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A DREADFUL TEMPTATION, 69
chitd had been foisted upon the law and the world as the
milsjonaire’s legal heir, and Howard Templeton’s heritage
had passed into tbe hands of the child’s guardian, Mrs. St.
John, sis pretended mother.
But, slas!in the hour of her triumph, when the golden
fruit of her wild revenge was within her grasp, its sweet-
ness had pal!ed upon her, its taste had been bitter to her
lips. It was but Dead Sea fruit. after all.
For the struggte with Howard Templeton for the posses-
sion of the millionuire’s fortune which Xenie had antici-
pated with sucli passionate zest had been no struggle af-
ter all.
In a few weeks after the burial of the poor drowned
‘woman whom she _ had identified as her sister, Xenie
and her mother had returned to the United States, taking
with them Lora’s child, and as nurse, Ninon, the little
maid-servant.
A costly bribe had sealed the lips of the little French
maid, and the truth of the little boy’s parentage was a dead
secret with her.
Immediately after her arrival at home, Xenie had placed
her case in the hand of a noted lawyer.
He undertook it in perfect faixa. He did not dream that
he had been employed as the necessary aid to carry out
a wicked scheme of revenge und perpetrate a gigantic
fraud.
He took immediate steps to regain the possession of the
deceased millionaire’s property in the interest of his post-
humous child,
The case immediately attracted public attention and in-
terest, both from the high position of the parties to the suit
and the great wealth involved.
But for several months nothing could be heard from the
defendant, who was still absent in Europe, although the
lawyer who managed his property in his native city wrote
him frantic and repeated appeals to return and defend his
case.
At length, when patience had ceased to be a virtue with
the plaintiff, and the opposition was about to push the suit
for judgments without him, abrief letter was received from
Howard Templeton, instructing the lawyers to postpone
everything until after his arrival.
He would sail on a certain day and upon a certain steam-
er, and be with them four weeks from date.
Mrs. St. John was quite content to wait after she heard
of that letter. .
She felt so sure that she would win that she was willing
to wait until her enemy came. She wanted to triumph over
him face to face.
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