The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-06
"a Gut Diamond,
az NATHAN D. URNER.
CHAPTER VII.-(Continued.)

CHAPTER VII.-(Continued.)
Mr.. Marlowe instinctively took up q
long, round book-keeper's ruler, of heavy
ebony, that was lying within convenient
reach, and listened irtently.
The steps paused at the end OF the
hall. There was heard the opening OF
the back door communicating with the
: bank, more footsteps crossing the marrow
passage directly outside the partition, and
then. as the door itself opened, a stranger
entered.
He was a rather poorly dressed man,
who might have been seafarer, and ne
looked at the banker rather curlously
Rom under the brim of slouch hat,
which he did not take the trouble to re-
move.
"Who the deuce are your" was his first
outburst. And what do you mean by
sneaking into my house at this hour?"
Il have business with you, was the
surly response.
.Business-at nine o'clock at night?
Come, give an account OF yourself, and
be quick about IT.! Wasn't the gate locked,
as weii as the street door?"
"Of course; but have keys for both"
Impossible! Or you must be thief.
shen. Ha! skeleton keys!"
NO, no; good. honest, rightful keys,
and I have carried them for more than
eighteen years. Look at me well, Gilbert
Marlowe. and say that you do not recog-
nize me if you dare!'
He reached back his hand, closing the
door behind him, and then slowly removed
his hat.
Gilbert MarIowe uttered hoarse, as
founded cry. The ruler dropped from
his neryeleSs hand into the mass Of hud-
died papers on the table, and he reeled
back against the money-vault, where he
partly crouched, shivering, pale, painting,
while gazing upon his visitor with start
ing eyes: -. a.oa,r -
managed to articulate. 1Jasper-Jasper
Marlowe! No, no; it cannot bel"
But it certainly is, though, coolly OBJ
served the intruder, seating himself at the
round table. Its me, and no one else
but me, and alive and kicking at that.
All for the obvious reason that have
never been dead, or otherwise than alive
and kicking"
Gilbert Marlowe was bad, but no cow
ard, and We have seen that he was man
of powerful resolution. With his first
reeling sense of the supernatural dissi-
pated, in q measure, by these matter-of-
straightened himself up, and clasped his
hands for an instant over his face and
ewes. When he removed them his visor
was down, the helmet of his self-posses-
sion reassumed. O..
"Fhe deuce!" he exclaimed, with his
harsh laugh. Il have been superstitious
from boyhood, I am ashamed to say;
there is just the ghost of resemblance
between you and my dead cousin, Jasper;
and-and-wcll you asserted that mlser-
able fiction 30 solemnly by your manner
that I really was fool enough to take
momentary stock in it.
But I am Jasper Marlowe, and you
know it" said the other. -Ye', you do;
that iron mask with which you are &C
customed to hide your emotions has
thickened and hardened with the years,
but I can penetrate it, as of old. You
recognize me; know You do
BY heaven! do not" and Gilbert ad-
vanoed, threateningly. Curse your i'm
pudence! get out Of this house--make
to prison"
The stranger was q slender man, ap-
parent7y not in rugged health, notwith-
standing that his bearded face was
bronzed and his hands calloused and
tanned, as though from many seasons OF
rough work, but he was not in the least
daunted by the bankers tone and man!
ner.
ITO prison, eh2 So be it." said he, with
laugh. Come, I should like nothing
better, as preliminary. We shall see ii
Justice Of the peace will be as incredu:
lous as you are, or as you pretend to be.
What do you come here for, anyway
First, to demand my rights-the money
Of which you defrauded me. Next, to
learn the whereabouts of my wife, if she
be still alive"
Come, the subliraity of your assurance,
In thus parading in dead mans shoes,
interests me-I'u consent to talk with
you. Supposing, for the joking instant,
that you are Jasper Marlowe, are you not
rather dilatory in demandingyour rights,
ss you call them, after eighteen years Of
silence?"
Yes; but my health is at last perman-
sntly breaking-I am out-wearied and
out-worn with fortunes abuse"
-Ha! the ordinary adventurer's plea.
Well, still in this hilarious suppo-
sition that you are what you pretend to
be. would be compelled to inform YOU
first, that you have neither rights nor
money to demand of me. Secondly, that
I know nothing of your wifes where
abouts; that she disappeared from this
neighborhood soon after the death of her
little boy, Cuthbert-wbich occurred in
Isss than year after her husbands cruel
and cowardly abandonment of both wife
and child; and that have never seen or
heard of her SINCE"
Il have for year been aware OF our boys
death, said the stranger, not without
emotion. But was in hopes of finding
some traces of Isabel. You must know
of her whereabouts.
Il tell you, do not. I could not in
form YOU, were you really Jasper Mar
lowe, which you are Eot. He died; ne
was drowned, and his body identified,
nearly seventeen years ago. l have
proofs in abundance.
You cannot have. It is false"
wait, you rascal! I will be yet more
condescending."
The banker drew from his pocket the
key of combination lock, and, disap-
pearing around the angle of the great
money vault into the narrow passage on
which it fronted, was heard to unlock and
open the massive doors. When he re-
turned he had in his hands some old
newspapers and some manuscripts, yel.
lowed and dusty.
You ere, perhaps, secretly marveling
st my combined patience with you, said
he, slowly opening the papers and seat
ing himself at the table, SO that the rela.
tive positions of the two men were sim
liar TO those occupied by the banker and
Boncourt several hours previously-tha'
is, the stranger with his back to the
Al fn, ~