The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-09-11

adele, 90 you care for that med
ding fool, Arthur Wynne, so much? =?
He, whose whole heart, whose every
| thought belongs to Ruby Lawrence?
He loved her living, and he will mourn
her dead!
"Ah! your face betrays you, and tells
the secret! Now, Adele ST. Cyr, listen
to me. T am a desperate man, and I
mean what I say! You will never mar
~ Arthur Wynne-never-so help me
heaven!
Should he be beguiIed by you
(Which T doubt into an offer of mar
riage, and should you accept said offer
(which goes without saying), as live,
1t VIII pe your run-yours, ana
Gabrielle st. Cyr's
IT know more than you think, more
than you know yourself, of this dark
game that you are playing my friend
It is q wheel within wheel.
"Ah! did you but dream all that I
know concerning this matter. you
would fly from here this very night!
adele, to-day is Tuesday; give
you three whole days in which to make
up your mind! On Friday I shall
come for my answer-my final, irrev-
ocable answer; no more evasion, no
more tricks or putting off! I hope you
understand me, Adele?"
He had spoken rapidly, his eyes
burning with fevered Light. his form
quiver1ng with excitement. = Adele lift
ed her eyes to his face, and a shiver of
fear passed over her slight frame. She
bowed her head.
"You are cruel, Mark" she said once
! more. "You are cruel, and harsh, and
relentless; but I promise you will give
you my answer-my final answer-on
Friday"
And low under her breath she was
saying: Il will give you my answer.
something, anything-so that it will
keep him quiet for the present, until
Arthur Wynne has proposed. He shall
ask me to marry him, and, once hls be-
trothed wife, ] need not fear what Mark
Alleyne can do"
AS these unspoken thoughts passed
through her mind, he was gazing into
her face with eager, devouring eyes.
He stopped and pressed his lips upon
her small hand
"My life will be o. void utterly with
out hope until Friday" he murmured,
passionately. "Oh, Adele! Adelel l
will make you happy! I swear I will
make you happy wife, my darllng~,
And as he left the room, and the
house, the passion deepened in his
ewes, and he set his teeth together saw
agely, as he hissed between. them:
II will put that troublesome detect
I've out or the way at once, and be done
with i'll have a plan in my mind
which shall sweep Arthur Wynne from
nv path! And with him out OF the
way, the rest will be easy. will win
Adele Cor my wife! She shall marry
meW
Arthur Wynne left the house after
his interview with Adele with
! strange feeling of having been OUT
witted.
81 was so hopeful of finding some
clew when I entered the house." he
said to himself; "yet Ileave just about
as wise as when came"
AS the thought fitted through bis
mind he turned his head and in the
/ spacious fower-garden which lay spread
out like variegated carpet all round
the Lawrence mansion, he SOW the girl
Maggie Willett. She was busy gather
ing flowers to make into bouquets
for the house. At sight of the detect
i've her sallow face grew white as death,
aud her eyes fell before his steady
gaze. :,
Arthur Wynne had come prepared
for this emergency. He went straight
to the girl, and bade her a kindly
good morning. She eourtesied humbly.
"Good morning, sir!" she made an
swer. "And, if you please, sir, have
you heard any news yet of the poor
young lady?"
He shook his head, drawing from
his pocket at the same time the coral
comb.
"This is your property, Maggiep he
said, tersely. II found it in Miss
Ruby's room, after it had been locked
to keep out all intruders. Now, tell
ME, Maggie, what is your price-how
much do you ask-in short, how large
q sum must I pay you for telling me
how that comb came into Miss Ruby's
room?"
The girl was staring into his face
with great, wide-open, honest black
eyes.
Me, sir!" she calculated, frankly;
@why, sir, I never was in that room
since the day-you remember the day,
sir?"
Aye, that he did! He remembered
it, to his sorrow; he would remember
it to the day of his death.
"The combs not mine," added Mag
! gle, shrinking from contact with the
article as though it were poison. Il
have just such comb" she went on,
glibly, "and I mislaid it; but 1 found
it again, you see, SIR"
And she dexterously whisked off her
big sun hat, revealing comb, the
counterpart of the one in Arthur's
hand, confning hen lefty braids-.
! He had no reason but to take his de-
parture, which he did, with feeling
| of defeat. Without backward glance
he left the place, re-entered his car
riage, and was driven home, sad, weary,
heart-sick. That very night he received
written message, in straight hand,
as follows:
IF Mr.. Arthur Wynne will 60 down
to the lake, and out to the end of the
pier, tonight, at nine precisely, he
will learn where to look for Ruby Law
| renee"
| I