The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-21
cr,,.a ~ Tho ex,stenee OF that Nm.

IOfme0 OF the exISteuCe VI tuot uu
happy woman: and not only that. but
| for other and stronger reasons 1t would
have been absurd to expect that Con
stance should regard the death other
| wise than as the welcome extinction OF
On unseen but potent power for mis-.
chief. While recognizing this to the
full, I could not but think Of the girl
companion Of my childhood; Of how
| after Annie's brothers and sisters had
| one by one all been laid to rest In
tn shadow Of Holdenhurst church she
| alone remained, and was the only &c
light Of her widowed fathers life;
Of how, later. she had fed from him
| who loved her SO we'll. and how tire.
lessly he had sought her again until
Mt last his efforts were crowned win
success, though only to p~recipitate the
needless and awful waste Of her young
life. 1 thought also Of the cruel eject
this disaster must necessarily have
upon my grandfather. and wondered
II that careworn old man was yet &C
quainted with It. The fear to which
NV uncle had several times given cx.
preston now being realized. it occurred
to me that its Ill effects upon my pow.
| erful friend, said to be already severe.
might possibly be Of q permanent char
acter. Something Of these troublesome
thoughts and speculations must have
been apparent In my face to have IN
duced Connie to smile at me through
her tears, and to repeat those VOWS
with which we had consoled each other
in previous dificulties-that come what
might, and we were both alive. nothing
should again separate US.
Constance and I quilted the study
and returned to my room. When asked
to decipher Mr.. Prices letter / was en-.
gagged in making a fair copy OF a list
Of my future wife's possessions, which
uncle Sam had roughly drawn up for
my use-a heavy task, to which / had
already devoted two whole days.
Though not more than three-fourths OF
my transcript was completed l per-
ceived I was too disturbed to advan-
~tageously apply myself to it again that
day. and therefore hastily put away
my papers and devoted myself TO Con-
stance. After nearly ar hour had
been spent In q proftless exchange OF
opinions and the %venturing Of various
surmises, we decided to go together
to Mills Building and ascertain by
actual observation exactly upon what
our anxiety was founded.
When we arrived ut Mills Building
We found my uncle's offices deserted
by oil but one clerk, and the usual
business of the place suspended for the
rest Of the day. Telegraphic tape was
automatically unwinding from a score
or more cylinders, and falling unread
into the baskets placed to receive 1t.
On my uncle's desk, in an inner private
room, lay q pile Of correspondence.
the greater part unopened. The clerk
In charge was brushing his hat pre-
paratory to locking the doors an de-
parting, and had We been a few min
utes later we should have found the
Office closed. From this individual we
learned that Mr.. Truman had become
violently agltated Immediately after
reading q letter, the envelope Of which
bore the Paris postmark; that he had
rapidly paced up and down his room.
!ncoherently talking to himself mean-
while; and that altogether his behav.
ior had been SO extremely different
from his usual habit Of self.possess.on
that the people about him became
alarmed. Mr.. Truman's secretary. Mr..
Fisk, who enjoyed his employers con-
fidence more than anybody else. tool
the letter from Mr.. Truman's unrcsist-
ing hands. and read 1t to ascertain
what had created this disturbance.
The letter. which was very brief and
couched In affectionate terms. stated
that the writer would that night seek
oblivion in the waters Of the Seine. and
that she commended her son to his
care. It bore the signature Of Annie
Wolsey.
"And how is MI. Truman now?' l
inquired. us he better. and has he
gone home with ltrs. Truman:"
81 think he Is better than he was,'
replied the clerk. I'VE were afraid ne
had become crazy and sent for DR..
Hermann. DR.. Hermann, who ar
rived before Mrs. Truman. said that
Mr.. Truman was suffering from intense
excitement. but that with proper treat.
ment there was no cause for alarm.
The doctor soon afterwards took bis
patient to Astor House, where lie now
is"
To be continued.