Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-07-27
j. Bah | Take me to a seat. Mr.

the dancers unseen. Ihank you,
she said, sweetly. eco away now
L wish to be alone"
"Cruel," he murmured, with {
languishing look, but went none th1
less.
She waited, eagerly watching thu
door. Nobody went in or out unseer
by her keen eyes. Then the figures
swinging in illimitable circles across
the floor were for the second time OBJ.
jects of closet scrutiny. A sigh o:
disappointment heaved her bosom al
last.
That sigh was repeated close beside
her. Madam" said voice at hel
elbow, I" Don't weary your pretty eyes
with watching. Vendale is not here. y
She turned. suppressing cry Of
fear and anger. A man stood beside
her, tall, dark, handsome despite his
forty odd years. A pair of glitter
| ing eyes were fastened immovably on
her face. A malicious smile barely
curled the bearded lip.
Mrs. Versly confronted him with q
gaze that would have made some men
tremble. This insolent stranger bore
it unfinchingly. She noted this fact,
and slight shiver shook her frame.
Who are you?' she gasped..
pardon me" he said, in a hard,
smooth voice. 9" l had forgotten how
necessary an introduction is in mod
ern society. 1 am Randolph Castle
maine, atyour service"
He bowed low, with an exquisite
grace that could only have been
learned at foreign courts. az have
the pleasure of addressing Mrs. Vers-
ly?'
A naughty stare was her only an
swer.
Leave me, insolent, before I call
for help"
The malicious smile broadened and
deepencd MADAM had best think a
second time before she makes ascene, .
he said, in a disagrecable tone.
She sat down, gasping for breath.
His hand touched hers the next In
slant, closing over it,. Il would
speak with You, madam. My good
angel must have sent you in this di-
rection. have been watching for
you.
Watching for me % she repeated,
amazedly.
Almost as earnestly as you were
watching for Vendale," said the hard,
smooth voice.
Your pleasu e, sir g she asked,
with a sneer.
g Directly, my dear madam. First
let me put to you custom. Versly
is detestable name, it is $3.50
significant are you tired of it that
you have conceived tlis sudden in
terest in young Vendale?"
She gave him defiant look. Il
love him, sir. Make what you can
out OF the cohfesslon-l love him. "
/" Humph !" Mr.. Castlcmainos lip
:urled in bitter mockery~ Better
than von loved your first husband,
Mr.. Gollingwood, III be b9und," he
mnttered.
Mrs. Versly clasped her LANDS
She grew lividly pale.
What do you know of him, or OF
me p she gasped.
Enough, in all conscience. I
know that Herbert Collingwood died
very suddenly in Paris, sixteen years
ago"
Her fingers closed over his arm.
"Other men have met with sndden
deaths" she cried. 1t is nothing
new. Why should you speak Of my
first husbands S death in that tone?"
Madam, he was found dead in the
Bois de Boulogue-Shot through the
heart !"
His relentless eyes never once
moved from her face. She sat like
one petrifei. A marble-like pallor
overspread all her features. a dead
silence fell between the two. She
broke it at last, giving utterance to a
tortured cry.
"a duel" she said, the words
gurgling over her white lips.
"Such was the commonly-ressived
opinion. But you and know better,
madam
Villain !" she Kissed, between
closSset teeth.
Don't get angry, madam. Let
me tell the rest of my story. Herb
ert Collingwood left a widow and one
child, girl two years old. They
were in straitened circumstances,
and the child unaccountably disap-
peared. Do you hear, madam, the
child-disappeagcd.
Mrs. Versly did not answer. Her
hands We're working convulsively.. a
deadly, desperate look had come into
her black eyes.
The mother couldn't have taken
its loss much to heart, continued the
hard. stell-lilse voice. =" In less than
a months space she married Mr..
Versly, who had been dancing at
tendance on her even previous to her
first husbands death. Versly A
detestable name, as l said before.
Mrs. Collingwocd didn't like it one
whit better than 1 do. But monsieur,
who was Versly, was also enormously
wealthy that made all the differ
ence in the world. So Mrs. Colling-
wood became Madam Versly, and
lived prosperously for good many
years. Finally she was widowed fol
the second time. But that did not
seriously matter, since Versly was
old, yellow, and ugly; he left her
abundantly provided for in bank stock
and coupon bonds, which was much
more to the point.
His voice dropped, and died away
She slowly arose, trembling in every
limb.