The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-01-01
snow" II shall get ts

LanSQOWQe! Lie uume WAS quite
unfamiliar to Clifford. But as soon
as he was introduced the puzzle came
to pieces.
II wanted so much to know you,
Mr.. King" said the girl, who was
pleasant. unaffected and amiable-look-
ing. II can see you don't know me,
and yet I know you very we'll"
"That is not quite fair" said Cliff
ford. II do remember your face per-
fectly we'll; it is your name only
which is unfamiliar to me. am GER
tain I have never spoken to you in
my life; you may be sure I should
not have forgotten if I had"
81 live near Stroam," said Miss
Lansdowne.
Clifford started, and his face cloud
ed.
II have often seen you ABOUT there"
went on the girl, land I know init
mately more than one Of your friends
there"
II have no friends there now," said
Clifford, with q sudden change to
grave bitterness in his voice and man
ner.
well, you had friends there at one
time, l think. Miss Bostal and her
father, the Colonel, would, am sure,
be rather hurt to know that you no
longer reckoned them as your friends" !"
1.-THE Bostals! Oh, yes" answered
Clifford, indifferently. II know them,
but Miss Bostal would hardly reckon
me as friend. l lost my place in her
esteem, if ever had any, by walking
from Courtstairs to Stroam on Sun
day in a tourists suit"
Miss Lansdewne smiled.
"She is an odd little creature" she
said, "but she has very good heart.
To hear her deplore the disappearance
of n young girl whom she was fond
of and kind to-" and Miss Lansdowne
looked steadily away from Clifford as
she spoke, mo one could doubt the
depth Of her feelings"
Clifford was silent for a few mo-
ments. Then he glanced at the face
of the girl beside him, saw that it in
vited confidence, and guessed that her
last words had been carefully chosen.
"You mean that Miss Claris has dis
appeared"
Yes. You had heard about it, l
suppose?" she asked, with a pretense
Of Indifference.
"Of course"
"And that nobody knows more than
this-that she and her uncle have gone
away"
Clifford answered, with scarcely a
pretense on his side Of concealing the
emotion he felt:
II went down to the place myself,
saw the house shut up, deserted, and
found that nobody could tell me more
than this-that George Claris had gone
mad, and that lie was Ill an asylum;
and that his niece had gone away at
the same time. If you can tell me
anything more, I shall be very CRATE
full to you"
II don't know any more than you do.
One can only guess-or repeat the
guesses Of others"
"Well, let me hear the guesses."
"They say-people think-that the
girl has been shut up, too"
I'm an asylum" asked Clifford,
hardly able to control his voice.
"Yes."
81 don't believe itw said he, hoarse.
ly.
"We1l, isn't it better than believing
anything else?"
"Believing-that she is thief, a"
Clifford could not go on.
"Do you know what happened on
that morning when George Claris was
found mad?' asked Miss Lansdowne,
abruptly.
1.-The woman at the nearest cottage
told me the story" he answered,
| shortly.
Did she tell you" Miss Lansdowne
hesitated-"that Miss Claris tainted
when they told her what had hap
pened to her uncle, and that they
found under her pillow-a canvas bag
containing the money collected for
some shipwrecked sailors the night be.
fore"
Clifford's face changed.
NO" said he at once, in the tone Of
man who has made up his mind on
some weighty point, "they did not
tell me that"
1T is true, though. After that, who
could doubt the girls guilt?'
II could" said Clifford, quietly.
"And one other person-Miss Bostal.
And you are both equally unreason.
able"
| To ho rnntinued