The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-07-30

her senses glided into thai 1atai uream
land Of unreality. The snow seemed
destined to finish dark nights work
by burying Edna Deane and the mys-
terry OF her fair young life beneath It's
mantle alike.
Ghostly fell the snow
Fiercer rose the wild winds, more |
weird became the clogged, misshapen
Landscapes; darker grew the night. The
dainty form was outlined, first in royal
robe Of ermine, then little mound
showed, then greater one. and then
only a bleak, level expanse-the wan
derer completely obliterated, as Ii q
part of the great spreading meadow it.
self
And ghostly fell the snowl
CHAPTER VII.
TOO LkrEl
RAYMOND Marshall had swept from
tho presence of Beatrice Mercer with
the ioy of man suddenly snatched
from the darkest depths of grief and
despair.
In a flash had come full realization
of the true status of affairs. de had
been grossly deceived - his bright,
bonny Edna was not faithless! The
letters he had received were forgeries,
and the pIotfut Beatrice Mercer. In
spired by love and jealousy, had
wrought oil the misery so happily avert
ed by his accidental discovery OF her
duplicity.
Il will find her il I search the world
over!" he had avowed ardently, buoy
ant exultant In his faith regained and
the power of love able to battle the
most subtle foe.
With calmness, however. While his
overpowering love sustained him fully,
RAYMOND Marshall realized that he was
at a terrible disadvantage, In the dark,
with not a single clew as to the motive
of Edna Deane's strange disappear
ance or her possible whereabouts.
| A second visit to Miss Chandler, the
lady principal of the seminary, resulted
In the requirement Of very little addi-
tional information.
Edna's father had sent a trusted
| friend or servant to take her home. He
had made 1t an express request that the
| location of that home, the mystery OF
Edna's life, her true name should not
| be made known. Edna must abandon
| all her old friends. A new life opened
| for her of wealth and comfort, but APP
parently weighted down, or at least
affected, by some dread mystery that
involved the utmost secrecy.
Reasoning all this out Raymond Mar
I shall decided that he could do but
little except to await developments. His
| anxiety for Edna's welfare, however,
| his impetuous, impatient spirit, drove
! him to endeavor to learn what course
| Edna's mysterious companion had taken
in SO swiftly spiriting her away to her
| friends. He traced the carriage to the
! railroad town fifteen miles distant, but
| there the trail ended. Distance or di-
rection taken by the fugitive there be-
came involved points Of speculation.
For week he hung around Hopedale.
| His painting was neglected. His father
| was involved iii deep business difficult
ties. which at any other time would
have commanded his attention, but just
now he could think of nothing but Edna.
He grew moody and taciturn, anxious
and then alarmed. No letter arrived
from Edna He haunted the woods
spots endearei to him by their pas'
meetings, but his anxious heart drove
him to distraction as the fear grew
upon him that hts love was lost to him
that either the mandate Of a sterr
father or the plots Of the siren-heartet
Beatrice we're operating to rob him o.
the bOnny bride to whom his troth was
plighted.
What did this girl know2 Evidently
everything there was to know. Will
subtle craftiness she had woven he
soft wiles about the innocent and trust
full Edna, until the latter had made o.
her bosom frieLd-ar exclusive con
fidante She had tacitIy acknowledge
! to Marshall that she knew where Edna
, had gone, but boldly, angrily, she has
| refused to tell him what he wished t
! know. Fully compromising the girl
resolute nature, Marshall gloomily de
cided that If she alone held the fate 0
! | his ever again meeting his loved an
lost one that event would never trans
pire.
Wrought up to maddening pitch 0
| frenzy by the uncertainty and suspens
; of the hour, as we'll as by q sense O
deep wrong and injustice, one evenin
: RAYMOND Marshall went straight to tn
r seminary,
Beatrice Mercer shall tell me all sh
knows" he uttered fiercely. Il wi
plead, will brighten her, bat her secre
{ shall be minel"
: The browning surprise and disaste
| alike Of the eliminating troubles OF tn
: hour was announced at the very portal
: of the seminary.
Miss Mercer was gone! Blankly an
r doIefulIy Miss Chandler impaired tn
: bewildering information.
|. Gone? Wken-where? Beatrice Mel
O Ger, poor, friendless, dependent antirel
h on Miss Chambers bounty and til
meager means that her position as sui
teacher awarded her, gone? Abandon
n ing position which seemed to be
q life-lease for her?
Yes, she had made tho sudden al
q nouncement that morning. thorough
amazing her friends. she had packed a
X | demanding her salary. and had ie
: without word of explanation concern
n ing either her motives in resigning b.
q position or her future Intentions.
To the dumfounded and suspensef'
n RAYMOND Marshall this seemed the la
= and most cruel blow OF fate. His fin
"A reliance was swept away. He felt a
+ sured that Beatrice Mercer knew OF Il
q whereabouts OF Edna. Now, she, to-
h had disappeared-there was not eli
in sight!
r. Would she join Edna in her ne
d home, and by forgery and misreprese
: tation wreck her faith in her lover, al
,r work out her plots Of jealousy and
venge?
a Oppressed by this torturing though
RAYMOND Marshall left Hopedale tn
. night on q blind, hopeless quest I
- coma trace of the woman he loved a.