The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-10-02
pipe he had just lit,. he glanced up at

pipe he had just lit, he glanced up at
| Otto.
well, and what is your opinion Of
our fair friend now? he asked.
My opinion is that she is thief,
and a very daring, if not a very skill
full one. Those earrings were pearls
and rubies, real ones, very old-fash-
ioned, but worth something"
And you don't think they may have
been given to her!'
My dear fellow, look at the story.
Is there anything to blush about in
the fact of receiving a present from
an old man and his old daughter? Yet,
undoubtedly, she did blush. Then
look at the improbability of the thing.
The Rostals are as poor as church
mice. Would they have such a thing
as these earrings? Well, perhaps
they might have. But would they
give them away? The old man might,
infatuated with her pretly face, but
not the starchy, elderly-young lady,
You had better not tell Clifford
what you think"
Il don't mean to. But I mean to try
to save him from this entanglement;
and in order to carry out my plan, he
must not suspect that have one. He
won't say much about her, you bet;
he will be afraid of our raillery. And
we shall say no more than lie does.
And, of course, if he asks me my
opinion about the earrings, shall say
they were worthless. See"
Willie nodded. He no longer bore
Clifford malice for cutting him out; he
was only too thankful that he had been
himself saved from a deep tumble into
the same pitfall.
1t was about a fortnight after the
return to town of the three friends
that there drove up to the Blue Lion.
cne bitter evening, hired dog cart
from Stroan, in which sat a gentleman
who told the landlord that he was OH
the way to Courtstairs, but that he
found the weather too severe, and
should be glad to put up at the inn
until the following morning. He was
a pleasant, talkative young fellow. and
George Claris, who had been growing
rather moody and reserved Of late,
thawed under the influence of the
strangers genial manner, and passed
the evening smoking and talking by
the fire in the little bar-parlor. Only
once in the course Of the evening did
he catch sight Of Nell.
She was passing thu ough the passage
on her way upstairs, and she appeared
at the door OF the room for an instant
only, to give a message to her uncle.
AS she stood there, the young man
took occasion to mention that he must
try to push on tomorrow, as he was
carrying property of some value for a
firm in whose employment he was.
which was expected by another firm to
whom he was commissioned.
And he noticed that, as he said this,
The girls bright color left her cheeks.
"Why don't you push on tonight.
then?" she said, brusquely, advancing
step into the room and fixing her
eyes earnestly upon him. The wealth.
er may be worse tomorrow, and If
you are afraid Of a little wind, you
should have gone by rail, and not by
road"
The young man rose politely, and
looked at her curiously rs she spoke
But before he had had time to utter
v ord in answer, her uncle dismissed
her from the room with by no means
gentle reminder that it was no bust
ness of hers.
The visitor, in spite of the import
ance Of his commission, seemed to be
in no great hurry to push on with his
journey; for on the following day, as
the wind was still cold, and the sky
still gloomy, he remained at the Blue
Lion.
George Claris had a ahrewd sus-
picion that it was the blue eyes of his
pretty niece which made the stranger
so dilatory, and he took care that the
girl should be invisible throughout the
whole of the day. AS he had expected,
the young man grew evidently uneasy,
and presently found occasion to ask
if the young lady had left the house.
NO." answered George. shortly, "she
is in the house right enough, but you
won't see no more Of her. My niece
is a lady, sir, for all she is my niece,
and she don't ave nothin' to do with
my business"
The young man, rather to the land
lords surprise, appeared entirely sat
isfed with this explanation.
Indeed, he had every reason to be so,
for he was q friend Of Otto Cony-
beare's, whom that young gentleman
had sent down to do little amateur
detective work in the supposed interest
Of Clifford King, but without, OF
course, informing Clifford Of his ben
evolent intention.
To be Continued.