The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-02-12

and of the angry, turbid water
which had broken its bonds and
done all the mischief. But Miss
Churchill was a young lady of am
bition, and, having seen thus much,
she wanted to see more. The
gloomy desolation of the sight fas,
cinated her. She was anxious, and
determined to have more than a
mere glimpse of it.
TO obtain this was, or seemed to
her, easy enough. By skirting
around the suburbs of the town,
she could reach home as safely, il
not as speedily, as by following the
direct course. 1t must be conceded
that this was not a very prudent
project, considering the gathering
gloom of the sky, the lateness OF
the hour, for four o'clock is late in
cloudy November weather, and the
fact that her path would lie through
halfbuilt suburbs. inhabited almost
entirely by manufacturing opera
tives. But Margaret could be will.
full sometimes, and she was willful
Just now. "I'il not have another
chance" she thought, with a glance
at the clouds which should have de-
tered her. Then, gathering her
waterproof closer around her, she
fitted away, ra
In fifteen minutes, It began to
rain; at halfpast four, it was pour
ing torrents; at a quarter to five, a
man, walking hurriedly along with
his hat pulled over his brows, and
his coat buttoned up to bis chin, in
vain defence against the sweeping
blast: came first upon an umbrella
scudding aimlessly along before the
the wind, and then upon a soaked
figure of a woman standing help
lessly in the midst of a, rising pool
of water. Night was closing over
the wild scene Of storm; the river,
not far off, was pouring over its
rapids with sound like that of
many Niagras; the scattered houses
of the neighborhood scarcely show
ed a light-for, in truth, they had
all been forsaken by their inhabi-
tants-and the whole picture was
one which Roland Tyrrell was just
thinking could scarcely be matched
for complete, and it might readily
prove dangerous. iesolation, when,
to his amazement, he stumbled upon
this solitary woman, who, lifting
up her face in the dying light,
proved to be Margaret Churchill,
"Good Heayeps!' he said, seizing
her involuntarily, "Miss Churchill! !!
Is it your n. osr0..-s. = II 81
go Mr.. Tyrrellp p said Margaret,
with a half.hysterical gasp Of reliet.
Met, ,-haxildeIsd, ,almast despaiRiHg,
as she had been the moment before,
she clung to him as she might have
clung to Hugh. 1t was so good to
have a protector; and, in truth, few
women could have asked a better
protector than he who stood looking
down upon her in amazement.
els it you? 2" he repeated, as if he
could not realized the fact. "For
Heavens sake, what are you doing
here?"
II don't know" said Margaret.
still unstrung by the revulsion of
terror and relief. Il started from
home this way" she went on, after
a minute, "and II think [ must
have got lost. Do you know where
we are, Mr.. Tyrrell ?"
"Perfectly well," answered Tyr
rell. ave are close in the neig gh-
borhood of my mills--and very
dangerous neighborhood it is just
now. To think of a woman here
alone at such an hour? You might
have wandered into the flood, or
fallen into the hands of prowling
rufians-Good Heaven how could
YOU be so rash ?" he broke off, al
most angrily.
"I-I don't know" said Marga-
ret, again-tllis time penitently.
II wanted to see the flood. 1t is
not MY fault, Mr.. Tyrrell II was
sure I could reach home this way"
"What madness" !" he said. Then,
in a lower tone, "God knows where
you would have been in the morn
ling, if / had not chanced to STUN
bic upon you. Come this way"
eff you will only be kind enough
to show me how to get home,'' she
said, meekly, clinging to him close
ly, as be hurried her along through
the storm and gathering darkness.
"I'm afraid that is impossible y
/ he answered. "We are in a differ
ent quarter altogether, and you will
suffer now from exposure to such g
storm. We must find refuge as
soon as possible.
eBut Hugh will be 50 uneasy .
pleaded Margaret.
"Then he should have taken bet
; ter care of YOU" was the rejoinder
After this, nothing more wa'
said; Tyrrell's decided manner
bope down every thing, and Marga
ret felt that indeed any refug'
would be better than the storm O
hoWlipg wind and rain which bea
| upon them now. She did not asl
= where thew were poinp. as her com