The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-09-11
4 mad MARRIAGE;;.
The Heiress Of Law
renee Park.
i STORY OF Absorbing INTEREST.
By MRS. &. b. COLLINS.
CHAPTER XIV.
ONLY MARK.

ONLY MARK.
Arthur glanced up with a slight
smile.
II believe it will be wise to heed the
advice of "A Friend, he said, land
keep my eye upon Mr.. Mark Alleyne,
as well as the 'nu airess.'
And although his heart was heavy,
he laughed heartily, for the absurdity
of the orthography was mirth-provok'
ing.
"And I believe, he went on, thought
fully, the smile vanishing from his
handsome face, and the gravely hope
less look coming back, which was
growing habitual to it, "that 1 had
better make call at Lawrence Park
now. All, I see my own wisdom in &C.
cepting Mrs. Gabrielle st. Cyr's invita-
tion to call there"
But if Arthur Wynne had dreamt for
q single moment of all that his accept
ance of said invitation was destined to
cost him, he would have hesitated be-
fore the next step was taken.
He made up his mind to call without
delay.
Adele was out, he knew, and he
would thus be spared the sight of her
usurping Ruby's place in Ruby's home,
. and perhaps he might be able to find a
stray clew.
He re-entered his carriage and was
driven to Lawrence Park, rang the
bell, and sent in his card to its mis-
fess.
He was shown into the grand draw
ing-room, and left alone, while the SER
want went to acquaint Mrs. Lawrence
$50 Arthur must force himself to call
herr with his presence there.
A shrewd detective never allows any
possible chance to him to pick up odds
and ends of information.
Arthur glanced curiously around the
room to see if any change had been
effected in its arrangements since the
interlopers had taken possession.
The first new object upon which his
eyes fell was portrait of Adele. A
lovely, girlish face it was, with sunny
hair and great, dusky eyes like velvet;
q bewildering face, which he studied
with eager gaze.
Slowly strange, inexplcable feel
ing crept over him. Something famll-
lar in the features of the portrait be-
fore him touched his memory.
IT have seen that face before, long
ago." he muttered under his breath.
II have seen that face somewhere be-
fore, surely; but where, or when?"
He could not. decide. He could not
recall the time or the place; but that
he had seen it before, that he had even
been some time presented to Adele st.
Cyr, grew gradually to impress itself
upon his mind.
Give Arthur Wynne a clew, be it
ever so slight, and he would work it up
to starting point before he was done
with it.
A book lay upon a tiny gilded stand
at his side, copy of Meredith's poems,
elegantly bound.
Arthur turned it over carelessly as
he stood there, vaguely taking in the
fact that there was nothing to remind
one of Ruby in the apartment. That
everything pertaining to the unfortu'
nate girl had been banished-as though
disgrace, black disgrace, trailed itself
over everything which had been hers.
CHANGING carelessly at the book he
became aware that, in his abstraction,
he had opened it, or, rather, the leaves
had fallen apart at the poem "Aux
Italians" which bore the marks o!
much reading, the first lines being
marked lightly in pencil:
At Paris it was, at the opera, there;
And she looked like queen in book. that
) night,
With the wreath OF pearl in her raven hair.
And the brooch on her breast. SO bright!
He stopped short. A vision arose
before him; vast, crowded theater,
in q blaze OF briIllance, and upon the
stage a light, airy figure in white,
spangled tulle, with lovely face,
framed in by waves of floating, dusky
hair, fitted over The boards like q
bird.
Then the vision vanished, and he
wss at Ruby's side in the hame-wrapped
box, tearing her away from the grasp
of death; while all the time, from the
stage near by. those mocking, dark
eyes, that lovely face with dazzling
smile-that face which never once, IN
that lite and death struggle, held a look
of pity or sympathy, or any human at
tribute of sorrow or regret.
Rufiing the leaves of the book under
his hand he turned carelessly to the fly
leaf.
A name had been written there-the
name of the owner.
The book had been presented tc
Adele by one of her admirers, who
had written her stage name (not know
ing any other) upon the fly leaf, ano
she had subsequently erased it, with
the assistance OF bit of india-rubber
Arthur Wynne drew tiny magnify
ing glass from his pocket and placed il
over the name.
aL-B-lle." That was what he de-
ciphered. Still the truth did not come
home to his brain. The enormity, thu
improbability of such thing was tot
immense to easily take possession o
any ones mind, even to the astute detec
tive's.
He closed the book, and turned hi:
eyes upon the lovely grounds outsid.
the window, his heart aching Will
Thoughts of the lovely girl who hae
reigned there so short time before
the petted idol of her father, queen o
the household, beautiful Ruby Law
renee!
"My darling! Ny poor, wronget
darling! I will right your wrongs;
will refute this awful calumny, thougl
tho effort cost nv life !"