The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-09-07

great CHAIR uedI Iue "luuom HhA 'AiS"
herself into it, where she could see the
moonlight and the waving tree.tops,
and yet be partially screened from the
cool, dewy air. Lying there and plan
ming her future she fell asleep.
When she awakened she could not
tell how long she had been unconscious,
but there was no moon; the room was
cold and damp and black. and she was
trembling and her heart was throbting
violently.
She drew herself up aud tried to
think, and then a sudden faint, soft
sound brought her swiftly to her sense
Some one was in the room-some one
had come in at the opened window, had
passed her in the darkness without per-
ceiving her, and was cropping a way
across the parlor.
|. She grew calm at once. 1t was q
burglar, of course; but the house was
full of people, and she had but to let
him go his way and then steal softly
after and arouse some He could
not do any harm, and he should not
even escape, with her on his track.
She gathered her black tulle skirts
closely around her, and guided by the
stealthy footsteps which sounded dis
tinct enough to her alert senses, moved
as noiselessly as a spirit across the
! great room.
As she approached the hall she hest
tated. She had supposed that the
burglar, if he knew anything about the
house, would make directly for the
buffers pantry, where were locked stores
of solid silver. But he was apparently
feeling for the foot of the staircase.
Yes, he gained it and commenced
ascending. IRVINE followed, scarcely
drawing a breath lest she should be
discovered. The head of tue great stair
case reached, the man CROPPED his way
along the corridor until he came to a
second corridor, where he turned.
Quick as a flash it came to Ervine
that Morgan Ingrahsm's was the room
sought; and then the words REQUIRED to
her which she had heard, dreamily,
in a distant part Of the park that after
noon:
Diamonds! I should say so! You
see, diamonds can always be disposed of
to advantage. Just take them out of
their setting and there is nothing to be-
tray their former owner, and you can
get full value for them"
Morgan ingraham wore magnificent
diamonds. His watch was monogrammed
with them, his sleeve-buttons were OF
untold value, and his studs, though
small, were of the choicest water.
All this passed through her mind
like the transient but vivid CLEAN of
lightning-and, too, that Morgan's room
opened on a balcony, from which any
desperate man could easily jump to the
velvet sward below.
The thought was no sooner framed
than Ervine's satin-slipperel feet carried
her with q few swift bounds through
the darkness to Ingraham's door. It
never occurred to her to call any Il
now, only to arrest the thief before he
should force his way into his victims
room.
She was not minute too soon. The
man was already fumbling at the door.
Ervine put out her hand in the dark
ness, and, with some fateful surety,
seized both of his.
The captive gave a little, half-smoth-
cred imprecation of surprise, and made
q struggle to free himself; but Ervine's
hands were too strong, and for a mo-
ment she held him fast.
She did not scream, o could she
tell what it was that smothered her with
a great fear, a great uncertainty, until
the man wrested one hand from her
clasp, and, with unerring aim, caught at
Der throat, demanding, in q low, concen-
trated voice:
"Who are you? What are you about? 2"
IRVINE knew the voice. The man, at
the first touch of the fair, white throat,
with a bunch of withered roses lying
against the bare breast, recognized the
sex of his opponent.
It was the girl who struggled now;
but the mans strong right hand clasped
hers.
"Who are youw he questioned,
again, but in a changed voice.
Still Ervine was mute. Still she strug-
gled to free herself.
II will not let you go,"he whispered.
"until l know who you are! Until"
Bis hand slipped up Miss Grancy's
arm, and touched a bracelet she wore,
a tiny line of gold, with a crucitix dang
ling from it. No n else in the house
wore such a trinket.
"Ervine! Miss Grancy! Is it you?
Tell meY'
But she would not. Then he sud
denly threw both arms about her, and
drew her close to his breast. Worn out
by her useless attempts to free herself,
Ervine's splendid figure yielded to his
embrace. Only her heart throbbed
madly. For a moment the two stood
thus in the darkness, the mans pulses
quickening and answering to her beat
ing heart.
81 know you," he said presently,
"and I think I have frightened you.
Did you take me for a burglar"
EYES," whispered Irvine. evil
you please to let me 90 now"
Ono; not until you tell me why you
ried to capture me-"
"ItLought, with a little constrained
laugh, "you were going to steal your
W diamonds. I heard some strange
men, who were fishing in a distant part
of the park, talking about diamonds
this afternoon, and how easy it was to
sell them"
Ingraham commenced to laugh softly,
in the darkness. "Why, it was Jack
Valdon and I. Jack is an intimate
friend of mine, and came to see me on
a little business. He only arrived in
the village in the morning, and goes
away this morning, SO I could not per-
suade him to come up here. But We
went fishing together in the afternoon,
and after dancing last evening I went to
the hotel and played cards with him
until quite late. Coming home it had
grown quite cloudy, and in the park l
lost my way. When I found the house
all was darkness and stiffness, l went
round to the rose terrace, and thought
I would sit on the balcony until some
of the servants were up, rather than
rouse the house. There, to my surprise,
I found a window open, and so con-
c]uded to try to find my room, though,
unfortunately, I had no matches with
me. Where were you"
"Asleep in a chair by the window you
entered. I must have awakened by the
time you were half across the parlor."
"And how vast you called no one"
81 expected you would 60 directly to
the buffers pantry and I could run mp
the stairs and arouse the house. In
stead of that you went up the stairs,
too"
Again Ingraham laughed softly.
eyes, to steal my own diamonds"
he said.
"Whose diamonds were you talking
about :" demanded IRVINE.
"About Miss Shorts. I was de-
scribing her to Jack. He thought he
had seen her in the village, and I asked