The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-06-19

| = les, Gno OOCdBbebt uOuSe DOW SIauuS
on the spot where the dire prophecy
was uttered, and We now wait anxiously
for the final contamination. .......
"Have they made allowance in their
reckoning for leap year o. aippantly in
quired youth who sat opposite the
serious gentleman. ..ar. - '.' -.
"You should not Jest under the shadow
of great calamity" ;" said the first i'm
pressively, regarding the youthful unbe-
lever severely through his glasses; then
to the lady-H the traveller was observed
to have jet black hair the night before,
in the morning it was snowy white"
Part of the people at the table looked
serious; part were amused. Among the
latter was Redmond. His eyes twinkled
with suppressed amusement. but he
concealed it. Blanche and Louise had
been interested listeners to the narrative,
growing somewhat digrifed by the dis
cussion at the dinner-table. .
/" You see how much foundation lies
beneath this apparently idle gossip. I
believe discretion is the better part Of
valor ON our part. y = ~. ,''' - ,.1,,rs -
Louise, from under her long lashes,
shot whitening glance at the man who
loved her, but did not deign an answer.
She could not make out this man. She
believed that sometimes she half des-
pissed him. ..r..s 5 ..s .... - g., =
"I believe shall take the stage for
Ashdale," announced Redmond the next
afternoon, looking at his watch. 's.Have
a little business there to which I wish to
attend. -. .< .'":s...r ..'. r'.: 10. D
Louise flashed a quick glance from
her large dark eyes. n...'..,' h"r
"What going to leave us to take care
OF ourselves?" said Blanche 49," We
want you to help buoy us up when the
water rises" ,.,' -, ~, -: " , ..lra.'
sol I shall return tonight. I have
no idea Of being absent from such an
interesting adventure" he. replied.
"That is, if I can positively see the
gentleman I am seeking just FIVE min
utes. Good-afternoon, ladies'" and he
bowed himself out of the room grace
fully. .'. ,.. .,.,
"There am not surprised ut this
action on the part of Redmond Clarke" !"
said Louise. "He will not come back
here tonight. I say, as I have said be-
fore, he is q coward"
"Why, Louise, this move of his has
nothing to do with the superstitious tale
we have just heard"
"I believe it has," The secret desire
to think and believe high and lofty
things of his name, drove her to sudden
anger at any suspicion of the opposite.
"Whoever knew one of these blue-eyed,
blonde-mustached men who had spark
Of true courage" and she looked anything
but feeble character herself as she
paced the floor rapidly, her eyes fash
ing Indignantly with the intensity of
passion to which she had wrought her
SELF
"Take care" said Blanche, warningly,
in low voice. "You remember Hamil-
ton Belmont saved my life at the risk of
his own. He was none of your heroic
looking men,"
"You will find that Redmond Clarke
is not second Hamilton Belmont. If I
could know for a certainty that he ran
away from any danger, threatened or
real, 7 should never again allow him to
touch even my finger tips. [ should
feel 80 humiliated that such q man had
ever dared to ask for my love"
"Don't Judge too harshly - too
hastily" said her friend, gently. You
knew that Redmond Clarke and Louise
Rand were fitted to make each other
happy could the latter have the mists of
doubt cleared from her wilful eyes.
Clarke had really intended to return
to the Cocassett House as he promised,
but the gentleman whom he sought was
absent, and the last stage left before his
return.
Ashdale was primitive, unambitious
town. Its only connection with the great
world was the regular stage. Its hills
and valleys had never yet echoed with
the shrin whistle of the locomotive.
He paced backward and forward on
the piazza of the quiet little hotel
where he was to pass the night, under
the poetic skies of fine evening, think
ing of Louise Rand. Her naughty i'm
periousness had O charm for him. He
smiled to himself as he thought, "She
will thoroughly believe now what rhe
suspected when I left her. that should
not return tonight" He was prouder
than she. There was a depth beneath
that indolent exterior she had not sound
ed and because she had doubted him
she whom he loved-he would not deign
to inconvenience himself to gain her ap-
proval. a man with less inherent
haughtiness would have acted differ
emily.
He retired early and was soon in
deep slumber. It did not prove refresh
ing. A feverish, restless dream wreath
ed in and out of his brain. He saw
Louise suspended over waste of waters
clinging to something that threatened
every moment to snap with her weight,
and she be engulfed forever. Then the
scene shifted, and he saw as plainly as
if it were reality the building where he
had left her .enveloped ins aame, and
amid the cries of frantic men and women, {,
Louise in her white night robe at win
dow where the flames were rapidly
closing round her, reaching out to him
with wild Shrieks for help. He woke