The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-07
She tottered to the bedside again and

breathe more painfully. Half opening
and shutting his eyes, end moving his
head restlessly from side to side. he
seemed struggling Win some sharp Inter
nal pin. His right hand, lying upon the
coverlet, opened and shut conrulslvely
He murmured family, as if talklngto him
self.
1t was we'll for him that he was uncon-
scious, that he could not see the look still
frozen on the girls face-a look of concen-
trated cruelty and passion, horror and
pain
Was he dying? Blanche asked herself.
Yes-God was good after all-he must be
dying.
Then his life was in her hands after
all. She had but to stand still, not
lifting a finger, and still averge hel
father. What she had done already she
had done in blindness; but it was not toe
late to justify herself, toredeem the wick.
edness of having sheltered and succored
him!
She could hear the wind crying without.
Scarcely conscious of what she did, she
rose to her feet, and with convulsive
hands threw open the window. The cold
blast rushed into the room, large flakes
of snow foated in and glimmered in the
dim light.
Clutching the window-sill, she leaned
out into the night.
And the snow fell thickly upon hel
head, while the wind loosened her golden
hair. Still with that stupefed, despair
ing look, she gazed out into the darkness.
Hark!
A feeble cry, like call for help, came
from the sick-room.
She started, but kept her place.
In few moments the cry was rep eated,
but still she did not stir.
She strained her eyes up at the dark
heaven. Her father was there. some.
where beyond those troubled clouds. All!
that she might 60 to him-that he could
beckon to her out of the shadows OF the
grave and call her to his side.
The cry came again.
She turned from the open window and
staggered rather than walked back to the
sick chamber, pausing at the door like o
ghost and gazing In.
The man had changed his position. and
with both his arms thrust up above his
head was lying back without the pillow.
which had fallen to the floor. His mouth
was half-open. his eyes looking straight
at Blanche.
She saw that he had partially recovered
consciousness, and recognized her. Was
it fancy, or did he call to her in faint,
low voice, entreatingly?
She stood like stone; then, taken by a
sudden thought, and fixing her eyes on
his, she raised the medallion, which still
lay in her hand, and kissed it.
He watched her, and seemed to under
stand; but the next moment his eyes
turned away in pain. and a convulsion ran
through his body. How lurid, how death
like his face appeared in the faint glim-
mer of the night-light!
The small timep.e ece in the adjoining
room struck one.
Nearly an hour had passed since she had
last administered the anodyne. Already
her vengeance had begun. He was sink
ing, and she had not put out hand.
All at once, as il by heavenly insplra-
ton, she seemed to hear the voice of her
father speaking to the ear that is In the
soul. The voice was low and gentle, just
as it had always been, but it sounded like
warning She knew the Chevalier's
deeply humane nature; she knew that he,
of all creatures, would have been the last
to approve an act of vengeance. .
An act, not merely of vengeance, but OF
murder-none the less murder because
the victim was a miserable sinner, guilty
of unnatural bloodshed. If she stood
by, with the power to save the life that
was fast going, she was as responsible for
the loss of that life as if she had used
knife or poison to destroy it. She would
have to answer for a sin before the Great
Judge of quick and dead.
Then she thought of her God. She re-
membered the divine precept OF her re-
ligion, Love thy neighbor as thyself. :"
Alas! it was o mockery. How could she
love the slayer Of her father? But love
was one thing, and obedience to the COM
nand of the Almighty was another.
The clock licked out the moments,
while she watched the agonized struggles
Of the sinking man. In a few minutes it
would be too late-pelhaps, indeed, it
was too late already.
Tortured between hate and duty,
Blanche now underwent the great trial Of
her life. God in His mercy gave her
strength, end at last she conquered. Come
what might, she felt tina: she could not
let the man perish without making an at
tempt to save him.
Father, forgive mel" she moaned, pite-
ously, while now for the first time the
tears began to trickle down her cheeks.
Forgive me! cannot let him die!'
Moving quickly to the mantelpiece. she
took the vial, and with trembling hand
measured out the life giving drops: then,
holding out the glass, she approacne~ the
bed. And now, once again, the horror
came upon Ter to thiuE abe must approach
so near and even touch the being she
loathed so much.
She paused and prayed for strength; it
was given to her.
Steeling ail her soul into resolution,
she bent over the man, raised his head
with one hand, end with the other placed
the glass to his lips. His eyes were half
closed, but they opened for a moment and
looked gratefully upon her es be drank
the anodyne.
Then, overpowered by that sublime
effort, blanche uttered heart-broken
cry and sank, wildly sobbing, upon her
knees.
Her face looked quite old and dreodful
as she stole shuddering toward the DIOR.
Before she reached it a cry from The
bed startled her so that she almost shrek
ed. Turning involuutariy, she saw him
gazing at her with outstr he'd hands.
-Fraulein, he moaned Rwhat has hap
pened?"
Then he, too, shuddered, adding, "Ah!
I remember"
She stood like marble-her eyes dlated,
her lace ghastly-looking at him.
He uttered groan of pain, crying:
why do You look at me so strangely
thought thought that I was dying
but I am stronger now, I think. That
lraupht VOC gave me-but for that