The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-04-18

silence, gazing into the face OF her
lover. on which she seemed to see the
vivid reflection of her own feelings.
"Oh, Clarence" she exclaimed at
last, "what could that woman have
meant2 Do you think she is mad?'
"She certainly acted like it," was
the answer.
Polly drew long sigh of RELIEF.
"She must be so. Nothing else
would explain her conduct. Dear
Clarence, I am 80 sorry you should
have been annoyed, and through me,
too. 1t is Bertha Sefton's fault or
Olive Cages. But how could I i'm
sgine--"
"My dear grip said Stanley, ten
derly, and taking her hand, which he
pressed to his lips.
He was grateful enough for not be-
Ing taken to task or called on for an
explanation to be almost in love with
Polly, and he was sincerely sorry when
Mr.. and Mrs. Hamilton now entered
the room.
"Aloner' exclaimed Mr.. Hamilton.
81 was sure I heard voices. Where
are your visitors, Polly?
His daughter hurriedly explained
and tried TO make light Of the matter:
but, to her surprise, Mr.. Hamilton
was inclined to take it seriously.
ct must be striking resemblance,
indeed" he said, "when o woman
mistakes man for her own husband.
Clarence, my dear fellow" he added,
in testing manner, but with very
keen look at his prospective son-in-
law, Eve have always accepted you at
your own valuation; but, as you are
now intending to become one OF the
family, I hope-1 really do hone-you
are quite sure OF your own identity"
ENTIRELY, sir,'' replied Stanley,
very stifly.
''Papa!" exclaimed Polly, almost in
tears.
Call right, Polly, my little girl, !"
returned her father.
But, later on, he said to his wife
that he meant to make more and very
special inquiries about Polly's lover.
"I never could understand his e1-
treme reluctance to talk Of his Eng
lish home"
Nothing could be more natural" I"
declared Mrs. Hamilton, considering
how he was treated there.
'Perhaps 3d." returned her hus-
band; "but I hear from AL English
correspondent of mine that Lord
Appleby and his little son are mortally
ill and may die any day, and in that
case Clarence will be obliged to put
aside his reluctance to speak of his
English home"
"Then Polly may yet be Countess
of Windermere!' exclaimed Mrs.
Hamilton, forgetting everything else
in the delight of that thought.
''Not a word on the subject at
present." said Mr.. Hamilton. "It is
al entire secret"
Meantime Clarence's evening had
not been pleasant, although Polly had
tried to atone for her fathers chilling
words by the increased warmth of her
own smiles; and, at an unusually early
hour, Stanley bade them all good
night, and walked moodily towards
his hotel.
His reflections were not agreeable,
and the mood engendered by the
events of the evening had given rise
to many currents of thought, some OF
which had never before occurred to
him. He had not seen Dolores that
evening. She had not appeared at
the dinner table, nor had she come
into the drawing-room afterward. He
was painfully conscious of her
absence, and could not tell why; and,
despite all the annoyance caused by
Mrs. Helmhcltz and the manner OF
Mr.. Hamilton, apropos of that un-
pleasantness, the face of Dolores
seemed to continually rise before
him, and the voice of Dolores to
sound in his ear, and this fact troubled
him, for in his experience of women it
was rare. He never thought of them.
except when for some specific reason
he persistently fixed his mind on
some one of them; even then he often
found it difficult. But now, do as he
would, he could not drive this woman
from his thoughts; then he suddenly
remembered Van .Tassel, and he WIS
sure he had not seen him for many
days, although he had commanded
him to come daily; he remembered
this with a sudden feeling of fury,
and asked himself why his slave had
dared to disobey him?
''Bnt, he will come tonight" he
!honght triumphantly, ''for promised
him money, and he was nearly at his
last dime then. Oh, yes, he will come
come to-nightl''
He hastened his steps and was soon
within tie hotel; and, as he hurried
toward his room, he saw that the light
was glimmering through q crack OF
the partly opened door-for the pro-
fessor carried key of Stanley's apart
ments.
II thought sol" he muttered; and,
finginS open the door, he entered
noiselessly, slamming it behind him
aud locking it. Van Tassel looked up
with an expression of reckless defiance.
Re was just recovering from the in.
toxication of opium, and for brief
moments he would have defed Satan
in person. Stanley had CHANGED on
one OF these moments.
What the devil do you mean by
glaring at me in that way?" he asked.
Haven't the right to enter my own
apartment?'''
II suppose SO; T don't care" the