The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-16
The Heiress of Law.
renee Park.
4 STORY OF ABSORBING INTEREST.
BY MRS. E. d. COLLINS.
CHAPTER XIV.

an aspen. She sank upon seat at
Arthurs side, and lifted her eyes to his
face, while her white hands clasped
each other, convulsively.
"Tell mel" she painted, breathlessly.
Then, after q pause, and before he
could frame o reply, she went on,
eagerly, wildly:
Arthur! Arthur! I cannot give you
up! I must win your love! All, now
you despise mel" she continued, falter-
jngly, her eyes full of tears.
"You think me unwomanly and bold.
wanting in self-respect, dignity-all
attributes that make woman lovabie.
But the time has come, Arthur Wynne,
when I can no longer hide my unhappy
secret I was forced to confess it. The
words rushed forth like q mountain
torrent, and could not restrain them,
Forgive me- forgive me-" she went on,
frantically. II knew not what I said !"
-. All this time Arthur Wynne had sat
absorbed in thought. A strange, wild
impulse had seized him-to take adj
vantage of her mood, and perchance
learn something which would benefit
him, and aid him in his search for POOR
Ruby:
He laid his hand upon Adele's for an
instant. The red blood rushed to her
face like q crimson food, and she
turned away.
"Let us not speak upon the subject
to which you have just referred, Miss
Lawrence. he said, gently. after l
have said these few words, I could
never think of you without feeling,
knowing that you are aware of the fate
that has befallen that poor girl. That
you and your mother possess the mis-
erable secret of her whereabouts.
Adele! Adele! answer me-teu me-
where is she?"
The girls face grew slowly white as
marble. Into her dark eyes sinister
light crept, slowly. She turned away
with naughty gesture.
IT do not knowp she made answer.
~ know nothing concerning her since
her escape from the room where she
was left prisoner, apparently too i'll
to ESCAPED"
As the words passed her lips, bring
ing with, them an awful disappoint-
ment to Arthur Wynne's heart, there
was rap at the door of the room, and
a servant made his appearance with a
letter.
"Fer Mrs. Gilbert Lawrence!" he
announced, sententiously. "She is
out!" he added quickly, as Adele
looked surprised; "and so, miss, I
thought best to bring the letter to you,
for the envelope is marked imme-
date"
Adele took the letter, and dismissed
the servant. She slipped the letter
into her chatelaine pocket which she
wore, and turned to Arthur.
"Why do you imagine" she began
slowly and impressively, that my
mother or myself know anything con-
cerning Ruby's whereabouts
Because you are the only persons
particularly interested in her disap-
pearance," he answered, boldly-and
with significant glance into her eyes.
AS he spoke the words, the deep, in
tent gaze which he fastened upon her
grew deeper and more intent; long,
earnest look.
Adele shivered. A wild sensation
was creeping slowly over her, a
feeling as though she were being car
ried away out of herself, drawn down
into imitless space, trembling upon
the brink of eternity; an awful horror
stealing over her, yet all the time q
drowsy sensation which lulled her
senses into repose.
She was being slowly mesmerized,
but she knew it not.
She only felt that her senses were
slipping slowly away from her control
her eyes closed drowsily-and then
she knew no more.
For few moments Arthur Wynne
sat gazing upon the unconscious girl,
strange, wild light in his handsome
dark eyes.
II wonder that I never have thought
of this BEFORE" he muttered. "She is
certainly one of the best subjects upon
whom I have ever exercised my mes
meric powers; I despise the subterfuge;
hate and loathe the necessity for such
underhand proceedings; but cannot
help it. The end justifes the means!
This is the only way in which can
ever hope to learn anything of Rubys
whereabouts, if, indeed, my poor dar-
ling is still living"
He drew the letter forth from the
dainty satin pocket, and, with a swift
glance around, drew small ivory in
strument from pocket in his coat, and,
with one deft stroke, had the envelope
opeA scarcely disturbing the mucilage
as he did so.
He drew the letter from the envelope,
and his eyes flew over the written sheet.
It said:
MADAM write to say that our charge is
in a precarious condition. Ill. and fear
the worst. And worse than all the rest
that we have to fear-the detective. Wynne.
is on the trail-the right track. too. Come
down to Beechwood. if possible, Mt once,
and tell me what steps to take in regard to
her. Yours. FARMENTL
Arthur Wynne's eyes flashed like
fire.
"Onr charge" "her." the reference
to himself, made his heart beat madly
with On underlined hope.
Where was Beechwood? He turned
the envelope over and carefully in-
spectcd the post-mark.
It was quito illegible; he could not
tell but that the letter had been mailed
at the adjacent town.
He was in the dark, and yet he had
stumbled upon clew. His eyes lit up
with wild kpe. He closed the en-
relope, having first returned the letter
to it; moistened the mucilage; it was
sealed once more; then he thrust the