The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-09-06
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: : LITTLE WAIF.
A Story Of Absorbing Interest;
BY BERNARD HERBERT.
CHAPTER VIII
NtrI.TIrRE Mn nnyE

"Oh, good evening, Grace" Boytlcn
said in perfectly polite yet mattcr-of-
fact way, m though it were no surprise
to him to find the girl in so out-of the
way place; "has Mr.. Anim re-
turned ?"
Specchlcss with apprehension and
dread, poor little Gracic was only ublc
Had Il vistant from the grave sud
denly appeared before her she could
not been more terrified. Shc had con
cluded, and with reason, that If the
face of the drowning man she had seen
from the deck of the doomed "Orcgon"
were in truth the face of Max Boydcn,
and no hallucination of her excited
brain, her arcl-enemy must be ut the
bottom of the sea. She had studied
every face on board the steamer
"Fulda, EVERY face that cnno within
the range of her vision.
Alas, poor child, her sense of security
was fallacions. Tho viciousIy hand
some face of Boy,lcn was among the
rescued aboard tho "Ful,lu," though
she saw it not. IIc had been picked up
with tho rabble of the rtst-a-wnys, and
no one had asked questions us to hia
presence there. And why should a
question be askcd2 There were no
phSScHpeT-llSIS lu al LilaL nupiuh to
consult.
Yet Max Boydcn had stood nn the
deck of the mysterious schooner!
Whether he had been saved the com.
mission of or committed II crime on
that fatal morning ~ ii matter of which,
for the present, must rest in tho hnn,Is
of God and Justice.
When she did not answer him. only
stood staring Mt linn in II blcIul fps.
cination, he continued suavrly:
eff Mr.. Arnim is not in. perhaps [
may have the plrasur" Of seeing Ills
good mothcr?"
At that, little Grncic plurkrd up
sufficient courage to say:
IL cannot sec what it matters To ynu
whether Mrs. Arnim is in or out. Sho
is not in, however"
Boydcns dark eyes burned with II
mystic, lurid fire for an instant as he
gazed tiXedly at the girl.
Dear mel" he exclaimed, show
changed you are! Not ut all the we'll
behaved, gentle, little girl who waited
40 faithfully upon my poor uncle in
England. l scarcely rccogniZ.-y++t
AeH'vu grown n woman since VIZ last
met, and n beautiful one, tool"
Gracies howcr-like face flushed
crimson at the insult and her small
white hands clcnchcd into hard knots
"Lcavc the house!" she commanded
al beg parlon?" he asked mock
ingly.
"Lcave the house, Mr.. lSoydcn," sl'o
repeated boldly, cor | will go int" the
street and call the policcT
You'll have to pass me i'll order to
lo that, my dear girl; and even if |
suffered you to be SO foolish, pray
what complaint have you to enter
against me? ] am u patron of yonr
friend, Mr.. Arnim. l have written
him note, which he does not appear
to have received, changing our place of
meeting for this evening from my ho
tel to his house. l expect him every
moment. / do not think he will hc in
clincd to turn me out of doors when he
comes, do you?"
"He wenld if told him aii ! know
about you," was the plucky retort.
"Indccd2 And what could you tell
him."
"That you were the instigator Of MIR.
Clill'ord's murder"
Max Boylcn smiled blandly.
az fear You are modelling with edge
TOOLS" he said, "tho use of which you
do not understand. If yon go too far,
YOU may cut your own fingers. In
other words, when You see fit to accuse
n man of instigatinG murder, you
must be we'll armed with the proofs to
back your statements. Have You nny?"
She was silent, and the flush died
out of her face, leaving it ashcn gray.
"You have done nobly in shielding
your unfortunate father from the gal
lows" he continued, "and would not
advise you to do anything now to jeop-
ardize his safety"
Once again strange light famed in
her eyes.
81 might speak here, if choose. >"
she said, "since he is safe in Eng !"
"Who is safe in England?"
"My father
"On the contrary, Nicholas Garland
arrived in New York hy the Alaska
only Yesterday"
at is false!"
al ask your pardon; ] have seen him
and can take you to his place of refuge
within thirty minutes"
Here was poser indeed. Her father
in America, and within half IN hour of
her own hiding-placc!
Oh, fate was hard upon her! The
For n minute or two the poor child
stood there sprllbound with horror,
staring straight before her, with the
full light Of the gas falling all about
her; and Boydcn watched her rs a
ravcning beast watches it's prey, yet
pauses in admiration ere it seeks to de-
vour it.
Oracle was first to break the oppres-
sive silence.
"Well," she said, and her low tense
tone betrayed the desperate frame OF
hcr mind, II may as well give mp it is
no Use struggling; ! am doomed. What
do YOU want of mo?"
"Of you?"
"Ycs, of me. You do not want your
portrait painted; you care no more for
The man who has bcfriendcd me than
vou do for the wind that blows. You
are after me. So say what you have to
IL. q