The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-08

by the Iatterv o1 eyes that was turned
upon her.
The Connt left her in beautiful
sitting-room, hung with arms and bat
tie-nags captured from the Turks and
Mongols, while he went in to announce
her arrival to the General.
She had been sitting there but few
minutes when Dr. Mulek came out and
offered her his hand, but she did not
appear to see it, though she answered
his bow with cold nod.
81 AMI sorry for this, Lola" he said,
"but YOU did your work we'll"
1T is not my work" she replied.
That's right" he sad, with know
ing laugh, stick to that, for L can see
II tie General RECEIVERS he IS pound to
help YOU out. I shall see Madame
Berger and the fair Elizabeth in the
morning. ANY message to send?"
sNot by you" she replied.
and have you no word - send to
Peter?" :,
"None, save that T wish he and all
like him We're under the ice of the
Neya."
"You are angry
She did not reply, for at that mo-
ment Count Linwold appeared at the
door and motioned for her to follow
him.
So far Lola had been wonderfully
cool, but now, as she was about to
come face to face with General Paul,
her steps became unsteady and her
lips grew ashen.
When she first read Of General Paul's
engagement to Elvira, the daughter OF
Count Linwold, Lola fell that she
could strike dead at her feet the man
who hal won her heart anu cruelty
cast her aside: but now, in his weak
ness, all the old love surged into her
soul with the force of a returning
tide, and for the moment her brain
reelad and the walls bent and hoated
like flexible things before her distorted
vi sion.
She would have fallen had not Count
Linwold touched ler aim and said, in
his oily voice:
Miss Pulaski, here is General
Paul"
But another voice thrilled her heart
and restored her to reason.
"Lola, Lola, I am here"
II was the voice of General Paul,
weaker than when she last heard 1t,
but sweeter to her than all the music
of earth.
SURPRISING the cry That rose to her
lips, she sprang forward, and seizing
his extended hand, she exclaimed:
ooh, say that it was not 1 who did
this foul deedp
Il have said it, Lola" he replied;
and in the presence of these witnesses,
and before heaven, I reiterate, you are
innocent"
Then turning his face to Count Lin
void, and the attending physicians and
nurses, the General continued:
please to leave me alone with this
young lady for few minuts."
The people in the room obeyed him,
and Lola drew q chair closer to the
bed and let him hold her hand.
For some seconds neither could
speak; the gallant soldier was more
unnerved than ever he had been on the
battlefield.
He began in q low voice by telling
her, not of his wound or his faith in!
her innocence, or even by asking her
how she came to be found so close to
him when the officers discovered him,
but of his connection with the Countess
Elvira Linwold.
He declared that the published an
nouncement Of his betrothal to that
lady was as great surprise to himself
as it seemed to be to the world.
II do not. could not love her, Lola,
he said, with, suppressed passion,
"after ] hsd given my heart to you.
Love and marriage do not necessar-
lily go together among the mobiles of
Russia" she replied.
@But they shall go together in my
case, for am determined to wed you
at once. Do not stop me, Lola said
the General, restraining her.
"The doctors say it is very doubtful
if [ recover|"
ooh, I pray heaven they may be mis-
taken!" she cried, and then added, with
much of her old calmness, "But no
more of this subject of marriage"
"But I must speak of what is upper
most in my mind. Should L die, I
want you to reap all the security the
widow of the Prince of Moskeva should
have under the empire. Should I live,
life will be what it never was beforei
perfected by an unselfish love-"
"No," she replied, "it cannot he. You
are the son of the man who so wronged
my father. I cannot help To- YOU,
but I can help marrying"