The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-06-18

| smile.
II heard all that Sylvester said to
you this morning, and when you tainted
away at his feet he was going to picB
you up in his arms, but l would not
let him. Had he touched you, Lenora,
I would have killed him."
"Oh, you are 80 good to me, Gertana,
I cannot thank you enough. I wish he
had killed me this morning when ]
wanted him to, for he has made me 80
miserable that I would welcome deat
any moment" :"
"You must not entertain such gloomy
thoughts, dear, for there are happy
days for you, yet. Here, drink this
wine; it will strengthen you little,
and then we must 60 to your room, 80
that you can lie down, and must be
very quiet the remainder of the day."
"Thank you, Gertana; I feel 30
much better, now. And you are quite
sure be has gone, and won't be back for
some time?"
"He left the city this morning, and
if I live until Xou are able to leave this
mouse he shall never see you again.
No, it is now his turn to suffer, and
his punishment shall be lasting one. /"
"Oh, I do not want him to be pun
ishedl But if he will only let me be
free, and not want any more interviews,
I shall lot complain.
"That is all right, Lenora; but he
has more than this one terrible crime
to answer for. Yes, he has many. l
plainly see, dear, how very ignorant
YOU are of this world. But don't you
feel well enough now to lean on my
arm and walk to your room?"
"Yes; now that I know that l am
free it seems tina. I could walk around
the world" But sigh escaped her
lips, and Gertana knew that she was
not altogether happy; she knew that
there was burden on Lenora's soul,
and that the contents of the letter she
had received in the morning were more
terrible to the prosecuted girl than all
of Nolls threats.
Lenora had not told Gertana what
was in the letter, but she was deter
mined to find ont, hoping that it might
be of some assistance to her In identi-
flying her.
And she was determined also that
Noll should not have it. Therefore, as
he left the house, she picked up the
letter and hid it in her pocket.
Lenora was put in her bed by her
kind, careful nurse, and by evening
she was feeling much better. Gertana
remained by her side for some time
and would not leave the room until the
little sufferer had fallen asleep, when
she silently left the darkened chamber
and went to her own room, where she
could think and not be disturbed.
She then slipped the letter from her
pocket and opened it. The writing
was strange and in an unknown hand,
yet few Of the letters were strangely
familiar.
As we know the feelings of the owner
of the name signed to this letter, it
may seem strange that such letter as
the following should be sent to Lenora:
JoNEsBoRoueH. ILL.,. Nov. 20. 1875.
LIMA: If this letter should reach you at
the address you gave me, well and good. II
not. and if you ever come back to this place
J
know what think OF such as you, and just
what will and will not do. II you prefer
to live up there in that city with that man
that you SO slyly slipped OF with. why
that's all well and good for you and me both.
I have cared for you as father for years,
can be no moro. There is already enough
shame and disgrace heaped upon US, and
now forbid you to ever enter this house
again. CHRISTOPHER RICE
Gertana folded up the letter and re-
placed it in the envelope; she noticed
the postmark was not Jonesborough,
but could not tell positively just what
it was, for it was too dimly stamped.
my, how can this be? This letter
is headed at Lenora's old home, but I
do not think it was mailed there. Can
it be possible that there is double deal
ing here also? I should not doubt it,
and now think Sylvester capable of
anything. Just to make sure that my
surmises are correct, I will go down to
the library and compare this letter with
some of Sylyester's writing!"
After searching for some time she
succeeded in finding a half-fnished,
ldISlY Wiltltu iSllSS, duu WdS ClOSOly
comparing the two when suddenly she
sprang from the chair in which she sat,
with a strange, wild look on her face.
"As true as heaven is above my head
this is forged letter.
Gould any one possessing heart,
and the least spark of conscience, be
guilty Of such villainy?
mo. Positively no. 1t would not
have been half so wicked had he stolen
ten thousand dollars of some man; but
to have stolen the last spark Of bappi-
ness that that poor, innocent, unsus-
pecting child possessed-it is Infamous
it is cowardly.
Sylvester Noli, I ought to have shot
yoq. dead this morning, when 7 l bad
sucn splendid chance"
After this terrible outburet c: l. 2aef #
angry passion, she sank weak and ex-
haustcd in chair, where. she remain
ed for some time, thinking and laying
plans for the future.
Finally she seemed to awaken from
this gloomy stupor into which she had
fallen. The room was dark, the
ground WAS white with snow, and more
was rapidly falling. The wind
whistled tierce'y round the corners OF
the house, nd tossed about the
boughs of the trees on The lawn.
How sad was this poor woman'a
heart IS she drew the curtain and re-
viewed the past, the long years sne
had spent since she last saw her beau
tiful happy home in Italy.
"How gloomy and lonely it seems;