The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-12-28

She sank into q chair. Her large
black, lustrous eyes were fixed upon me.
l could not help but think OF q frightened
gazelle.
Could 1t be possible that this innocent
looking girl was the female demon the
assassin had been pictured by Ketcham?
Heaven forbid!
/ could not and would not believe it
unless stronger evidence was put for
| ward.
"Tell me the worst, sir"
Her white teeth were pressed into her
lower lip, and I could see that she was
possessed of hidden powers for which
had not given her credit
No danger of her fainting away.
"Dr. Seabury was your guardian, as
understand it?"
"Yes, yesi why do you say was, Sir?
Has anything happened to him2"
81 am sorry to say there has. You
have met with heavy loss. During the
night the good old Doctor has passed
aDead, sir"
"Yes; DIR. Seabury is dead"
AS / expected, she did not fall. All
the color forsook her face, and her eyes
seemed blacker than ever by contrast.
Her hands were tightly clenched, until
the nails seemed to almost pierce the
flesh.
Was this counterfeit agony?
If such it should prove to be, then all
I could say was that it had never been
equaled as acting in my experience:
"Sir, you are not deceiving me?" she
at length breathed.
aMy dear young lady, heaven forbid
that i should mock your affection Tor the
good Doctor. He has passed away, and
is now at rest" "
aFrom what did he die, sir?"
! hesitated.
This was o direct question, and might
lie hurting Mr.. Ketcham's case II gave
too much information.
Two Id be conservative, and allow him
to run Lis own business.
"Sad as it may seem, phial was found
in the Doctors hand which had con"
tanned deadly poison"
"Then he took his own life?"
@Sn IT, snamsn
"Why was not / made aware OF this
terrible calamity sooner? Why did not
Ursula come to me before sending for q
stranger? Ny position in this house Is
such that / should have been consulted. l."
"Miss Leonore, Ursula has only learned
the truth in the last ten minutes"
"Then who sent for you, Doctor?
Peter?"
aNo; he, too, has been in complete ig-
norance of the truth. You look puzzled.
Perhaps can enlighten you little.
"Dr. Seabury was connected with the
Office of friend of mine by telegraphic
instrument. He feared sudden death,
and had made arrangements with this
friend to come the instant he was sum-
moned.
aThis morning, about two o'clock, this
friend of mine received the summons.
He hastened here at once, let himself in
with key the old Doctor had given him,
and found DR.. Seabury dead, his hand
still grasping the fatal phial which hs
had pressed to his lips.
AIN the hope that an antidote might be
OF some use, and knowing that l was
skilled in the use Of poisons, this friend
took cab and got me here.
at was of no avail; the old Doctor
had passed to that bourne from whence
no traveller returns. l was waiting here
for my friend, who had gone to break
the sad news to Ursula and Peter, when
was surprised by your entrance" j.
at is hard for me to believe you, sir.
My dear, good guardian dead! Oh,
what shall l do now! / am alone, alone,
with his faithful arm to stand no more
between the blacknesa Of the past and
my heart! Woe is mel"
Suddenly she seemed to remember my
,presence and ceased moaning. When
she looked at me ! could see stern lines
near her mouth-lines that seemed for
eign to q woman's Sair face, and which
spoke plainly of determination.
She was no ordinary woman.
No matter what the misty future had
to unfold in connection with this case, ]
was bound to believe this fact.
Innocent or guilty, Leonore was
revelation to me.
@You speak of friend, DR.. Burton.
Pardon me, but is he not a detective?"
I could not help answering in the
affirmative.
"a Mr.. Ketcham?"
True, Miss Leonore. He has never
seen you. May I ask how you know
him?"
II have heard my poor guardian
speak Of him, and ! know the arrange
ment he made with the detective.
Doctor, have you told me ALP"
fro RE CONTINUED