The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-06-11
I1ent. No; you may kill me, but 1
shall be firm while / breathe"

shall be firm while breathe"
Her face was radiant with an angry
flush as she turned to leave the room.
Hold! my beauty. You are par.
TALLY mistaken; you cannot get out OF
that door, for it is looked. Be seated,
1 have considerable to say to you, and
it is tiresome standing"
"Don't you dare come near me. l
positively refuse to accept that chair
Willie you are in this room."
She had stepped back in one corner
as far as she could; the wall only pre-
vented her from fleeing, she cared not
where.
Miss Churchill, have you not pun
ished me enough by your aversion
against me? God only knows how hard
it is for me to keep from drawing you
to my heart, and holding you there for.
ever. The very sight of you makes nae
wild. Oh, Lenora, for heavens sake,
don't look at me like that. You wall
kill me or set me crazy.
"Do pity me ittle-do have little
mercy on me! If you will only consent
to Se my wife in the future, to love me
little, I will be content, and the hap.
piest man in the world. Don't you SEQ
am burning up with the fever OF love
that you have sent through every vein
in nv body? You looked 30 beautiful
last night, and this morning so fair;
oh, never-never did any one see such
loveliness. Can't you, in your heart OF
hearts, have little pity on my misery"
As he ceased speaking his lovely
features were drawn with pain. He was
master at controlling his feelings ex-
cept in the presence of this girl. He
knew that he had no power over her,
and that now, since he could not per-
suade her to be his wife, his only re-
course was stratagem or force. Lenora
stood looking at him without shadow
of pity crossing her face. When Noll
ceased speaking, she replied:
"You have no one to blame for your
misery but yourself, Mr.. Noll. You
understand, do not consider you a
gentleman, and any rational person who
knew how you have stolen me away
from all my happiness and imprisoned
me here, when I prefer death to your
presence, would know you were acting
wrong, and not the part of o gentle
man. ( entreat you to act thoughtfully
and right. I wrote to my uncle some
time ago to come for me, and when he
does you shall be proparly punished; ;
but now redeem yourself little in the
estimation of those who really know
you, by letting me- go-by giving me
my freedom.
80, precious freedom, pray you to
give me, sir, and let me 60 back 10
those who really love. me.
"Ha, ha! Your home, you fair
temptress; your home is here, the only
one you now have, and I am the only
one who rightly loves you. For your
own sake you had best yield and be
mine. I will take you away from all
this-away off, in fair, beautiful lands,
where you shall want for nothing that
money can buy. o, yield, I beg OF
you, for this is your last chance. I
Will give you just three minutes to say
yes or no, and then, if it be no, I shall
place you in little cell, just off my
room, and you shall be kept there
under lock and key until I return, when
I shall carry you off, as I brought you
here. Now, remember, just three
minutes"
And he drew out his watch to count
the minutes. One minute had gone,
and Lenora stood pressed against the
wall, trembling, and as pale as death,
while her parched, pale lips were NOV
ing in prayer to heaven for protection.
Two minutes had gone, and yet no
help came to the little sufferer; three
minutes, and the time was up.
Noll closed his watch, and the little
click of the spring startled Lenora.
He looked at her with cold, strange
gaze, as if he knew that her answer
would not be what he wanted.
"What is your answer?"
"No; never"
Just then Henry opened the door OF
the library.
master, here is letter for the mis-
tress; she isn't in her room, and, too,
it is time to start if you want to catch
that train. The carriage is waiting at
the gate"
Lenora quickly sprang to Henry'a
side, despite the weakness OF her body.
Her little remaining strength was re-
newed by the hope that aid would soon
reach her in her hour of greatest trial.
[To BE Continued