The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-07-15
By Prof. VIM, Henry Peck,

Author Of the "1Se Stone.CutteT
Of Lisbon" Etc.


You must not dow said Nancy.
"You will dare to oppose ne" ex-
claimed Hammond.
II will darew said Nancy.
woman. be careful! You are grow
ing dangerous again." said Luke, knit
ting his heavy brows. What right
have you to come between me and my
son? Mind your own business, Mrs.
Harker. You will have enough to do
to settle your own affairs with, John
Marks when he claims his son. He is
a terrible fellow to trifle with. What
| will you tell him when he comes and
says, and proves it, Harriet Foss is
dead, and John Marks wants. his re-
ward-Marks wants his son" Eh?
What?"
Nancy Harker was very pale as she
replied:
Never fear, Luke. shall be able
to make my words good"
Yes, but how" sneered Luke. You
will lead John Marks to England; you
will lead him to Highgate in London;
you will then enter Park House, the
Asylum for Idiots; you will lead him
through swarms of idiots until you
pause before thin, horribly distorted
face-the face Of man Of eighty on
the body of a youth of twenty-six or
seven years; you will point at the grin
ming, brainless, chattering idiot and
say, John Marks, behold your son"
Ha! will you dare do that, Nancy
Harker? BY my blood, would like to
be there, in some safe place, to see and
hear you do it!' O
Hammond snarled this terrible pic.
ture from his tech and began to write
again. Nanc7 gazed upon him half
sorrowfully, nalf in triumph.
"Or have you lied to me, Nancy
Harker?" he cried, bristling his hair
again. "Does the son of John Marks
really uve?"
II have not lied, Luke" replied
Nancy. "The son of John Marks and
Nancy Dunn that was, Of Nancy Har-
ker that is, does live. Two years ago
when in London, where you dare not
go"
Eyes, I have an enemy there, called
the Law" interrupted Luke, sneer-
ingly.
when I was there" resumed Nancy,
81 went to the Asylum for Idiots at
Highgate. I saw the youth and had
his portrait taken"
"Have you that portrait? You never
told me Of this" said Luke. 81 would
like to see it."
II have it, Luke" said Nancy. II
had no particular cause to speak of it,
or perhaps forgot it. I will 80 to my
room and get it.''
do. I would like to see what the
son Of my dear friend John Marks
looks like"
Nancy left the library and soon re-
turned with large miniature painted
on ivc~y, which she gave to Hammond.
saying:
This is the exact image of the
youth"
Luke gazed at the hideous, distorted
and soulless face for long time, and
then laughed aloud.
"By my soul, Nancy, I don't envy
you and John Marks such a son and
heir! The face of human monkey
what eyes-what terrible eyes it has!
And the mouth! Augh! take it away,
or I shall dream Of it! And that is
John Marks sonny nephew! my
nephew! Pah"
He laughed gleefully. 1t really did
him so much good to think that the
son Of John Marks was a miserable,
driveling, idiotic wretch; while his was
q magnificent, glorious, handsome man
tall, strong and intellectual, but
much too virtuous to please Ham
mond.
Suddenly he exclaimed, rs If wild
with delight:
"But, Nancy, tell you what John
Marks can do. He can make fortune
by showing the thing around! He
might make a splendid speculation by
exhibiting the boyn'
Again he laughed loud and long, and
hugged himself to think Marks had
such q son.
Then checking himself as he noticed
the corpse-white and appalled, face of
his sister, he said:
But am wrong. forget you were
the mother Of it."
Of it! The it was a better thing
with all its awful ugliness and idiotic
horror-than vile, demon-hearted Rol-
and Dunn, or, as he wrote himself in
great. broad, black letters-Luke Ham
mond, Esq.
Nancy Harker placed the miniature
in her bosom, and her eyes cleaned
| and sparkled as she did so. But the
cleaning and sparkling was not from
the sheen Of tears; it was the flashing
| oil q malice as profound and more eX-
ultant than his.
| Il have finished my letters" said
Hammond, at length, and tossing aside
his pen.
But not sealed them," said Nancy.
who had secretly folded blank sheet
of paper into the form of q letter.
THAT will be done in moment"
said Luke, seeking COR sealing-wax. Il
swear there was stick of wax here
this morning" said he, and then turned
his back to Nancy to seek for more in
| his desk.
AS quick as light, and as noiseless,
IL