The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-08-19
Copyright 1896,
by ROBERT BoNNER's SoEs.
(Au rights rcser1'ed)
By Prof. VIM. Henry Peck.

Author Of the "16e Stone Cutter
Of Lisbon" Etc.

Hammond. "Tell me that John Marks
lies! Tell me that Nancy Harker.
Let fortune, liberty-life-all go to
ruin-but tell me that John Marks
lies!'
II cannot! TITS your son who is the
idiot" said Nancy.
"Traitoressw cried Hammond, and
as quick as lightning he shot a ball
into his sisters breast.
"At them, Danielw he continued.
"They hold our lives in their hands!
They are two only"
His pistol cracked again and John
Marks staggered back wounded, but
drawing his pistol; and then, with
q crash, James Green leaped through
the skylight, and fell upon the bed,
crushing it to the floor, but on his feet
in a second.
AS Greene fell, Elgin sprang at Dan
iel, and prostrated him with a blow
from his iron rod.
Hammond stared in perfect horror
for a moment at the pale and angry
face Of the young carpenter, whom
he thought he had murdered, and then
shrieking in terror Of he knew not
what, rushed at the door, got out, and
fed along the hall pursued by James
Greene and John Marks, the latter car
rying a lantern he had snatched from
Stephen when coming into the house.
"If I can reach the street." thought
Hammond, as he fed, II may escape.
There is way through%the old store
room-the farther door enters into an
old cellar and that has window open
ing into the back street"
He fed to the trap that led into the
basement of the other house, and
laughed to think that life and liberty
would still be his. His momentary
terror at the sudden appearance Of
James Greene had passed away.
"He managed to escape" thought
Hammond, as he groped his way in
pitchy darkness. "The noises old Fan
heard were the efforts of James Greene
to escape. Spirits! Ghosts! Non
sensew
He reached the old store-room, rushed
in, and was bruised by the barrels and
boxes old Fan had piled over the trap
door. Swearing fiercely, Hammond be-
gan to Chamber over the great heap.
He was at it's top when the trap-door,
no longer sustained by the strong bolt.
and unable to uphold his weight, added
to that of the boxes. gave way, and
he felt himself sinking downward with
the rubbish.
"Ah! The trap! The trap has
fallen?" he shrieked, and struggling to
escape. ;a'~..--
But he was fast jammed in the heap;
and as he plunged, raved and fought.
the mass sank down at once, and let
linn fall feet foremost into the deep,
dark well. He sank into the mud.
ooze and slime up to his chin; and
the we'll above his head, and around
him, was filed with empty boxes and
barrels, through which his sarieks,
curses and groans resounded hour after
hour, for his pursuers thought he had
escaped.
Shall we linger upon this awful
death? Shall We speak Of his impotent
battling with four-footed, sharp
toothed, ravenous foes-the avengers
of his dead wives, Of his mother, of his
father, and Of his sister?
No. We have seen the last of Roland
Dunn; or, as we have known him,
Luke Hammond.
Nancy Harker died the same night, Of
internal hemorrhage.
And so the prediction of the dream Of
these two evil ones was fulfilled:
Beware Of Harriet Foss! When she
shall meet We, and ye shall know each
other, ye die"
Before the dawn Of day, Kate Elgin
recovered from the effects Of the drug
she had swallowed, and was locked in
the embrace Of her brave and worthy
lover, and Of her now happy father.
Mr.. Allday made his escape during
the tumult, but was dreadfully torn
and bitten by the savage dogs in the
yard before he gained the street. What
became Of him afterwards we know
not.
Daniel and Stephen also escaped, as
Henry Elgin wished the affair to be
concealed, and for that reason never
appeared in New York after bis de-
liverance, but settled in the West with
his daughter and son-in-law, James
Greene. where all of them now live
in perfect earthly happiness.
Charles and Harriet, with John
Marks, returned to England, where
John Marks reformed. and emulated
the virtues Of his son, until his peace
ful death q few years ago.
THE END.