The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-11-07
R~ MAURICE THOMPSON.


soldiers swept round corner and de.
ployed in front of the building. or
course, they were too late to make
the capture they had intended, and
when they leaped from their horses,
pistols in hand, and rushed IN, they
discovered that their bird had flown.
The clatter of hoofs as they came up
attracted Burns's attention. He let
60 his hold and turned.
"In there! In there!" he cried,
leapinc forward. "Up the stairway
to the right! Follow me!'
He led the way with incredible
nimbleness for one 30 old and frall-
looking. A lcng, keen knife flashed
in his hand.
The rush was over in minute.
Doors were dashed open or kicked of
their hinges, and the rooms above
and below were searched without
ceremony.
Mr.. Vernon stood looking on, ap-
parently quite calm. He had seen
Colonel Loring 60, and now he com
pretended the whole affair. 1t had
been we'll planned and we'll executed,
Notwithstanding the outcome. But
for the faithful spy at Jackson's head
quarters and the swift courier sent in
the very nick of time, Loring would
have been taken.
II said all the time that the old
fool was crazy" growled the officer
who had lei the dash. "The whole
story was absurd"
eyes, SIR" replied the subsltern
whom he addressed, sit was indeed q
FOOLS errand. Storming junk-shop
and led by ragamufan"
They were coming out of the build
ing, disappointed and ve1ed, ashamed
of the part they had been forced to
play in scene SO like a'farce. "
'You'd better 60 home land soak
your head, old ma1i" added one of
them, turning with brutal severity
and addressing Burns. IT s'pose
you've been drunk for month" -"
The old man paid no attention to
the remark, ,Sdid not even glance at the
speaker, but walked forth into the
street and away, with his chin on his
breast and his knife in his hand.
He overlook Mr.. Vernon, or rather
they came together when the latter
emerged from side street block or
two distant from the scene just wit.
messed. The rain was still slanting
along the wind in a fine drizzle;
Burns looked pinched and blue. With
out d word, Mr.. Vernon drew off his
top. coat and hung it over the old
mans shoulders.
"Put away your knife" he said.
''You will need it." -.
Burns obeyed mechanically, hiding
it somewhere in his bosom. Evi.
dently he was but vaguely aware of
what he was doing. His vision was
introverted, his feelings we're numbed.
"You will come home with ME now,"
Mr.. Vernon added, taking him gently
by the arm. "We will have dinner. I"
Burns looked up quickly with a
glance of suspicion or, perhaps, Of
No" he said, st will not.
Further words on the subject were
shut off by the peremptory tone and
manner. They walked on little way
in silence, hearing the surface-water
bubble in the gutter beside the trot-
toir. Few people were in the streets; /;
but the gambling-rooms were full,
the coffee-houses noisy.
Suddenly Mr.. Vernon closed his
grasp more firmly on Burns's arm
and, looking into his face said with
the force of command: z .
"Tell me, is Colonel Loring Pierre
Rameau"
Burns started at the mention of the
latter name.
"You know Pierre Rameau; know
you do" he answered, slowly draw
ing out his words. He calls him
self Colonel Loring here in Che city;
but you know that he is Kirk Mac
Collough, son of Jane MaeCollough,
whose husband was Thomas MacCol-
Tough, the traitor. who was banished
nearly forty years ago.
There was horrible leer in the
old preachers eyes. It was the same
glare that had been in the eyes of the
yultures when they sailed low over
him during those dreadful days in the
woods. Behind his words there
stretched an infnitude of significance;
it was as If each syllable echoed back
to some far date and stirred up long
buried sentiments. Mr.. Vernon
stopped short in the street and held
him as in a wise.
"What are you saying?" he de-
manded hoarsely. "What do you
know about Thomas MacCollough and
Jane MacCollough? Who are you?"
Burns did not speak forthwith.
eta! You are crazy!" Mr.. Vernon
added, thrusting him away with such
force that he almost fell into the gut
ter. But there was no anger in the
act.
eyes, I am crazy" the old man said,
when he had regained his equilibrium,
''aud you ought to be-"
AT this moment came o curious eX-
change of glances between them. 1t
vas like quick acknowledgment of
6, common thought, pang burdened
snd uRwelcome to one, a matter of
hopeless Indifference to the other.
Mr.. Vernon picked up the top-coat,
which had fallen from Burns's shoul-
dara end renleced IL with gentle