The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-05-28
A Tale Of Two Continents.
BY MRS. NINA LAWSON.
CHAPTER Z.

The next morning the unknown left
Jonesborough for Springfield, about
the same time that Noll arrived at his
home in Chicago.
As the two criminals left the little
bown, two poor, honest, sad-hearted
creatures returned to their lonely
home. The five days had passed and
Shey must again return to their home,
only to find it still empty-empty to
them since the light of their old days
had been stolen from them.
The unknown, like the expert thief
that he was, had been throug gh every
thing in the house, but to the un-
suspecting eyes o. the farmer and wife,
everything was just as they had left it.
Time went on and on for them In the
same lonely, monotonous manner as
It had done for the two or three
months past.
Winter would soon be upon them,
and as they would think of their great
loss tears would fill their dull sunken
eyes, while weary sigh would escape
their lips.
Christmas that year would not be the
merry Christmas of the past for them,
and what would it be for their lost
darling? Altogether different from
any she had ever spent before.
In the afternoon of the same day
that the unknown left Jonesborough
he arrived safely in Springfield. Man
and baggage were soon comfortably
lodged in one of the best hotels.
That night message was sent over
the wires to a certain party at Lead
vile, Colorado.
The Leadyille party was leader of a
desperate band of thieves that secreted
themselves among the mountains,
waiting for chance to rob some poor
honest fellow of his hard-earned money.
The telegram ran thus:
Capt. Hutchinson, Leadville, Colorado:
Meet me at Lincoln, Nebraska, on the goth
inst. Important. 7. T. P.
Springfield, ILL.,. Nov. 8. 1875.
As Noll's carriage dashed up to his
front gate, he glanced up at Lenora's
windows.
The curtains were drawn, and no
one was to be seen about the house.
my heavens, has she escaped again ?"
He was so anxious and agitated that
he scarcely knew what he wax about,
but he soon found himself in the
library ringing for servant.
"Ah! I must calm myself a little, for
I do not want any of the servants to
suspect there is anything wrong"
"Oh! you here so soon, master? I
was afraid you would be kept away so
long, as you usually are. Something
wanting?"
"No, nothing in particular. I only
wanted to know how your mistress is
feeling, and how Madam Girindani is. !"
"They seem to be enjoying them
selves, for they are now in the dining
hall at luncheon"
"I.y we'll. that will dc; you may 60
now, and see that my lunch is ready in
thirty minutes. Remember, and be off
with you now"
The servant, Henry, returned to the
dining-hall and reported that his
master had just returned.
Lenora's knife and fork dropped to
her plate with loud ring, and Gertana
looked up with a somewhat surprised
look.
Both ladies gazed at each other for a
moment, when Gertana, as if she could
read Lenora's thoughts, said:
"Do not be surprised nor afraid, por
heed what he may say to you. He shall
not injure you in any way, if I can pre-
vent it. You remain here, and I will
slip to the library door, hide behind
the curtains, and see what can dis
cover"
In an instant Gertana was behind
the curtain, where she had hid one
night nearly six months ago, when
Lenora had 50 bravely defended her
SELF.
The anxious spy stood for few mo-
ments, peeping breathIessIy through a
small space between the curtains.
She could plainly see Sylvester's
face and read from the expression his
almost every thought.
:. A look Of triumph rested in his .ex-