The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-11-20

time to time, glances full Of shy in.
| quiry and of unmistakable alarm.
Miss Bostal began to regard her pro.
tege with looks, ii not of suspicion, at
least of perplexity.
| It was plain that the old difficulty of
4 maid and her lovers had begun to
cast the shadow Of estrangement he.
tween the friends.
There had been silence on both sides
for some minutes, when, at last, the
| coloncl's knock was heard at the front
door. It had been his habit, until the
news of the robberies at the Blue Lion
was whispered about, to let himself
into his house by simply turning the
handle. But now, in common prudence,
they deemed it necessary to keep the
doors fastened from the inside.
With a sigh of relief Miss Bostal
sprang up and hurried out to admit
her father.
"Why, papa, what makes you SO
late? Nell has been with me, or
should have felt quite nervous"
The colonel came in with much
quicker steps than usual, but he
stopped short on hearing the girls
name mentioned.
"Nellw exclaimed he. And by his
manner Miss Theodore saw that some
thing unusual had occurred. Before,
however, she had time to ask any
questions, he added, with slight toss
of the head: "Oh, we'll, the girl must
hear it. Where is she?"
Nell had not moved from her seat by
the fire; but she held up her head
listening. 1t was in this attitude that
Colonel Bostal discovered her when be
threw open the dining-room door and
entered, followed by his daughter.
"Well, papa. what is this wonderful
news?" chirped Miss Theodore, quite
anxious for little bit of gossip.
"Well it's something very serious,
very dreadful, indeed. A man was
found lying by the side Of the road this
evening, just outside Stroan, and it
seems it is Jem Stickels."
Dear, dear, not intoxicated again.
hope, after all his promises?" said
Miss Theodore, anxiously.
mo. poor fellow" answered her
father, gravely. "He was dead"
Both his hearers uttered cries Of as.
tonishment and horror.
"But it's not possible! They must
have made a mistake" urged Miss
Bostal. "Why, Nell and were talk
ing to him a little before seven o'clock
And he was then quite we'll, perfectly
recovered"
The colonel looked from one to the
other in surprise.
"You were talking to him! Where?
"At Mrs. Mann's cottage, where he
lodges. He came to the door and
spoke to US himself. He was very
disagreeable and rude to US, poor fel'
low" said Miss Theodore, who seemed
unable to grasp the fact that the man
who had been so very full Of life and
it's passions three hours before should
now be lying dead.
"Ah, we'll, then you will both have to
make your appearance as witnesses
that's certain. For there will be an in.
quest held tomorrow"
"As witnesses? How dreadful! Be.
sides, what can we prove? He was
quite we'll then"
That's what you will have to prove,
And hope you may succeed" said the
colonel, obviously. For if you don't
the young fellow that knocked him
down and stunned him." Nell
looked up, pallid with fear-"this
King, will certainly be had up foi
manslaughter."
Nell started up with heartbroken
cry.
"Oh, no, oh, no! How can that be
| possible? He had quite recovered
when we saw him; Miss Theodore tells
you so; Mr.. and Mrs. Mann can prove
it, too. He spoke just as you do. He
looked just the same as ever. He
must have got tipsy afterward; every.
body knows he was always getting
tipsy. And he must have quarreled
with some man and been thrown
down. or else he must have fallen into
the ditch, and been suffocated, Or
| Or"
81 don't think you ought to try to
throw fresh obloquy upon the dead
said Miss Bostal, gravely. HE was
quite sober, when we saw him, and il
must have been very little later when
| he died"
But if the fall in my uncle's garden
| had killed him"
1.-THE blow, you mean," interposed
Miss BoStal.
ut would have killed him at once y
protested Nell. "You can't be stunned
and recover entirely, and then die OF
the blow that stunned you an hour
afterward. Is that possible, colonel:"
II have never heard of such case
that I know Of" said. he, with re.
serve. But I should not like to give
an opinion until we have heard the
doctors evidence"
| To be Continued.
L