The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-28


There were no other mourners.
The carriage which held the heart.
broken mother drove swiftly back to
the desolate home and halted, while
the occupant alighted and entered the
house. The kind-hearted servant had
been discharged, and there was q
stranger in her place-one who had
never seen La Belle in her life.
a. a. tns .ns nelu OF the stars wnlcn Ga.
briclle slowly assembled Mark Alleyne
suddenly appeared.
He bent his head and whispered q
few words. She wheeled about swiftly,
ind, drawing key from her pocket,
unlocked the door of the room which
had been her daughters; then she en-
tered, Mark following closely.
Gabrielle paused to lock the door be-
| hind them; then she hastened to the
bed which stood in q corner. There,
upon the snowy pillows, beautiful
white face, framed in by waves OF
dusky hair-La Belle, the danseuse.
"How well we have succeeded so
far!" murmured Gabrielle, excitedly.
"Mark, not a living soul suspects
! Wa n.ye' now but to resuscitate her,
! Ais. thsn the rest of our game is COM
paratively easy to playT
She bent closely over the still waxen
face. She fell back with wild cry.
"My God! how deathlike she looks !!
Snrely-surcly - Mark, there is No
danger of that!"
His dusky face hlanched to IN NV.
full pallor; into his eyes there flashed
q half-maddened look.
"lf she is dead I will have youl
life!" he cried, madly. "But no Ga
brielle; DR.. Karl knows too we'll what
he is about. Here, hold her head
while T drop few drops of the elixir
into her mouth"
Gabrielle lifted the dusky head up
on her breast, while Mark, with slow,
steady hand dropped few drops from
a small phial between the half-open
lips. A slow shiver ran through the
graceful form; light breath stirred
the lace upon her bosom; low sigh,
then the white lips futtered open, and
the glorious dark eyes were gazing into
their faces, full of puzzled light.
"Who are you?" she faltered, feebly.
For the first time Gabrielle remembered
her own disguise. She tossed the spec.
tacles to the floor, and the wig followed
suit; then she bent over her daughter
once more.
Have you forgotten our plot, Adele?"
she cried.
The girl struggled to sit up, and
slowly the light of memory crept back
10 her once moro.
"My soul has been absent from my
body, mamma" she ialtered, slowly.
"In spirit l was with him! Oh, man.
ma, mamma! he loves her, curse her
that Ruby Lawrence, who has stolen all
from mel"
"Hush!"
Gabrielle's voice was low and swift.
MARK is here" she whispered, softly.
Then she resumed her disguise,
while she quickly prepared strength.
ening draught. A little mulled wine
brought the strength back to Adele's
frame, and faint color to her waxen
cheeks.
When Mark saw that she was almost
her old self once more he left the room,
and mother and daughter were alone.
When he was gone Gabrielle brought a
large cut-glass bottle and soft sponge
from the wardrobe.
Nov for your metamorphosis," she
said,
Adele let all her dusky hair down
over her shoulders; her mother satu-
rated the sponge in the contents of the
bottle and wet the hair thoroughly. In
ten minutes time the dusky hair was a
glorious sunny gold. Gabrielle uttered
q little cry of delight.
"You are lovely beyond compared"
she cried. "Your beauty is without o
flaw! Your complexion is naturally as
fair as lily; and that exquisite golden
hair in contrast to your dark eyes, and
black, silky brows and lashes! Oh,
Adele! when you see yourself in the
mirror you will fall in love with your
own face, like Narcissus!"
Adele's eyes swept the beautiful re-.
Election in the mirror which hung op.
posite, and wistful look crept into her
eyes.
"Do you think that lie will admire
me?" she asked.
@Who is he that he should be such an
autocrat?" sneered Gabrielle. my
child, he shall love you! But, Adele,
think well of what you are doing, for
Mark is"
"As cruel as the gravel" interviewed
the girl, quietly. Il know. But,
mamma, we must outwit him! If I
can gain Arthur Wynne's love I will
not care for anything that Mark might
do. And T must win Arthur's love
He shall love me, or shall go mad-or
die"
A week afterward, Gabrielle st. Cyr,
the widow of Gilbert Lawrence, took
NJ her abode at Lawrence Park, and
with her, her daughter, a beautiful
young creature, with golden hair and
dusky eyes; just from o French con-
vent. it was said.
There was little difficulty in taking
possession of Lawrence Park, for she
had her marriage certificate and other
papers to prove the validity of her
claim.
The law could not turn the widow
out Of her husbands home, for her
child had firm claim to her fathers
estate. Possession is nine-tenths of
the law" Gabrielle muttered defantly,
land I defy them to eject me! I defy
! The whole world. and the poMers of