The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-24

| IN SLOW, impressive tone; TO tak'
your miserable life."
Gabrielle, listen to me! Yol
shall -"
II will not istenl have hat
enough of your false words and false
VOWS, your traitorous kisses and wicked
lies
FOR years 1 have known you, in al
your hideous vileness, and I would moi
believe YOU"
"But, Gabrielle" Che caught her slen
der wrist with firm grasp, and gazed
into her dark eyes). "for the sake Of
of" 4is eyes dropped guiltly)-
"Adele!"
A sw11t nush snot over the womans
beautiful white face, for an instant, and
then died away into ghastly pallor.
Her lips curled scornfully, and he1
voice was laden with bitterness, as she
make answer:
Little has thought of her troubled
you, Gilbert Lawrence, all these long,
hard years! You deserted wife and
child, and left US to perish! She was
reared in-in an almshouse, and now
-(she caught her breath unsteadily,
and her eyes were suddenly averted-
"she earns her living as q danseuse
in theater! Fit position for the child
of Gilbert Lawrence, the merchant
prince! It is for her sake. to avenge
ner wrongs, unaJ am mere uo-nlgnJ
to kill you!"
She sprang suddenly forward, swift
and 1.-the as tigress.
Something flashed in the freight
something bright and glittering.
He fell back with groan of horror,
and covered his face with his hands.
Just at that moment, down the long
corridor outside the door, came the
rustic of sweeping silken skirts, the
click, click, of high French heels, the
sound of sweet voice singing softly a
selection from popular opera.
Gilbert Lawrence's face blanched to
a more ghastly whiteness than before,
while the woman turned swiftly to lis
ten.
"My God!" the man moaned feebly;
"it is Ruby-my child, my little girl"
The hand that held aloft the glitter
ing weapon fell.
Your child"
Her voice cut the silence like the hiss
of serpent.
"Then you have dared to marry again
Gilbert Lawrence, you are fiend! You
welded me end left me, your lawful
wife, with little babe in my arms; fled
from your home because you had tired
of it, and had grown weary of me, and
for long years I knew not where you
were, how YOU lived, what your fate
might be. But now have found you,
rich, honored, respected, with wife,
perchance, and "a child; my curse
rest upon them both!"
"Your curse cannot injure her!" he
muttered suddenly. "Ruby's mother
has been dead for years, and she, my
beautiful daughter, is"
He came to halt, and the words
faltered themselves into silence, as he
realized the extent of the blow which
had fallen upon his life-a blow which
would smite the innocent and guilty
alike.
"Yes; what is she?" Kissed Gabrielle,
mockingly, her face full of fend!sh tri-
umph. "What is your daughter, Gil
bert Lawrence? A nameles-"
"Hush!"
He darted forward, his hand uplift-
ed, as through to strike her down at his
feet, his eyes glowing like Goals of fire,
his face set and stony.
"Hush!" he painted madly once more.
GLOW dare you?"
He paused, as slight sound fell upon
his ear. The silver door-knob was turn
ed slightly, and sweet voice called
from without:
Papa! Are you here?"
Silence, utter silence in the freit
room.
With a baAied look upon her face,
Gabrielle crept to the window; once
there, she hesitated.
II shall soon return" she said,
bleakly. "You cannot escape me, Gil
bert Lawrence"
She slipped through the window; it
closed behind her, she vanished in
the night and storm, and the darkness
hid her from sight.
Gilbert Lawrence staggered to the
nearest seat and sank teebly into it.
All the light had gone suddenly out
of his life, all the color and fragrance.
He had done wrong-he must suffer
for it; he must pay the penalty-an
awful penalty. He deserved it all, and
he knew it; yet his heart was sore and
bleadine as he thought of his child.
"She shall never Know, if con help
it," he muttered, hoarsely, setting his
teeth sharply into his under lip with
savage determination. "She must not
lnow-my proud, innocent darling
for the knowledge would kill her. l
would die to shield her from it,"
And then, once more, the door knob
was turned little impatiently, and the
sweet clear voice called softly through
the keyhole:
Papa, are you asleep? May I come
in? I do want to see you awfully."
"Come!" was the sole response, the
only sound that he could force his white
lips to frame.
A slight pause, then the door swung
swiftly open, and la radiant vision foated
into the room.
A girl of seventeen, a lovely blonde
with golden hair, and eyes of such
deep, dark blue that they seemed black;
q graceful, willowy figure, o dazzling
vision of beauty - Ruby Lawrence.
And, as her fathers eyes fell upon the
sweet, unconscious face, he muttered
once more, under his breath:
"She must not know the awful truth.
] would die to defend her from the