The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-04-01

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"Give me some good reason, Basil
and 1 will do as you WISH"
Look at me and you will see the
reason. Can not you see that [ am
ill, worn out, nervous? l must have a
change at once"
She gazed at me with solicitude.
"Yes, l know you are not well; but
why Spain%
"A Wilma sick mans fancy. Per-
haps because it is P%hilippa's fathers
country put it into my head. Mother,
tell me. how do you like her"
"She is the woman you love; She is
very beautiful; she has been cruelty
treated; she is blameless; to say more
after so short an acquaintance would
be exaggeration."
you will come to Spain with me-
with herr"
She kissed me and gave in to my
within. Then I sought Philippe.
MY mother is going to take us
abroad" 1 said with a smile, which
was forced, as all my smiles nov were,
"She will see to everything for you"
"!She is kind-she is sweet said
Philippa, clasping her hands. Basil,
I am beginning to worship. But why
are we going abroady
ITO get away from sad thoughts,
for one thing; for another because l
feel ILL.,"
She gave me a quick look Of appre-
hension which brought the flush to my
cheek. "Oh Let us 60 at once!" she
cried. "Let us leave this land of ice
and 1 will nurse you and make you
we'll. Where are we going? When
are we going"
ITO Spain-to-morrow or the next
day."
She looked at me with the troubled
gaze which l had so often noticed.
BASIL" she said, "you are doing this
for my sake"
"And my own. I fear"
81 threw away your love-I spoiled
your life. You saved me! You did not
scorn me. You brought me to your
mothers arms. Basil, may God re.
quite you: l never can"
She burst into tears, and left the
room hastily
1t was well I settled the matter of
the foreign journey then. That after
noon the wind changed and a thaw set
ina thaw that slowly but surely
drew away the thick white veil which
covered the whole of England.
That night 1 had little sleep. 1
could do nothing but lie awake and
picture that white tomb slowly melt
ing away, until the white face beneath
peered out of it and made the dread
secret known to all. Who would be
the first to discover it? Doubtless some
country man or woman passing that
way in the gray Of the morning. l
drew pictures of the discoveries hor-
ror-the shrek of terror he or she
would give. I scarcely dared to close
my eyes; for 1 knew that if I dreamed
my dreams would take me to stand
over the snow-drift. and force INT to
watch it melting away! 1t seemed to
me that until Philippa was out OF the
range of pursui. l should not sleep
again.
Faster and faster, now it had once
begun, the thaw went on. Warm
wind, heavy rain the next day. helped
it. That tremendous fall of snow
had, indeed, been the last effort Of the
winter. 1 dreaded what I might see
in the morning papers.
For it was the third day from that
on which 1 spoke about going abroad;
yet we were still in London. When
it really came to making preparations
for the projected trip, there were a
thousand and one things to be done.
There was the needful passport to be
obtained; MY mother had many pur-
cha es to make for both Philippe and
herself. She was now fully contented
with a prospect of q long s%ojourn on
the continent; but she liked travelling
in comfort, and objected very much
to being hurried. So it was that, in
spite Of the pressing need for imme-
date flight, we were still in London.
The dangerous delay made me ner-
vous, excitable and ill-tempered.
This state of mind was not without
benefit to our cause, as my manner as
well as my looks fully convinced my
mother that my own health was the
sole object of the journey. So like a
good creature, sh 9 set to work in thor
ough earnest to get everything ready
for our departure.
To morrow morning we were to
start. Iprayed heaven that It might
not be too late; that the next twenty
four hours might pass without what 1
dreaded taking place. For I knew
that by now that ghastly object on
the roadside must be lying with the
light of day on its pale face!
With an effort I opened the morn
ing's paper, and ran hastily up and
down the columns. What cared I for
politics, foreign news. or money-mar-
ket intelligence? Here was the one
paragraph which riveted all my atten-
ton. The white tomb had given up
its secret! Read! To me those words
were written in letters of fire.
"HoRRIBLE DISCOVERY NEAR ROD
1NG.-The melting of the snow has
brought to light what to all appearan-
ces is a fearful crime. Yesterday af-
ternoon a laborer walking on the high
way discovered the body of a gentle
man lying by the roadside. His death
had been caused by a pistol-shot. 1t
is supposed that it must have occurred
on the night of the great snow-stornl
and that the body has lain ever since
under the snow, which had drltted to
the depth of some feet. The facts
that death must have been instantan-
eous, and that no weapon can he found
near the spot, does away with.thp theo-
ry of suicide. Letters and papers found
upon the corpse tend to show it to be
that of Sir Mervyn Ferrand, Bart.
The unfortunate gentleman's friends
have been communicated with, and
the inquest will be opened Tomorrow
For some minutes I sat like one
stunned. Inevitable as it was that
the discovery should be made, the
shock seemed scarcely lightened by the
foreknowledge: the danger seemed no
less terrible. Oh, that we had started
yesterday-were ven to start to-day!
What might not happen before to-
morrow morning! My first impulse
was 60 to my mother and beg her to
hasten our departure: but reflection
showed me how unwise this course
would be. 1 should alarm her-alarm
Philippa! I could give no reason. My
one longing was to keep the new
from my poor love. Let her read
that paragraph, and who could answer
for the consequences? Looking as a
medical nan at her case, I knew that
there was something about that ni0ht
which troubled her; some dream, or
sembiance of dream, to which, fortu-
nately, she could as yet give no coher-
ence. Let her learn that Sir Mervyn