The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-10-24

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"And how came Vasseur here?"
eta! hadn't told you about his
being robbed?"
"No."
"Pierre Rameau and his gang robbed
him of all his money and took his
Jewels"
Loring laughed refectively.
"Poor little wretch!" he said.
"That went hard with him, I know"
eyes. But he'll have his revenge.
He his laying his plans we'll. Rameau
is in the city, he says, and the whole
fraternity Of freemen of color is sworn
to kill him, They are drawing their
lines close around him."
Loriug threw up his head, and his
eyes became as two long, cleaning
Sits, while the angles of his jaws pre-
truded like cats.
"But what are you going to do? 1t
is time to act," Mr.. Vernon inquired.
"Not much of anything, probably
report to Jackson with gun, muz-
zle foremost, maybe"
He arose as if to 60, but stood
awile twirling his hat and looking
straight into the old mans eyes. A
touch of something like tenderness
such a gleam as you see in a dogs
eyes when he gazes at his master
came in his impenetrable face, when,
at last, he put forth his hand.
fGood-bye," he said.
Mr.. Vernon clutched the hand and
wrung it, but said nothing.
As Loring went forth from the
house, he met Vasseur coming in.
The men glared at each other. Vas
seur showed both terror and surprise,
and was evidently glad that Lorihg
was in the humor to pass him by.
The latter did not swerve q, hairs
breadth from his course, and theilit-
tie Frenchman had to shy aside quick
ly to avoid being trampled under foot.
els Pierre Rameau your friend?"
cried Vasseur, in French, as aoon as
he came into Mr.. Vernon's presence,
his voice husky and rssping. I1.t"
"Pierre Rameaul What do you
mean, you little scamp"
"Did you not see him? he came
out of here this moment! I met him
at the gate!" ./I".
"No?" .#.I - :"
"But yes, yes, this minute Pierre
Rameaul" - ~ r..
Vasseur was trembling violently
On the moment, there was q sudden
whirl of thoughts in Mr.. Verpon's
brain. Gould it-be? He grabbed his
beard with one hand and, with the
other pressed hard uponShis foShead,
stood motionless, every feature strain
ing and every limb rigid. ID was re-
fecting with the power and intensity
of sudden conviction. ~
After a little while, however, he
mastered himself and demanded Vas
seur's business. '..,-
IT have not any business" faltered
the little man. II saw Pierre Rameau
come in here and" ~.
"You are liar!" rr, -
Mr.. Vernon held him by the throat
and made him stand oa tiptoe. -
"You call my-my friend Pierre
Rameau again, and I'll kill You, you
dog!" ,t'..' g. =.
It was the first time in many years
that he had given away to rush OF
anger. -. ..%..
Vasseur, unable to stand when re-.
leased, sank into chair.
"Forgive me, yasseuf," said Mr.:
Vernon in the noxt breath. II did
not mean to hurt you. I was angry.
That man was nce Pierre Rameau.i He
was Colonel LorRg." .,,.. :.
"Then you did Sot see the man I
speak Of" insisted SHsseur, doggedly.
''I met Pierre RameN coming out as
| T came In. T had traeked him--fol-
lowed him here. T saw him come in,
and T waited long for him to come
out. L"
Mr.. Vernon interrupted him WITH
an impatient wave of the hand.
"There is some mistaken ,...
Vasseur's cunning would not let him
be deceived, but he felt some danger
GUS mystery lowering close to him
and did not care to take further risk
in penetrating it. A mind like his is
quick, nimble, shifty, It must be in
order to give it fair chance. More
over, it cuts straight through some
difficulties that would be battling to
higher intellect. Just now he was
living for but one object, and what
ever did not bear upon his purpose
was of no interest to him; but, in spite
of this, there was something in MIR.
Vernon's attitude that aroused strange
and obscure doubts, suspicious, breads
in his mind, while at the same time
he saw that there was bond of sym
pathy and interest uniting Mr.. Yer
non and Pierre Rameau. He sus-
pected, although the suspicion scarcely
took full shape just then, that the two
men had been connected, as he and
Rameau had, in some wild transac-
lions, and were still necessary to each
other, or would be at the crisis nowe
50 near. Indeed, Vasseur knew more
of Mr.. Vernon's past than the latter
would have believed-more than it
would have been safe for the little fell
low to acknowledge.
When Vasseur had taken his leave,
Mr.. Vernon walked the floor, o'and
fro, his hands locked behind him, his
heavy head and shoulders dropping
and his eyes bent upon the carpet.
| 1 hol