The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-17

rushing INTO, ana Wnat Houlu happen
that night.
That piteous wall that escaped Le-
nora's lips brought most of the servants
to her room. As they entered they saw
their mistress lying, as if dead, upon
the floor.
Jeanette was there, and recovered
from the fright quickly.
She has oaly tainted; run for some
water and the smelling salts"
But the salts and water were OF little
avail, for Lenora lay for hours in that
unconscious condition, and Jeannette
began to fear that the blow had been
too severe for her rival.
She did not care whether Lenora re-
covered or not, but she was afraid ol
that ever-haunting ision, and believed
that she would be struck dead.
Finally she and the servants sue
ceedel in restoring the little mistress
of the mansion to consciousness, and
what a bitter, bitter consciousness it
was. All was lost to her now, and the
world seemed empty. She wanted to
die. and asked the servants why they
had brought her back to life; she lay
on the sofa for some time, where they
had placed her; there were now but
little signs of life, only occasionally
the lids would rise, and pair of such
sad, dreamy eyes would gaze round the
room, and rest that gaze long and visit
fully upon the portrait of fine, noble
looking man, that hung on the wall.
The eyes we're dry, and not tear
would come to her relief, and there was
no one there to speak word OF COM
fort to the heart-broken little wife.
As she lay there many things passed
through her mind, and she realized
that she hal duty to perform; aye,
what o sad one, too. She must go for
her dead husband. "Lula, bring ME
some wine, and then you must pack
some valises, for I must 60 to Chicago
on the first train"
MY dear lady, I fear you are not
able to take such journey"
"Yes, will feel tronger in a little
while. and no one can go to him but
me; how much I wish Mother Bristol
were here"
She drank the wine and ate a little
toast that the cook had sent up to her.
In q short time she went into the nur.
sery to see her babe.
"Mv little darling-all that is left on
earth to meas dearly as love YOU, I
pray God may take you from this cold,
wicked world now, if your future is tc
ba nc dark and sad rs mine.
Father in heaven, can you not
see what I have to bear, and do you
not pity me?
viii you not send one spark OF com.
fort to me now, in these dark hours?
What have I ever done, Father, that !
must suffer so, and love SO much, and
then lose all? I cannot believe that
my darling took his own life. No; he
was too good, too brave for that. Some
one has killed him, and now he waits
for baby and me in the pearly halls of
heaven. Oh, Father, either give me
strength to bear my bunden or take me
to him now. Have mercy on me, oh,
God pity mel"
Lenora had knelt by the side of the
couch on which her baby lay, and had
taken it in her arms and pressed it
close to her bosom.
AS she ceased praying, the hot,
scalding tears, like SO many drops OF
blood, now coursed down her pale,
sunken che ks. Those tears were the
first she had shed since that awful
telegram came, and they seemed to re-
lieve her, for she rose from her kneel-
ing position and laid her babe back on
the couch, and then returned to her
room.
Those few hours of untold misery
had made q great change in her; she
was now q woman, and had decided to
brave this great sorrow the best she
could. Lenora was no longer the girl
wife, but O woman, saddened, as if she
had lived years of sorrow and not
hours.
AS she entered the room there was
an expression on her face that had
never been there before; she Looked
like an angel Of light, saddened by the
sins of the world.
The valises were soon packed, and
everything was ready for them to start
to the depot. Thomas and Lula were
to go with Lenora, but she did not say
one word to Jeanette about going.
Since the night of the ball, almost
two years ago, she instinctively shrank
from the dark beauty. Although she
did not like Jeanette, yet there had
never shadow of doubt crossed her
mind but that she was her friend, and
that she really pitied her in her great
trouble.
The train was on time, and Lenora,
with two of her servants, was rapidly
whirling toward Chicago. 1t was
rather late when the train stopped at
the great city. Lenora was driven i'm
mediately to the Pacific Hotel and
ushered to q parlor by one whom she
presumed was a porter of the hotel.
Rooms for tine night, lady?'
"No; I have come for the body of
my dead husband-Captain Raymond
Bristol"