The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-05-25

left hand crept up the stairs. In the
kitchen the girl was singing and clat-
tering the glasses together. Behind
tho jioor. at the head of the stairs, l
heard voices talking. I slipped Oh
nv boots again and tapped on the
panel.
Come in
Let ne try to describe that on which
my eyes rested as l pushed the door
wide. Twas q long room. wainscoted
half up the wall in some dark wood.
and in daytime lit by one window
only. which now was hung with red
curtains By the fireplace. where
brisk wood fire was c.ackling, leaned
the young gcntlewoman had met at
! Eungerford. who. as she now turned
her eyes upon me, ceased lingering the
guitar OF mandolin that she held
against her waist, and raised her
pretty head not without curiosity.
But twas on the table in the centre
of the chamber that my gaze settled,
and on two men beside it. of whom l
must speak more particularly.
The elder, who sat in high-backed
chair, was 4 little. frail, deformed
gentleman of about fifty, dressed very
richly in dark velvet and furs, and
wore on his head q velvet skullcap,
| around which his white hair stuck
up like a ferret's. But the oldest
thing about him was a complexion
that any maid of sixteen would give
her ears for-of a pink and white so
transparent that it seemed a soft
light must be glowing beneath his
skin. On either cheek bone this deli
cate coloring centred in deeper flush.
This is as much as need say about
his appearance, except that his eyes
were very bright and sharp, and his
| chin stuck out like a vicious mules.
The table before him was covered
with bottles and TASKS, in the middle
| of which stood a silver lamp burning,
| and over it a silver saucepan that
sent up rare fragrance as the liquid
within it simmerd and bubbled. So
| eager was the old gentleman in watch
ing the progress of his mixture that
he merely glanced up at my entrance,
and then, holding up a hand for 81
lence, turn'd his eyes on the saucepan
again.
The second man was the broad
shouldered lackey I had seen riding
behind the coach, and now stood over
the saucepan with a twisted flask in
his hand, from which he pour'd red
syrup very gingerly, drop by drop,
with the tail Of his eye turn'd on his
masters face, that he might know
when to cease.
Now it may be that my entrance up
set this experiment in strong drinks.
At any rate, had scarce come to a
stand about three PAGES inside the
door, when the little old gentleman
bounces up in a fury, kicks over his
chair, hurles the nearest bottles to
left and right, and sends the silver
saucepan spinning across the table to
my very feet where it scalded me
clean through the boot, and made me
hop with pain.
"Spoil'd - spoil'dw he screamed;
"drench'd in filthy liquor, when it
should have breath'd but taste.'
And, to my amazement, he sprang
on the strapping servant like wild
cat, and began to beat, cuff and be-
labor him with all the strength Of his
puny limbs.
Twas like q scene out of Bedlam.
Yet all the while the girl lean'd quiet
ly against the mantel-shelf, and softly
touched the strings of her instrument,
while the servant took the rain OF
blows and slaps as though 'twere a
summer shower, grinning all over his
face, and making no resistance at all.
Then, as stood dumb with perplex-
ity, the old gentleman let 60 his hold
of the fellows hair, and, dropping on
the foor began to roll about in q fit
of coughing, the like of which no man
can imagine. Twas hideous. He
bark'd, and writhed, and bark'd again,
till the disorder seem'd to search and
rack every innermost inch of his small
frame. And in the intervals of cough
ing his exclamations were terrible to
listen to.
Hes dyingw I cried, and ran for
ward to help. Z.
The servant pick'd up the chair, and
together we set him in 1t. BY de-
grees the violence of the cough abated,
and he lay back, livid in the face,
with his eyes closed, and bis hands
clutching the knobs Of the chair. I
turn'd to the girl. She had neither
spoken nor stirr'd, but now came for
ward and calmly ask'd my business.
II think" said 1, that your name is
KiIligrewW
II am Della Killigrew, and this is
my father, Sir Deakin."
Now on his way to visit his estates
| in Cornwall"
She nodded.
''Then have to warn you that your
| lives are in danger" And, gently as
possible, l told her what I had seen
and heard downstairs. In the middle
Of my tale, the servant steppd to the
door, and return'd quietly. There was
no lock OH the inside. After a min
ute he went across and drew the red
curtains. The window had 4 grating
within of iron bars as thick as mans
thumb, strongly clamp'd in the stone
work, and not four inches apart.
Clearly, he was 4 man of few words:
for, returning, he merely pulrd out
his sword, and waited for the end of
! my tale.