The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-05-08
A Terrible Mistake.

friendless in Bombay, where he breathed
bis last. - .-s. .....-
His dying words were: $50 home,
my poor girl, to your Aunt Arlingtcrd,
at Elmsley, near. London, and stay with
her until you are married to Walter"
For Gen. Guild and Col. Gary had
been friends together and comrades in
many battle, and had long ago affianced
their motherless children to one another,
the wedding to take place as seon as
the young man hadeattained his ma
= So here was:the orphan girl nearing
the end of her Journey, and gazing
wistfally at the strange and unfamiliar
~ There was Zone clause in her dead
fathers will which had required to Do
ra's mind with ever present pain, ever
since she had first heard it j; and that
was, should she, upon making the &C
quaintance OF Walter Gary, refuse to
marry him, the bulk of her fortune
should be passed over to her cousin,
Penelope Arlingford. :;E.l.. .
That her dear father should think ii
necessary to coerce her into compliance
had rung from her many tear. Wholly
unversed in the strong-minded ways of
some English maidens, she had never
dreamed Of disobeying him, or Of choos-
ing mate for herself ( Z
The Journey was over at last.
;, Miss Guild found herself in quiet
country house, surrounded by the most
fervent assurances OF welcome from her
sole surviying relatives, who, OF course,
knew all about her affairs, and treated
her with the most delicate conside deration.
Mr.. Arlingford was bluff and hearty
gentleman farmer; Mrs. Arlingford a
reserved lady, who, however, seemed
= kindness itself, while Penelope, the only
daughter, and Dora's possible rival for
the fortune, was gentle-fac, d chestnut
haired girl of twenty, who greeted Dora
by winding her arms around her and
laying her cheek to hers without word.
- I'm the course of the evening of Miss
Guilds arrival, while she was giving her
aunt some account Of her voyage from
India, she observed her cousin Penelope
standing out ON the lawn, talking earn
estly with gentleman. - 'ase ~ i
It was q brilliant night in midsummer;
the moon, white and searching as great
time-light, shone on the pair, and showed
Miss Arlingford's companion to be not
only young and handsome, but also a
lover. ~, ...-.-r ~ r.. Is
His hand held hers, and his stately
head was often bent in unmistakable
alteration close to her tresses, while she
leaned toward him in all the loving con-
hdence OF a returned affection.
= Very soon they entered the .parlor,
: and Waiter Gary was directly presented
+ 10 Miss Guild. i s$
And theaover Of Penelope e.. =. .-SsS -.
Dismay, Consideration, fell. uponsthe
heart Of the orphan. There could be no
mistake -eyery look, egeryaction OF the
two betrayed it. ~ - q
q She mas afisnced to q man who loved
another ~ ~. n l,,y q: i q !.F
The. cold touch Of his hand ON hers,
the distant sanitation, as II she were the
f:Inerest stranger, proclaimed that he was
f1resolved to ignore the contract which
Swas between them. -SS17F ffsi!.r~' :
Dora shrank into the darkest corner
isd the room, and bitter disappointment
filed her sou1. 80; ;: = 49, i,-,y
: Very soon, however, the conversation
going on around the table arrested her
. sttentions Walter Gary was telling Mr..
! Aflingfosd aud Penelope an account OF a
Strange murder which had lately oc::
.ourred.a a Sf!s;sfB sSG = N.ts :
.ntIThe man. said he, "was rather q
ssclever chemist and accomplished his
purpose in a manner savoring more OF
the exploits OF the Arabian Nights
epoch than those of our day. he got
possession of her journal, and impreg-
mated its leaves with "a sort OF volatile
poison, which she of course inhaled the
first time she made q record in the book,
the result being a mysterious death
which no one could account for"
81 The eyes of Penelope Arlingford were
fixed upon the narrator with pulsating
eagerness which arrested the attention
OF tho orphan.
"What could it have been? ?" she al
most whispered. s. .~
't :" Don't believe it." remarked Mr..
Arlingford sententiously.
The lovers were gazing at each other,
and there was half smile on the feat.
ures of each.
Soon after this, Dora, being consid:
cred weary after her railway journey,
was conducted to her bedchamber BY
her cousin, who again embracing her in
asmute, clinging- fashion, hoped she
would rest well, and left her.
~ MI 800 ,-or5 hoI I,oay, cold of,pr1t fa,
betrothal to the young man in the par
lor. Her claims had been wholly ig
nored. Her cousin was likely not onl,
to rob her of her inheritance, but Of he
husband alsos . -.g.E -s =, ...,..-t
The young girl retired to bed with ,
feeling Of desolation at her heart which
may be easily imagined, and fell ASLEEP
weeping bitterly for her old, happy In
dian life, when she was the idol of he
father and darling of her ayab,
She woke-or rather she struggtet
back to consciousness-with these word
running through her mind g the resul
being o mysterious death, which no ON
could account for"
Hit was q disagreesble remark to occu
to one in the middle OF the night, and i
reused her to q preternatural wakeful
ness. a5&E3 &ks aA$sE53S
She began to ponder over the event
of the past evening, when suddenl,
something struck her ear which. sent al
the blood tingGng to her heart. 1,
~. It was like the trailing Of along mus
lin robe over the thick carpet, whicl
covered the floor, and cautious rust
ling of paper; the one sound following
thessotherf with the slow and regula
monotony of machine. ---..
The night was at Its darkest, and tn
head of the bed was in an alcove, 80 ths
q view of the room could not be had
but Dora OWNED with choking 9
the breath, the meaning Of the strang
sounds. 80, -
Penelope Arlingford was in the room
Before she retired Dora had REQ
o chapter from a large Bible which la
on her table.