Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-02


coming up the hillside.
Among them was MIR. Courtney, prosecut-
ing attorney for this district, and as Mr..
Sutherland recognized him he sprang for
ward, saying There's Courtney, he will
explain this"
Frederick followed anxious and bewi-
dered, and soon had the doubtful pleasure
Of seeing his father enter his study in COM
pany with the four men considered to be
most interested in the elucidation of the
Webb mystery.
As he was lingering in an undecided mood
in the small passageway leading uptairs
he felt the pressure Of a finger on his
shoulder Looking UP, he met the eyes OF
Amabel, who was leaning toward him over
the banisters. She was smiling, and,
though her face was not without evidences
of physical languor, there was a charm
about her person which would have been
sufficiently enthrallng to him twentyfour
hours before but which now caused him
such a physical repulsion that he started
back in the effort to rid his shoulder from
her disturbing touch.
She frowned. 1t was an instantaneous
expression OF displeasure which was soon
lost in one of her gurgling laughs.
as my touch so burdensOme?" she de-
manded. "If the pressure of one' finger Is
unbearable to your sensitive nerves, how
will you relish the weight OF my whole
hand?"
There was a ferceness in her tone, a
purpose in her look that for the first time
in his struggle with her revealed the full
depth of her dark nature. Shrinking from
her appalled,, he put up his hand in pro-
test, at which she changed again in twink
ling and with a cautious gesture toward the
room into which Mr.. Sutherland and his
friends had disappeared, she whispered sig
nificantly:
1--WE may not have another chance to con-
fer together. Understand, then that 1t will
not be necessary for you to tell me, in so
many words, that you are ready to link
your fortunes to mine; the taking off of the
ring you wear and your slow putting it on
again, in my presence, will be understood
by me as a token that you have reconsidered
your present attitude and desire my silence
and-myself"
Frederick could not repress a shudder.
For an instant he was tempted to succumb
on the spot and have the long agony over.
Then his horror of the woman rose to such
a pitch that he uttered an eXecraton, and,
turning away from her face which was
rapidly growing loathsome to him, he ran
out OF the passageway into the garden,
seeing as he ran a persistent vision of him
self pulling off the ring and putting it back
again, under the spell of look he rebelled
against even while he yielded to its in
fluence.
II will not wear a ring. i will not sub
ject myself to the possibility of obeying her
behest under a sudden stress of fear or
fascination" he exclaimed, pausng by the
well curb and looking over it at his relec-
A. l,.ArN
here 1 at least lose the horror of doing what
she suggests, under some involuntary i'm
pulse" But the thought that the mere
absence Of the ring from his finger would
not stand in the way of his going through
the motions to which she had just given
such significance deferred him from the
sacrifice of a valuable family jewel, and he
left the spot with an air of frenzy such
as a man displays when he feels himself
on the verge OF doom he can neither meet
nor avert.
AS he re-entered the house he felt him
self enveloped in the atmosphere of com
ing crisis. He could hear voices in the
upper hall and amongst them he caught the
accents of her he had learned so lately to
fear. Impelled by something deeper than
curiosity and more potent even than dread,
he fastened toward the stairs. When half
way up them he caught sight of Amabel.
She was leaning back against the balustrade
that ran across the upper hall, with her
hands gripping the rail on either side Of her
and her face turned toward the five men
who had evidently issued from Mr.. Suther-
lands study to interview her.
AS her back was to Frederick he could not
Judge of the expression of that face save
by the effect it had upon the different men
confronting her. But to see them was
enough. From their looks he could perceive
that this young girl was in one of her baf-
fling moods and that from his father down
not one of the men present knew what to
make of her.
At the sound his feet made a relaxation
took place in her body and she lost some
thing of the defiant attitude she had before
maintained. Presently he heard her voice:
Il am willing to answer any questions
you may choose to put me here, but can
not consent to shut myself in with you in
that small study; l should suffocate."
Frederick could perceive the looks which
passed between the five men assembled be-
for her, and was astonished to note that the
insignificant fellow they called Sweetwater
was the first to answer.
Very we'll" said he, "if you enjoy the
publicity of the open hall, no one here will
object Is not that so, gentlemen"
Her two little fingers which were turned
towards Frederick ran up and down the rail,
making a peculiar rasping noise, which for
a moment was the only sound to be heard.
Then Mr., Courtney said:
How came you to have the handling of
the money taken from Agatha Webb's pr-
vate drawer?"
1t was startling question, but it seemed
to affect Amabel less than it did Frederick.
II made him start but she only turned her
head trifle aside, so that the peculiar
smile with which she prepared to answer
could be seen by any one standing below.
Suppose you ask something less leading
than that to begin WITH she suggested, in
her high unmusical voice. From the search
ing nature OF this inquiry, you evidently be-
lieve | have information of an important
character to give you concerning Mrs
Webb's unhappy death. Ask me about
that; the other question will answer
Later
The aplomb with which this was said
mixed as it was with feminine allurement