The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-11-27
lCopyright, 1895, by
CHAPTER XIII.
Continued.


said? Didn't you wait to hear it:' per-
sisted Nell.
"I waited to hear it, but didn't sue
ceed," said the colonel, in an offended
tone.
The fact was that he and a number
of other nobodies, who on one account
or other considered themselves persons
of great importance in the neighbor-
hood, had been cruelty snubbed by the
two medical men who had made an
examination of the body when it had
been brought into the town. For,
after making their examination, they
had both passed out Of the building
and through the throng which awalted
them as quickly as possible, and had
both declined at that stage to give q
definite opinion as to the cause or
death. So all the little-great men felt
grossly insulted. and departed to their
respective homes at a white heat OF
Indignation.
"For all I know, they may bring 1t
In Murder against this fellow. King
said the colonel, irritably, not with any
feeling of animosity against the per-
son in question. but in order to get
Nell TO sympathize with his own griev-
ance.
But the effect of lis words upon the
girl was electrical.
Murder! Against Clifford! cried
she, springing to the door and gasping
for breath. "Oh. you don't mean that!
You can't"
She burst into a violent fit of weep
Ing, which made the colonel rather
ashamed of himself. He tried to calm
her, assuring her that nobody but the
doctors, who were pompous asses
without an idea how to treat men OF
powers and position vastly superior to
their own, would ever entertain such
q monstrous opinion. But she could
not find enough comfort in his words;
and at last, in spite of his and his
daughters efforts to detain her, she set
off to walk to the Blue Lion, that she
might at least have the assurance she
longed for that nobody there shared
the coloneps rashly expressed opinion.
Mind, Nell, you are to come back
here to Sleep" commanded Miss Bos-
tai, who objected to the girls remain
ing in the vicinity Of her highly unde-
sirable lover.
But Nell would give no promise. She
was deeply anxious, not only to hear
how Clifford was and what people
thought of Jem Stickels's death, but,
also, to know how soon she would be
able to speak to Clifford, whose ad-
vice had become more necessary than
ever.
Refusing. therefore, a rather per-
functory offer on the coloners part to
escort her along the lonely road, she
bade her friends >good-by and started
on her way to the Blue Lion.
But she got little reward for her
pains. The house was shut up when
she reached it; and tlc: who let her
in, started at the sight of her, and
hurried her up to her room, with scant
information. Of course, the servant
had heard Of the finding of Jem Stick
els's body; but she either would not or
could not offer any opinions, either
her own or anybody else's, as to the
manner in which it came about; and
Neil, fearing to rouse suspicion, was
fain to 90 to bed unsatisied. Only
one piece of comfort was given her:
MI. King, who had a professional
nurse in attendance on him, was get
ting on as we'll as they could hope.
On the following morning, George
Claris, who looked worried and
anxious, told his niece, as soon as
breakfast was over, to pack her trunk
for her journey to London. Nell did
not dare to make any protest, nor even
to ask any questions of her uncle,
whose mood was clearly one to be re-
spected. She had to content herself
with Meg's report, obtained from the
nurse, that Clifford had passed a good
night.
Before ten o'clock Nell and her IN
Gle were driving toward Stroan in the
dog-cart, with her trunk behind them
They had not gone far when they
noticed that something unusual was
going on along the road. A party OF
men, among whom were two or three
Of the Stroan police, were busily en-.
gagged in examining the road itself and
the ditch on either side. Nell with
feminine quickness of perception
guessed that this search was in some
way connected with the discovery OF
Jem Stickelss body on the previous
evening; but her uncle. being less
acute. pulled up his horse, and made
inquiries.
Halo, what's up?" said he, ad
dressing the nearest policeman.
"Oh, nothing in particular" replied
the man, with a glance at Nell.
Nothing as would interest you
added another of the searchers, and
he, too, looked in an odd manner al
the young girl who sat with pale face
and silent lips beside George Claris.
well, you might give a civil answer
to civil question, 1 should think"
said the innkeeper, angrily.
His niece, more by gestures anG
coaxing little touches of his sleeve
than by words, tried to induce him tc
drive on. But he was obstinate. As
an old inhabitant. and one, moreover
who had always been on sood terms
with every one, he thought he had /;
right to the information he had limo
Gently asked for.
Come now," he persisted, leaning
out of the dog-cart, and speaking in &
confidential tone: IF it's secret, yor
know as I can keep it. I've kept Sc