The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-04-17
CRUEL
=AS
THE CRAVE,
The Secret Of DunPaVen
Castle.
BY ANNIE ASHMORE,
Author of Faithful Margaret" Etc. Etc
CHAPTER xIv.-Continued.


Of clump of water willows, hid his
features from her. but he seemed like
gentleman, perhaps one Of the neighbor-
Ing gentry who had been out fishing.
The skiff was an elegant thing, such as
= gentleman might use.
Almost delirious with the idea OF Ac-
erington's proximity, Loveday galloped
close up to him, dropped to the ground,
and standing before him, blinded and
dazed, gasped out
~Will you-will you row me under the
bridge and hide me until that person
who is coming passes by?"
Even as she was speaking, he was
leading the trembling Ahmed round be-
hind the thick trunks of the clump OF will
lows where she stood painting, with droop-
dng neck and heaving sides; he then lift
ed Loveday lightly into the cushioned
stern of the skiff, flung great white
bear skin over her, showed of; and was
safe hidden under the low stone arch OF
she bridge, when the horseman thun-
dered overhead, and up the road.
Then the skiff shot out into the swift
current, and the gentleman piled the
oars till they raced between the banks,
and in a few minutes were out OF sight
of bridge and horse.
Loveday had lain just where she was
placed in something so nearly like a
Bwoon that she took no note of anything
for perhaps five minutes.
Then she heard the swift brush OF the
water against the planks, and felt the
tremor Of each mighty pull of the oars,
and lifting her head from the downy
cushion, and smoothing back with both
languid hands the clinging maze OF her
hair which had broken loose and fallen
over her face, she looked at her deliver
er, who faced her not three feet off
1t was Col. Accrington himself!
The shock was enough to have killed
her; cutie oblivious of where she was,
she started up In the frail boat, uttering
scream after scream, so piercing in their
heart-rending intensity that they echoed
for miles around. Accrington seized her
by the half-coiled rope of hair which
swung toward him, and drew her back
Just as she was plunging oberboard,
clasping her round with an exulting ex-
clamation: u have you at last safe,
poor frightened darling!"
She writhed down from his breast,
moaning, and convulsed with horror
the frail boat rocked in the swirling cur.
rent under their violent motions; he
flasped her again, with all his reused
strength, blind to everything but the
capture Of his madly coveted love,-he
had her safe this time, when overssurged
the skif, and they were struggling in
the water.
Even there he held on to her with
grasp like naked nerve, and the instant
they regained the surface he swan with
q few vigorous strokes to the boat,
which doated near, bottom up, and
flung his unoccupied arm over the keel;
and thus braced, he could draw her head
and shoulders Up out of the water. and
support her thus. Her sweet death
white face dropped on his shoulder, her
dear eyes were closed.
"Ah! she will escape me yeti" groaned
the man, and he uttered a blasphemous
curse at the Power which had defeated
him after all his plotting.
He gazed around the darkening scene;
the river rushed in a strong, deep cur
rent setween two precipitous banks as
far as the eye cocld reach; he knew that
for miles below the bridge there was no
dwelling or chance Of rescue, and, a.
though strong swimmer might have
made his way ashore alone, in Accring-
toms encountered situation he had as
much as he could do to keep his COM
panion above water.
; A sort of dark rage took possession Of
him; to perish thus was such lame
conclusion to what promised to be the
most intoxicating love-idyl of his life!
why had he miscalculated the strength
,of this timid, delicate creatures will
Ito contend with him for her freedom?
Why had he allowed vanity to delude
thim into the belief that because his
gaze could fascinate her into passive
bearing for the moment, she would not
rebound from him with tenfold reVul-
sion when she Unexpectedly met him
iagain?
For his magnamimous submission to
her will at Silverstream had all been
ruSe to prevent scene. He had be-
guiled her to SilverStream, where his
skiff was in waiting, hoping for quick
and quiet conclusion to the days misad-
venture in an elopement by boat 10 a
remote railway station, by which they
might take fight to London, and thus
throw off pursuers until the marriage
was consummated. when he believed
that Mrs. Dellamere's pride would pre-
vent her from taking further steps to
recover her daughter as minor
Loveday had not been so pliable as he
hoped; and he had been obliged to let
her start for home alone; but he had al
ready set an obstacle in the way Of her
return by looSening her mares shoe with
his own hands, with an ole cavalryman's
deftness; and when she started by the
highway, he went the much swifter way
by the river, and was waiting at the
bridge long before she appeared; expect
Inc to see her cutie tanned by the acci-
dent to her horse, and ready 10 let him
think for her. And here she lay half
drowned against him, and much more
willing to die than run away with him.
alt is all that accurSed CreCy!" NUT
tered he veDomously; Laura said that
her heart was engaged" And he cursed
the youth with heart and soul.
He wondered who the rider had beer
from whom Loveday was flying 80 fran
acally; he guessed that she had mistaken
him for himself, and endured distinct
pang at this proof Of her aversion to
him. Could it have been any One sent
on their track? Surely nosyet?
These thoughts glanced through his
>xcited brain without distracting it from
RS scnemes To escape from tnelr per1ssus
situation. The cold was intense: the
bitter winds iurrowe6 The black waters.
and a sausll Of hailstones pattered and
splashed about them; dreary as death
was the prospect
sLoveday! Loveday!" muttered Ac-
crington, laying his cheek against her
cold white one, as it lay on his shoulder'