The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-03-28
D.. Et6lsteil's Mission
4 Remarkable Romance.
BY EMILY THORNTON.
CHAPTER Xxx,
SEARCHING THE RUINS.

CHAPTER Xxx.
SEARCHING THE RUINS.
This, then, was the end Of it all!
The wayfaring man, dead, in his upper
1oom, was not the Rev. Edwin G. Stiles,
but Sir Arthur Glendenning, the lost
baronet.
6 Iosti Yes, indeed, lost to his friends,
but not murdered. And DR.. Elfenstein
felt thrill Of Joy pass over him as the
next thought came.
His employer was now Sir Fitzroy
Glendenning, and he was entirely cleared
OF the heinous crime with which he had
80 long been charged. He was ready to
be received ioyfully back to his own
estate and home.
= Yes, his summons could bring him, for
he alone knew where he resided.
He should start for New York imme-
diately, and accompany and care for him
on his return voyage.
Then another thought came-a thought
that made his heart throb tumultuously
and that thought was this:
His pledge had been fulfilled!
Sir Fitzroy's name was cleared, and
now he was free to WOO and wed the girl
of his choice But as gladly as his
heart had throbbed one moment before,
80 suddenly had it sunk again, like lead
In his bosom.
Was this girl-this one girl that he 80
devotedly loved-worthy?
Had she q knowledge Of that hidden
crime? --s,s, ......
Was her hand the one that nightly
opened those panels and showed in that
repulsive food to q human being-a peer
of the English realm?
Again, with smothered groan, he
felt that it was she!
He remembered her wild entreaty that
he should neither light q candle nor
search that corridor on that dreadful
night. ....-
And he had been fool enough to listen
to her pleadings."
Yes! He was convinced that she had
aided the inhuman brother in carrying
out his wicked purposes .
But again, he thrust away the idea;
and at last resolved to see this girl, just
once more, accuse her of being an acces-
sorry to this foul wrong, and then hear
her reasons for 80 doing.
Possibly there might be some extern
mating circumstances, some unexplained
reason why she had lent herself to this
purpose.
Possibly It was to release him in the
end by giving him the knife.
She certainly had placed this method
of escape in his hands
Perhaps, then, God made her the in
strument Of his final release for His own
purposes.
He would think so, until she had an op-
portunity given her for full avowal OF
explanation.
II her own story proved that she will.
ingly aided this human fend In carrying
out his sinful designs, then he would
think Of her no more forever.
But, If she convinced him she was In
nocent2
A wild heart tumult, within, finished
the sentence.
Banishing all these thoughts for the
present, the young physician turned his
attention again to his friends, and be-
came interested when they exclaimed, ell
together:
There is not one doubt of his being
Sir Arthur! But how strange that no
one recognized him!"
mot at all, /" returned the Doctor, Has
understand it, for I have heard de-
Scription Of the supposed murdered man
many, many times, as he was twenty.
five years ago-a robust, black-haired,
beardless young gentleman. Now he
was thin man, with snow-white hair
and long, snow-white, full beard. His
attire then was that of gay, fashiona-
BILE denizen Of the world; lately we saw
him In the long, straitcut, black broad
cloth coat usually worn by clergymen.
SO you plainly see, my friends, every.
thing tended to change his whole ap-
pearance."
Doctor" now queried Mr.. Lee, "whst
course is next to be pursued?"
~We must, early tomorrow, go to the
porter's lodge on the premises-I think
the keeper is still there-get the keys OF
he Hall and investigate the ruined part
with its concealed room. II we find all
as here said, we must at once publish the
facts far and wide. should also recall
the servants, who probably still are near,
and reopen the house, and from his OWL
home bury the real baronet. All these
years false baron has reigned in his
stead"
.Poor Sir Arthur Yet what nobility
OF soul, what pure Christian principle:
sctuated that last resolve never to ex
pose the usurper. His was grandly
unselfsh and loving heart" remarked
the minister, "and such self-denial ant
devotion we rarely meet"
@Very true" was the reply OF nearl!
al present.
Then the lawyer made proposition
which was to visit the place a. once.
sCould we not enter the ruins withou
being SEEM"
Eyes, am quite certain we can," DR.
Elfenstein replied, II scarcely think j
has been entered since the POOR prisona
escaped, as the guilty party alone knew
OF its existence; and judge, dared no
send any person to close the place. W.
have time to go and return before dark
Come, let us start"
All the gentlemen arose as ne thus &C
quiesced in the plan, and silently Wende
tLeir way to the now deserted Hall.
They did not take the front entranc
to the grounds, but gained 1t oy
shorter route emergin0 at the rear q
the house, and so passing unseen to tn
clump Of bushes, behind which was ID
entrance previously used by Dr. Ei1eI
stein.
The stone he then found replaced, an
the opening, therefore, scarcely pei
.ceptibla