The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-09-04

girls amusing mixture of shreWdness
and simplicity.
"Its very nice for your uncle" he
added, after little pause, "but IS IL
-" he hesitated. afraid Of seeming
impertinent, sis it quite as pleasant
for YOU, to live out here, mean, so far
from-from-"
"Ciyilization asked Nell, smiling.
"There are some disadvantages, GER
tainly. Of course I know what you
really mean, and what you don't like
to say. But when the choice lies be-
tween living with my old uncle and
helping him, and going away to please
myself, is there any doubt what l
ought to DO? Miss Theodore, who 1s
the best woman in the world, says 1
ought to stay-I am right to stay"
Clifford reluctantly agreed with her.
and allowed her to prattle on about
her uncle and his goodness, and Miss
Theodore and her goodness, until the
light Of the sunset began to fade In the
sky.
When he reluctantly rose to take
leave, he found that some heavy drops
of rain had begun to fall ,and he al
lowed himself 10 be persuaded by the
landlord and his niece to wait until the
rain had cleared off. AS, however, in
stead of clearing, the weather gradu-
ally became worse, until the day ended
in a steady downpour which threat
ened to last all night, Clifford asked
whether they could put him UP for
the night; and being answered in the
affirmative, decided to spend the night
ut the inn.
The room they gave him was small,
but beautifully clean, and was at the
front of the house, with an outlook
over the marshes to the sea. Clifford,
when he retired to it late that night,
raised the blind and tried to peer
through the mist of rain which blurred
the view. He began to feel that he
wanted to spend his life in this spot,
digging Nells cabbages for her, trim
ming the hedges Of her garden, water.
ing her roses, doing anything, in fact,
so that he might be near her.
He was in love, more seriously, too,
than Willie had ever been, or than he
himself had even been before. He
asked himself what sort or spell 1t
was that this young girl had been able
so quickly to cast upon him, and he
told himself that it was the sweetness
Of her nature, the purity which shone
from her young soul through her blue
eyes, which had enabled her to be-
witch him as no mere beauty Of face
and person could ever have done. He
looked ut his hand, and saw again In
imagination the little soft, white hand,
smoother and fairer than any girls
hand he had ever touched, which had
lain for a moment in his as she bade
him good night. He felt again the
satiny touch which had thrilled him
when the little fingers met his. He
sat caressing his own hand which had
been so honored, intoxicated with his
own thoughts.
1t was late before the dying candle
warned him to make haste to bed. AS
he turned to the door to lock it, as
was his custom in strange place, he
found that it had neither lock nor bolt.
And the words Of the young fisher
man. his warning about the character
Of the house, flashed with an unp,eas-
ant chill through his mind.
The next moment he was ashamed
Of having remembered them. OF
course, there was q possibility, then
whispered his common sense, that
even the house which sheltered q god.
dess might also contain a man or q
thief. 3d. as he had a very handsome
watch with him. and nearly twenty
five pounds in his purse, he tucked
these possessions we'll under the pill.
low, and went to sleep, thinking Of
Nell.
He was awakened out Of a sound
slunber by the feeling that there was
some one in his room.
He felt sure of this, although for n
few minutes, as he lay with his eyes
closed, he heard nothing but the tick
ing of the watch under his pillow. At
ter that he became conscious that in
the darkness there was a shadowy
something passing and repassing be-
tween his bed md the heavily-cur-
tanned window. Hi, first impulse was
to shout aloud aud alarm the would-he
thief, rs he could not hut suppose the
intruder to be. The next moment,
however, he decided that he would
wait until the theft had been actually
committed, and take the perpetrator
red-han0ed.
He waited. holding his breath.
To be Continued.