The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-13
,cca deal fustered, he turned again, say.

good deal fustered, he turned again, say
ing han. ,;s,oten
30 you need think no more OF II, Mss
Winford. Will Noel be with US at din
ner2"
He didn't say" was the faint reply, Tor
the good woman had not yet recovered
from the shock she had received.
well. at all events, you may expect me
20 bring Mr.. Croak, and perhaps also Mr.
Wormer, with me" And, after sllgnt
hesitation. he added
Moreover, suppose you present my
respects to Mr.. and Miss Alworth, and
ask them to Join us at table. They are
not TO be with us much longer, and will,
besides, like to see Mr.. Croak, l fancy"
He ther moved away with the lawyer,
leaving the group at the gate probably
more astonished than they had been al
FIRST. :,
THAT was eood-that was really consid'
the Alworths on my account, and sha nj
forget it." said CIoak, in pleased tones
.Eut what are you going down the street
for? Wormer isn't in my Office. He's
over yonder in my garden, with. some
brandy and cigars that the inn-keepe1
gave him for getting him out of that last
scrape with the authorities. Come"
So" said Marlowe, changing the
direction of bis steps. well, what
did YOU think of her manner, when ]
limited about the bank having. been en-
tered?"
"Perfe city natural and perfectly inno'
ceat had my eyes on her face from
The moment YOU spoAe. Still, it must be
remembered that the woman's sad dishg.
urement would did dissimulation, were
it required of her. Here We are.
Mr.. Croak's residence, il which he
lived with his clerk and an old housekeep.
er, was dilapidated, sorry-looking cot
tage, directly across the road from the
bankers,
1t was surrounded by ragged little
garden, containing some poor shrubs and
apple trees, and thus looked something
like house that hal become broken
down and half demented, and been, in
consequence, shut away in debtors
prison, for impo1 e-ished trees and unfoT'
tunate plants.
Upon following the lawyer around the
side of the cottage, und back into the
| garden, Mr.. Marlowe saw two person<
who had long been quite familiar to
his eyes.
One was q middle-sized, sprucely at.
tired man of As or thereabout, smooth
shaven, and with certain sphinx-llke
impenetrability of countenance, who was
lounging under an apple tree with O news
paper in his hands, and black bottle
and glass on the ground by his side. This
was Mr.. WorDer, Croak's confidential as.
- ~ n1 Il RIA n
the opinion of others IS to rather plume
himself on the fact, pretty we'll known
that he had in the course of his career
been both a professional criminal and @
stool pigeon for detectives.
Seated under wood shed not far from
him, with book, apparently bible, in
her lap, and speetacles on her nose, was
an Old but still strongly framed woman.
When she looked up and removed hel
spectacles, as she did at the approach OF
the newcomers, she presented to the view
very remarkable face-a strongly marked
now and then giving the impression thai
you were looking at it through . sheet Of
dancing Asme-not an essentially bad
possibilities of wayward and lawlest
Ill tuO LID Al Id
Beane, the lawyers housekeeper.
She was, also, not without her criminal
history, having had sort of passion fo1
associating himself with the dark side Cd
humanity, even in his household rela-
tions-it being potorious that her mastA'
nsa years perore saved her from the gal.
lows in London, to which she doubtless
would have been sent. on ehalgs e1
murder but for his perseverance in hel
behalf. But, unlike the legal assistant
Mrs. Beane felt the disgrace of her an.
tecedents so profoundly that she neHe1
quilted the premises if she could help it.
and was good deal of a nisanthrope.
Bring two more chairs out here, Mrs,
.Beane, said Croak, and then leave ~
to ourselves"
The woman silently complied, and when
the men were seated together alone Mas-
lowe, with ver few prelimin aries, re-
counted to Wormer what he had alreads
told to the lawyer.