The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-22

But no, monsieur" exclaimed Mime.
de Vigny, 1T would never DO. You
could not do it. You would starve on
the way; and then there Is that dread
full panther, that terror OF the Teche.
Il have not the slightest fear, ma
dame" the young man responded. A
panther is O. cowardly brute. I have
killed more than one. This one Is no
worse than any other. Who has he ever
eaten?" .,......-
"A great many people, they say" re-
piled Mme. de Vigny. THE negroes tell
the stories"
But do you know Of any particular
"A traveller, have heard, was found
mangled and dead few miles from here
some years ago"
Mime. dc Vigny.' said Lawrence,
your husband told me last evening
that this wild beast had killed his son,
one of his brothers and his cousin Fe-
lix d. Antin, besides two other relatives. !"
Mon Dieu, Monsieur Lawrence!"
It was Nine. de Vigny who spoke,
but both the ladies were greatly excit-
ed. Lucie, especially, was painfully
agitated.
We all know that 1t is a trait OF human
nature as deep-seated as the roots OF
life for US 10 take strong delight in prob
ing the secret wounds Of those we love.
Lawrence did not pause or falter when
once he saw the way to wrench from
Lucie the mystery after which he was
reaching.
In the first place, Col. dc Vigny never
had cousin living in Louisiana, much
less one by the name OF Felix d'Antin.
As for the brother and the son, both
were myths. The De Vingy family had
been q slender one in the male line; the
Colonel was the only one that had come
from France to America. The brother
in. New Orleans, OF whom Lucie had
spoken, was Of the half blood, the. Col
onels mother having married the Sec
ond time. Lawrence felt some obscure
twinges Of conscience while thus draw
ing out the skeleton from the closet OF
this isolated home. The main fact was,
however, that Colonel de Vigny's mind
had been recently showing signs OF
breaking, or rather what had once been
a light hobby for it had become mono
mania. Some years ago the panther
had chased him one night and ever since
that terrible experience the impression
had been growing upon him that sooner
or later the beast would destroy him.
Gradually his talks on the subject had
assumed the proportions Of romance and
his stories touching the panther's ex-
ploits took the form Of family history as
has already appeared. On every other
subject he was perfectly sane, and even
on this one his obliquity was more like
the play of vivid Imagination than like
the effect Of disease.
Now, as Lawrence sat there in the
dusk with the drowsy influence OF the
emi-tropic air coming over him, and
saw Lucie's beautiful face simmer like
star, it is no wonder that, with all
the strange impressions Of his recent
experiences weighing upon him, he
should feel like one in dream, or like
one suddenly drawn away from real
every day life to the region Of old-time
story. .'
The three sat there chatting in
desultory way, while the moon climbed
up the sky and dimmed the flare Of the
southern stars. Once, twice, three
times Lawrence thought he heard, far
away in the woods, the long wall of
the old panther. II the ladies noticed
it they gave no sign. Perhaps they
were 30 accustomed to the sound that
it no longer attracted their attention.
Presently q heavy, booming sound
rolled around the western horizon arc,
and they all saw for the first time
black cloud tumbling up the sky.
4 ~fu 1ofv ,aA a
servant. .... . as.
Lucie sprang to her feet. i.t
And father!" she cried, father will
be out in it,"
Nine. de Vigny was greatly excited.
too, and Lawrence saw in a moment or
two that there was in fact great wind
coming, bearing before it torrent Of
rain, accompanied with wild network
of keen, slender lightning flashes,
whose reverberations grew in force
with startling rapidity. ''
Lawrence arose and stood bewildered.
Then the panther screamed near by In
the woods. . ...
Down came the first wave OF the wind
and churned the bayou into wreaths and
fakes, at the same time iarIing the
mansion from roof to foundation.
Nine. de Vigny screamed and ran into
the hall.
A heavier throb followed, almost lift
ing Lawrence off his feet as he caught
Lucie up in his arms in the midst OF a
level rain stream. He had enough pres
ence of mind to leave the house at once,
and bear his precious burden away from
the crashing walls. There was no time
to think OF saving Nine. de Vigny. In
deed, the next surge Of the believing
wind-aood swept the mansion away as Il
it had been a wisp Of straw, and scat
tered it through the woods where the
trees where swapping everywhere or
bending almost level along the
ground. The lightning blazed continu.
ously, but the thunder could not be dis
tinguished from the general roar OF the
storm. Distinctly enough, however, was
heard the savage yell Of the old man
eater, repeated at short intervals, and
all the time coming closer.
Lawrence was sent spinning along,
scarcely touching the ground, In what
direction he knew not, humping against