The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-23
Il was at Lawrence Park the nigh

of the tragedy" he continued, slowly.
II met Gabrielle coming from there.
I wished to see Gilbert Lawrence, but
when I reached the house I was at
tracted by strange scene which met
my gaze, and so I did not ring for ad-
mittance. This is what I saw: The
curtains of the library window had not
been drawn, and Gilbert Lawrence sat
OF his desk writing busily. I was 80
impressed by the sight of his pale,
stern, hopeless face, that I crouched
down below the window and watched
his movements. He finished writing
and locked the paper in a drawer in his
escretoire. Then he arose, and going
over to the center-table wrote those
words which were found there when
his body was discovered. That done,
he Lifted his hand and deliberately ex-
tinguished the gas, leaving the great
room half in freight, half in shadow.
"By the fickcring shadows which
played across the dusky background l
witnessed all that followed. saw it
all, gentleman: Ruby Lawrence is in
nocent-there was no murder doneI
Gilbert Lawrence died by his own
hand"
Arthur Wynne started to his feet,
pale and trembling, his eyes full of
wild light. =.
Are you in your senses?" he asked,
curtly.
II ami" returned Mark Alleyne,
calmly. colbert Lawrence, believ-
ing himself guilty of wrong which
could never be set right-to Ruby, his
beloved child-committed suicide.
First, he attempted to poison himself
with prussic acid; but with strange
perversity, he dashed the phial aside
before it had touched his lips, and
stabbed himself instead with the dag
ger. 1 myself removed the blood
stained weapon from the ghastly
wound; but the dagger found in
Ruby's possession was not the ono that
side the body, and the incomprehensi-
bic odor of prussic acid in the room"
"There was o tress of golden hair
clutched in the dead mans hand" said
Arthur.
ut was placed there by Maggie VIII
lett" returned Mark. "But am not
done with my story; listen! When 1
saw Gilbert Lawrence fall to the floor,
I opened the window and entered the
room. Iwent to the escretoire and abb
stracted the paper which I had seen
him place there.
"It is full confession of the hidden
sin, and expressed determination to
take his life. His will I also found. 1t
leaves everything to Ruby, save a life
annuity to Gabrielle. I kept those pa
pers. I hid them from Gabrielle ;.she
has never seen them or suspected their
existence. You will find them in my
writing desk over yonder."
Five minutes later, and they were
in Arthur Wynne's possession. He went
quietly down stairs and sent for Ga
brielle and Adele.
MADAM" the detective began, stern
ly, II give you and your daughter, La
Belle, the danseuse, twenty-four hours
in which to leave Lawrence Park. Miss
Ruby Lawrence, the real mistress of
this place, is in charge of Mrs. Chill
lingworth, and will speedily take pos
session here"
Oh, the scene which followed! Ar
thur sent for Chief Ludlowe, and the
whole story was made public. Ruby
was soon able to be moved, and was
brought back to the dear old home as
soon as Gabrielle and Adele had taken
their departure. The life annuity was
paid over to Gabrielle st. Cyr (not
Lawrence) every year, and in company
with her daughter she made her home
in Europe. Thither Mark Alleyne (who
did not die) soon followed them &C
companied 7aole1,s volens by Maggie
Willett, and after q time their very
memory was forgotten.
Ruby Lawrence, now Mrs. Arthur
Wynne, lives at beautiful Lawrence
Park with her husband, happy wife,
and the mother of fair-haired boy,
whom they call Gilbert Lawrence
Wynne. Mrs. Chillingworth is daily
visitor, and they are all as happy as
mortals can be in this world. The
clouds are all gone from their path
way. The dreadful consequences which
followed Gilbert Lawrence's mistake,
made in younger days-that mad mar
riage-that hidden sin, which was
destined to prove the curse of his life,
and brought him at last to THU awful
death, whose secret was told by the
shadows.