The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-12
TIE BANKERS CRIME
Diamond Gut Diamond.
By NATHAN D. URNER.
CHAPTER XL.-(Continued.)

..E CHAPTER NL.-(Cont1nued.D
The young man looked pale and care.
: worn. He had spent miserable, restles!
day in London, and had just come from
there, after escaping from the weli-mean
( endeavors Of his friends to lessen tht
weight of his mental sufferinRs.
s. Father" he said, with an unaccus.
toned irmness, Il am informed, by. the
servant who just admitted me, that yor
have turned Mr.. Alworth and his daugh
) ter out of doors. Is this true?"
& Yes, it is" was the angry response.
What is that to you, Master Impu.
dence!"
1t is just this much to me, sir, said
Noel, firmly: THAT you can heIeafte,
consider me also not member of this
! household"
You are mad! But I should expect
almost anything of you on the heels OF
(. chat insulting message of this morning.
1T WAS not insulting, sir, nor was it
mesnt to be even disrepectful, said the
young man, with sad solemnity. And !
+ may well be mad, or nearly so, for it is I
T who have been INF nsulted-outraged beyond
1eparntion at your hands! However, I
. viii take the formality Of asking you
: whether you were really aware Of the
! double character Of BoncourG and his
sister at the time you urged me to so
far yield to that woman's fascinstions as
60 ask her to be my wife. Answer me
that"
.Curse your un6lial insolence, sir! I
shall disinherit you'll"
.Asyou please. But answer my ques-
y Il don't choose to do so.'
This is, then, tantamount, sir, to a
confession. I must believe you guilty Of
participation in that foul conspiracy
ngainst my honor. Sir, it rends my heart
10 say it, but must henceforth consider
I you no longer as my father. I have duty
to perform to society. to myself. TO my
sense Of what is right and just and honor
able, which outweighs even filial consid-
efations, sir.
In making the confession that you do,
sir. you also leave me no other course than
10 believe the terrible accusations con-
tained in that piece of writing Of which the
villain, Boncourt, robbed me. At first
I treated them as prenosterous as too ter
sible for credence; but I car no longer
9 do so."
& you are crazy! What piece Of writing
are you raving about?"
Evasion will not avail you with me,
sir," continued the young man, in chok-
ing voice. and he turned to the door.
Farewell! I have no longer q father;
you have no longer q SON"
,s wait, Noel, wait!" cried the banker,
his anger changing to genuine grief, for
there could be no doubt OF his affection
for the youth. -Oh, Noel! Will you,
Ghen, leave me? Where are you going
now?"
4 I am going to my rooms to prepare Tor
my departure hence, mournfully replied
the young man, ss he stood in the open
door. But first will write to Gwendo-
line Alworth. I will tell her that I love
! her, and her alone-I will beseech her
forgiveness for the mad delusion, the
fatal infatuation, that has temporarily
blurred te- sweet image in my thoughts
81 will ask her to be my wife, and face
the hardships Of the world with me.
Farewell, sir. But how is this? You
are to have other Wis tors, it seems
~ He stepped back to allow the passage
OF several persons, whose entrance
caused both banker aud lawyer to start up
In alarmed amazement, and then passed
out of the Office and p-stairs.
Two handsome apartments, a bed
chamber and sitting-room connecting,
we're devoted to Noel's accommodation
ON the seaward side of the house.
The sitting-room, which he now en-
tered, contained large window opening
upon one Of those old, dilapidated bal
comics, surrounded by the clinging ivies
which have been described as lending
quaint and venerable aspect to this side
Of the mansion.
3 Before lighting the gas Noel went to ]
the window, and, without stepping upon
Che balcony, which had long been re-
Rarded as unsafe, gazed long and ear
nestly out into the night, in the effort to
compose, in some measure, his troubled
thoughts.
/ 1t was q sultry evening. with indications
of approaching storm.
Down in the garden, which was twenty
I've feet or more below, all was dark, with
the exception of the shaft of light issu-
ing from the rear Office window, which
was almost but not directly underneath.
and the occasional glitter of irehies in
among the trees and strawberries. Far
beyond, ever the garden wall. and over
the roofs of the surrounding houses, lay
the dark line of the ocean, barely distin-
guished by its intensity from the partly
star-sown but mainly c!oud-piled over
hanging vault.
Tho breeze that moved was gusty, and
by fits and starts, such as usually pres
ages tempest in the vicinity of the
Channel coast.
But Noel found little relief in looking
cut into the night
! 81 must write to her-I must commune
In writing with Gwendoline-1 must say
something, no matter what it ISL he NUT
tered, turning from the window and light
ing tho gas over his writing-table.
( He set himself 10 his task with fever
1sh energy, but wrote and destroyed five
or six letters. At last, when nearly
through with fresh attempt, he heard
light, hurrying steps suddenly come to a
pause outside his door, to which his back
was turned, and then rap upon it.
( Como in" he said, without looking up,
and thinking that it was one OF the Ser
wants.
!, But after the door had opened half
.bfeathless exclamation, between a sob
and a sigh, caused him to turn quickly.
:! .Gwcndoline!" he exclaimed, in joyful
surprise.
It WIS indeed she, and her looks were
Wild and hurried.
THANK heaven, am in timer" she
Rasped INoel-quick-you are in dan
5geri They are coming here to murder
you'll"
CHAPTER XII.
=: NoEL's rERIL
= She spoke with wild intensity; her eyes
we're very wide. the curls were blown
about ner face ana neck, and she seemed
10 have been running hard.
sTo murder mel" exclaimed Noel.