, quite likely!" rejoined Duffel. "Do you think you will have
the nerve to perform this extreme act Should it become necessary?"
"Does Lieutenant Duffel take us to be cowards, that he makes such a
white-livered insinuation?"
"By no means; I only wished to know if you were _now_ prepared for any
emergency that might come up?"
"Yes, any time and always. Go on."
"My plan is this: So soon as the horses are in our possession, we must
convey them to the middle of the 'Swamp,' and be back by morning, or noon
at furthest, _and show ourselves_. If we are about early, say as soon as
possible 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
horses in the direction in which they are not to be found, if we can do so
without exciting suspicions of our aims. Mark that! we must be cautious and
not overdo the thing, or it will be worse for us than to do nothing."
"We understand."
"Well, that is all on that point; but there is something more to be done;
we must direct suspicion to some one else; some one must be accused, and
_he must not be about_. You comprehend?"
"Perfectly."
"Well, I have the sheep already prepared for the sacrifice."
"Who is he, and where will we find him?"
"_Charles Hadley_ is the man, and you will find him just in the right
place--the dark passage in the road to C----; he passes that point every
night about nine or ten o'clock. You know what to do with him."
"Would it not be as well to carry him to the save and imprison him? You
know, it would not be murder, then."
"I had thought of that; but if we take him there, it will not do to let him
out again, for, if we did, it would be the end of us all; so we should
have to both imprison and murder him in the end, which would be much worse
than to put him out of the way at once, let alone the risk attending the
plan you suggest."
"Right."
"You see, then, we will have some one on whom to lay the theft?"
"Exactly! Huzza for Lieutenant Duffel!"
"Silence!"
"I beg pardon."
"Remember the time, next Thursday night, and don't fail to be at the 'dark
passage' in time."
"We'll be there, don't fear; and the thing shall be done up handsomely."
"But what's to be done with the feller's body when he's dead, I'd like to
know?" interposed Dick.
"Sure enough," replied Duffel; "I had forgotten to instruct you on that
point. Take him to the sink in that black swamp, and be sure to make him
_stay under_. We want no tell-tale carcasses showing themselves."
"You need have no fears on that point; once there and he'll never see the
light again, nor the light him."
"I will now leave you to make such arrangements between yourselves as may
be necessary for the work before you. Leave nothing incomplete, and be
punctual to the very minute in every instance."
With this parting injunction, Duffel left his villainous companions, who
began at once to prepare themselves for the dastardly business their
superior had allotted to them in his schemes of rascality and 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 crime of stealing which was to be
laid upon the murdered man. This was a plot worthy of the wretch who
conceived it, and, with the aid of villains as unscrupulous as himself, was
about to be put in execution.
From the moment the command of the "_Order of the League of Independents_"
(it ought have been named the Order of the League of Murderers and
Horse-Thieves) was vested in him, 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; Mandeville was to
be blinded, his daughter, through him, forced to wed the rascal, or,
failing in this, _she_ was to be forced into measures, by fair means or
foul, of which hereafter.
* * * * *
Friday morning was ushered in amid clouds and storm. The heavens were
shrouded in a pall of darkness and the rain came down in torrents. Mr.
Mandeville had spent most of the night with his daughter, and did not
retire until some hours past midnight. 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 after
consciousness had returned. His half-waking, half-dreaming meditations were
broken in upon by a gentle tap at his bed-room door. In a moment he was
wide awake, care for his child having quickened his senses, and demanded if
Eveline was any worse.
"No, sir," was the reply, "it is only Mr. Duffel, who has called and
inquired for you."
"Tell him I will be down in a few minutes."
Wondering what could bring his visitor at such an early hour, Mr.
Mandeville hastily dressed and went into the parlor, where he met and was
saluted by Duffel in the most cordial manner.
"I reached home at a late hour last night," said the hypocrite, "and felt
so great an anxiety to hear from you and your daughter, I could not wait
for the storm to abate, but hastened at this unseasonable hour to inquire
after her welfare and yours. I hope I have not intruded so far but that you
will pardon my unfashionable call and seeming impatience. How is Eveline?"
"You are always welcome, come at what hour you may. I can hardly answer
your last question; I think Eveline is better in some respects, 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 run its course, and if
she has constitution enough to outlive it and recuperate, she will
recover; otherwise the result will be fatal."
"It is impossible, then, for the most skillful and far-seeing to foretell
the issue?"
"Quite impossible. Will you now excuse me for a short time? I have not
looked after my stock this morning."
"With pleasure."
Mr. Mandeville left his guest around whose mouth a peculiar smile was
playing as he passed out at the door. That smile had a meaning.
After a brief absence the host returned, and in some consternation
announced that his best horse had been stolen during the night.
"Is it possible!" said Duffel, feigning the utmost surprise. "What villain
could take advantage of the sickness of your daughter, to plan and execute
such a cowardly act?"
"I am persuaded there are more than one connected with these thefts;
indeed, I may say, I know there are numbers of thieves infesting the
country. They are regularly banded together; and, would you believe it,
that Hadley, of whom we were once speaking, is an officer in the band, as I
have every reason to believe."
"That will exactly correspond with what I told you in the interview to
which you allude."
"True."
"Have you seen him lately?"
"I have not."
"Can he be found this morning?"
"Ah, I perceive your thoughts are running in the same direction as my own.
We will inquire after him."
The inquiries were instituted, but no Hadley was to be found; he had left
the day previous, but no one could tell whither he had gone, or what had
called him away. When these facts were ascertained, Mandeville and Duffel
exchanged a significant glance, as much as to say: "Just as we expected!"
The horse stolen was one of great value, and Mr. Mandeville was resolved to
make a desperate effort to recover him; and he was the more fixed in this
determination, because the horse was intended as a gift to Eveline on her
recovery, in case she _did_ recover, and, 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 for the apprehension of the thief. In prospect of obtaining these
rewards, as well as to render a service to community, some six individuals
banded themselves together with the avowed intention of ferreting out the
matter, and immediately set out for that purpose.