The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-06

However, the iron nerve and resolution OF
the man were not long in reasserting
them selves. He presently looked up.
with something like his customary alert
ness, and his face began to recover its
| color.
.Ha! what's done can't be undone, in q
matter of this Sort" he thought. The
deuce! what have I to regret, after all?
There was no living witness to this deed.
Tomorrow, being Sunday, will give me
! whole day and night to dispose Of the
body; and my victim, having Just re-
turned from his long exile. unknown,
friendless, and under an assumed name,
is the last one in the world to be miesed,
OF leave a noticeable vacancy behind him.
-'Sdeath! an ugly affair of this kind
could not have turned out rcore fortu-
nately for the perpetrator. Ee; ard
haven't got back that paper, whose nIb.
licity might have transported lie? Am l
not rid Of both Jasper and Boncourt at
one stroke? Why, I ought to congratu-
late myself! By the way, what did do
with the document All, yes; in my eI-
citement I threw it here on the table in
picking up the dead body, on Noel's ap-
proach. Let me see, let me see; it must
be destroyed at once."
But q moment later he WAS wildly rum
maging over various articles on the lit
tered table, with as much excitement as
| ever. =,
The document was nowhere to be found!
Nothing had fallen to the floor, and he
carefully examined every other paper and
fragment of paper on the table, inside
and out. b,t without avail. He grew be-
v,laereo-~trantlc. NO Ise. Tie paper
the all-signifcant, tell-tale, crime be-
traying paper, which he had just snatched
from q pulseless hand-for the posses
sion of which he had just stricken das-
tardly and murderous stroke-that paper
was missing and could not be found!
Heavens and earth! what can have be-
come Of it2" he gasped. Il know placed
it there-I'd swear to it! Could Noel
have taken it up and read it? No; impos-
sible! His voice, as he spoke to me, was
affectionate and gentle. 1t must be here
it can be nowhere else!"
But a fresh examination was no more
successful.
BY another great effort, Mr.. Marlowe
quelled this new excitement. He looked
at the clock, which marked few minutes
sIn have to say gooI-nlgnt to Adele
|
the bank and locking the door after him.
Il can return and make another search
before going to bed"
he passed through the hall and was
taking his hat from the rack when he
heard some one descending the stairs.
To hissurprise he saw that it was Lawyer
Croak.
Where the deuce have you been, up
there?" he exclaimed, grufiy. And why
did you slip away from us?"
MY dear Gilbert" said Mr.. Croak, &c.
nially, Il merely slipped away because
wanted to confer with my old and dear
friend, Thomas Alworth, on q delicate, I
may say on a delightful subject. And I
have been up there even unto this late
hour, because have been taking tea and
spending the evening with that dear,
good gentleman and his charming daugh-
ter. All! what an adorable child it isl"
Marlowe pondered as as to whether or
not he should inform Croak Of what had
happened, and concluded to keep his own
counsel.
You are progressing better than I an
ticipated," he muttered, opening the
door.
Adele, her brother, and Captain Roll
ingstone were just taking their depart
ure, and at the same time the servants
were returning from their outing.
Mr.. Marlowe spoke some commonplaces
In the way of eIcusing his inattention to
his guests, and gloomily thought of how
he Nigh, already have begun his inti-
nations of defiance to Boncourt, but for
that odd incident of the missing paper,
whose disappearance. had, Of course, re-
newed his sense OF alarm and insecurity
in NIL its force.
| He knew that the missing paper was
not concealed upon the body, and that
disposed of all present consideration Of
the latter. He was equally certain that
1t had not been taken by Noel, when the
Young man had come back after the mis-.
laid newspaper; for glance or two at the
contents Of the writing would have filled
him with adherence, and Noel had wish
ed his father goodnight, in passing up
the stairs, with his customary kindness.
Completely tagged out at last, physi-
cally and mentally, the banker turned
out the gas, and sought his own bed, after
looking to the inner fastenings of the
bank, and locking the back door after
him.
But it was not to find rspose or relief.
For hours he tossed upon his couch IN
painful restlessness, and only fell into
troubled sleep at last, to dream of muir
de:ed men and missing papers.
At last he dreamed that police officer
was e!utching him by the collar, and bel
lowing the charge of forgery and murder
into his ears; and he started out of his
sleep with gasping cry; but only to find
it broad daylight, and to hear Miss Win
ford knocking on his door, to call him up
for breakfast.