The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-08-18
CHAPTER XII.
THE WILL AND THE CHEQUH.

ThE WILL AND Vdh ChkQUA
When Eugene arose, at a late hour, on
the following morning, he was surprised to
find that his sister had not returned home.
"Poor Grover may be dangerously ill.,"
he thought, as he moved about the house,
picking up hasty breakfast for himself
az will pay him visit" he adde1, "and
then for the attorney. J must not let an
orner day 20 by, Without deciding upon
something"
Accordingly, after partaking Of such
viands as he had collected on the little
breakfast table, he turned his steps In the
direction Of his friends house.
The usual air Of quiet pervaded the
place ss he drew near, and he found Grover
and the girls in the sitting-room below.
Grover, looking pale and i'll, was seated in
large arm chair before the fire, wrapped
in dressing gown, while Fanny was pay-
ing him those little attentions which con-
yalescents delight in.
Although this condition Of affairs was
very opportune at the moment of Eugene's
call, Growers sickness was by no means
entirely assumed. The events OF the pre-
ceding night, together with his exertion5,
and exposure to the storm, had not been
without their effect on q constitution by no
means strong. lie was too much OF q
student. and lived too much in doors to
endure such fatigue as tho last few hours
had brought him. Besides this, his mind
had received terrible shock, when he di5-
covered that the supposed corpse was NOV
ing, and he now thought with horror OF the
consequence of his bold abduction OF the
body, had not the friendly rain, and the
accident which had nearly covered it with
water, brought Gordon to his senses. One
stroke of the knife in the locality which 1T
was his desire to examine, would have ran
dered all hope of recovery in the insenslble
man, out Of the question. The warm
blood would have gushed up around the
knife, and he would have realized that he
was murderer.
"Ah, my boy !" cried Eugene, tapping
hisfriendlightly on the shoulder, I" see you
are better this morning. had a great mind
not to come near you though" he contlnu-
cd, with smile, because you barred me
out 80 coolly last night"
"Yes," said Grover, with aforced laugh,
eff you had been here it would have been
the last Of me. Don't you remember when
I fell from O wagon once, how you teW
around after oil the doctors and oil the
drugs in town, and how it took me two
days to get over my sprain, and two weeks
to get over the effects OF tho outlandish
doses you made me take?"
Both laughed heartily at the recollection.
"But, really" said Grover, there was no
need Of disturbing you. was only weak
and nervous, and, as father WIS watching
with sick FRIEND I took q notion to have
some one in tho house, in case any thing
should happen"
Thus, Eugene was thrown completely OIL
the track, aud bad not the slightest idea OF
the real motive his friend hud in eonding
for the girls.
For some unexplained reason, the sick
man bad again insisted that his rescue
from the grave should be kept secret
from every one.
Il want no one outside Of this house to
know" he said, in @ conversation with
Grover. "I am not sorry that Miss Berths
came with your sister," he added. u" for she
will help me out with many dull hour,
presume. You see, like all the rest Of the
world, ain selfish he went on witha smile
creeping over his pale fuce, but can't
help it. will try and make amends for
all your kindness whom am we'll again"
IL pray you not to mention that" said
Grover, "When I think what desperate
measure I resorted to, in order to advance
my theory, and how near you came to
meeting death at my hands. feel as
though could not do enough for you.'
"You should not feel in that way" was
the reply, "you saved me from q terrible
fate. and I can never repay the kind care Of
your sister and Miss"
Wallingford," nid Grover, supplying
the name, for Hugh had not yet learned
"Wallingford p repeated the sick man,
excitedly. Then, seeing that Grover had
noticed his emotion, he added, thought
the mil. owner had no relatives in this vii
lase."
:He had none," was the young mans
reply. miss Wallingford's family Is not
connected with the mill-owncrs'
Excuse me-" said the young man, but
I think have heard of the girl since
have been working in the mills, although
she will not remember me. She Is the
only child, I believe" he added. desiring
to draw out the young mans knowledge OF
the family, for he remembered the attor-
ney's strange manner when his full n.ne
was mentioned.
"No," was the reply, "She has n bro
ther-Eucene. You was not in his room
at the mill, and probably don't know
him, although he remembered you, whom
the news of your accident reached his
ears"
II think remember the man," said
Gordon, "but thought he had another
name-Robert or Richard, something be-
ginning wirh B. ut any rate
"Roland," sad the other, "but he
never uses that name"
The sick man barely restrained an e1-
clamation of surprise.
"The attorneys riddle is plain to me
now." he thought. II am on the right
track at last. And this sweet girl is sister
to a merciless, scheming man, who through
his tools, would have taken my life."
"Perhaps you will think it strange re-
quest" he said to Grover. "but desire
that this young man that we have been
speaking Of, should know nothing OF my re-
storation to life. I can't tell you why,
but he should be the last person in the
world to know"
At this period in the conversation, the
doctor entered the room, and Grover de-
scended to the sitting-room. It was but
few moments before Eugene came in.
As the little group sat chatting below,
the doctor passed out of the hall door, and
Eugene, sitting by the window saw him
leaving the yard.
"That is strange" he said, doctor
Wilson Just passed out of this house. ls
there anyone sick upstairs p
"There,' exclaimed Grover, hastily,
that is another of my tricks I left the
Doctor putting up medicine for me in ny