The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-07
4 mad MARRIAGE;
Fhe Heiress of Law.
renee Park.
4 STORY OF ABSORBING INTEREST.
By MRS. z. B. COLLINS.
CHAPTER ~.
MURDERED,


eonfused calculations, as the servants
locked to the room, pale and terrified
tecoiling at the fearful sight with hor
Tor and alarm.
It was scene which they who saw il
we're destined never to forget. The
blazing chandelier threw a strange.
nnearthly glare over the beautiful dis
ordered room, mocking the early sun
light which crept in at the windows,
She blinds of which had not been closed
bill night. The door of the room had
been burst open by the frightened
servants, disclosing confusion.
The pretty bronze clock which had
Btood upon the white marble mantel
had been thrown upon the floor, evi-
aently in the struggle for life, and had
Stopped at half-past two. Upon o mar.
BILE table in the center of the room,
Just under the blazing chandelier, were
writing materials, and sheet of note
paper upon which these words had been
Traced, "Gabrielle, I have made my will
I'm favor Of"
And here the sentence broke off, un.
finished; the pen had fallen upon the
liable; and the secret-if secret it was
remained untold. For the hand that
had traced those lines was still forever
the master of Lawrence Park lay
there dead and cold, with great, gap
ing hole in his breast from which the
life had ebbed, his white face upturned
the garish gaslght, set and stony =;
The sightless eyes fixed straight be-
fore him in vacant stare.
Tho furniture was disarranged, and
b chair overturned near. Beside that
Ehastly fg<re lying there in such pa!
Ehetic silence, Mrs. Chillingworth-
hroused from slumber by the old house
keeper knelt, pale and hysterical.
She had been an old and valued friend
bf Gilbert Lawrence, and the chosen
chaperon of his motherless daughter.
Yet she knew little of his past life, and
nothing of that secret OF hidden sin
which he had carried with him to the
grave. At her side stood the old fam
ily physician, silent and grave, bend
ing over the dead man with eager inter-
est.
"Dead for hours" he exclaimed,
tersely, at last. "And-good heavens! !!
to the heart evidently. Yet
I see no trace of the weapon with which
the deed was done! A cold-blooded
he went on, shaking his head
slowly "a most atrocious murder!
Perhaps it-but-I must wait until the
Coroner arrives, Mrs. Chillingworth!" !"
stopping to lay his hand upon Mrs.
Chillingworth's arm, "has the awful
news been broken to-to-has any one
told Miss LGwcence?"
. Clarice ChillingworLh lifted her
white face with its look Of intense suf-
ing, and an expression of horror
dswned within her eyes. For the mo-
ment she had forgotten the poor moth.
erless child upstairs, who must now
learn that she was fatherless, too! Mrs,
I Chillingworth uttered a low cry.
"No! no! Good heavens! no" she
moaned. "Who can tell her? Who
dares tell her? There never was such
love before between father and daughter
as the love which Gilbert Lawrence
and his child bore for each other! !
would not dare to tell her! I would
not be the one to break the news to
Ruby Lawrence-not for the wealth OF
the round world. And" pausing
with groan of horror. "Good heav-
ems! I believe that-she is coming!"
d. Down the broad staircase a slim,
white-robed figure came tripping light
~, all unconscious of the dark shadow
that had fallen over her young life like
a pail. And as she came fitting down
the stairs-poor child!-she was sing
ing softly to herself-the last song
that touched her lips for many dreary
day:
.And I'll give my heart to my lady's keeping,
And ever her strength on mine shall lean;
And the stars shall fall, and the saints be weep.
Ere 70 ! cease to love her-my queen-my
dueen!
Half way down the stairs she hesi.
tated.
A glimpse of the crowd below, the
unusual hustle, dawned upon her; the
song died upon her lips; she caught
her breath with gasp. One swift
glance over the carven balustrade; q
mad rush down the stairs and into the
library; then q piercing shrek fell
upon the silence-a cry which they
who heard it never forgot to the day
they died.
A moments pause; "a dead, low
hush, as OF q soul departing, and
spirits kneeling over it," then the lit,
tie white-robed figure fell upon her
knees beside that still form.-thai
ghastly, awful form, with its white
marble face upturned to her own;
never to brighten at her coming, the
silent lips never to utter loving words
iagain-never any more.
In her trailing robe Of snowy cash
mere, with her long gold hair afoat.
~ looked like wrath IS she knelt
ksSre; her arms wound around the
lent form, while she moaned In bitter
(guish:
"Un, papa! papa! papa. Speak t,
me, darling, just one word! Open
your dear eyes and look at me! 1t is
Ruby, your Ruby, your own little girl
Oh, papa! papa!"
And the wild cries would have melt
ed heart of stone.
DR.. Hall turned aside and wiped his
eyes. Mrs. Chillingworth crouched in
a corner, crying softly to herself, while
the anguished lamentations went on.
ALI at once there was subdued
hustle in the entrance hall outside; the
slow, measured tramp, tramp of feet, a
monotonous whispering. DR.. Hall
laid his hand gently upon the bt*ed
Naad
sMy dear!" chow his kind voice
trembled). any dear Miss Ruby,
come with me, will you not? 1t is
best that you leave the room for a