The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-02-03

left there had heard his warning. :Fben
he turned to Miss 'spinwall with one
word of commendation for her self
control, and drew the curtain again
into its former place.
Meanwhile, in the hall beneath, Mr..
Degraw and James stood in the
shadow made by the library door, sur
veying, with wondering and startled
eyes, the precise and automaton-like
descent Of the woman in whose inter-
ests they were supposed to be keep
ing watch. Had they not been warned,
they would have thought her spirit,
so noiseless was her step and. so like
floating essence the delicate shape,
with it's ethereal robes AMI 'loosened
hair, coming, coming, step by STEP
down the dim staircase into the dim
hall, seeing nothing. betraving nothing
save a dreamful purpose to enter the
empty parlor.
To get in her way was dangerous.
To impede her steps or stop her move
ments even by sigh, might induce
consequences from which her lover
naturally shrank; so, Notwithstanding
his anxiety, he obliged himself to re-
main where he was and merely peered
after her as she glided among the FUR
niture directly to the music-box. This
she lifted and put down again with
what sounded like sigh. Did she
place a letter under it, or did she feel
for one, or was the action purely me-
chanical and the result of memories
which made the artists heart leap! 1t
was impossible to determine, nor had
he time to consider the question, for
no sooner had she restored the music.
box to it's place than she turned, and
to avoid an encounter, he found him.
self forced to retreat in haste to his
old station in the library, from which
point he saw her glide again by the
door and move down the hall into
regions where he could not follow ner
without discovering himself.
Yet, feeling the necessity Of keep
ing her in sight, he attempted to slip
along through the passages n her wake,
and had reached the door leading into
the dining-room when he suddenly
perceived her returning, and had bare.
" time to draw himself up against the
wall before she was upon him, walking
less steadily than before, and with a
sideways, swaying movement that
filed the lovers heart with terror, and
made it q matter Of great self-control
on his part not to catch her in his arms
and lend her the support of his
strength and the comfort Of his ten
derness.
She passed straight to table under
the staircase, and halting before it
showly stretched out her hand and
took up the paper-cutter lying there,
and which was of a make so substan'
tial and had a point so sharp that the
laughing remark had often been made
in regard to it, that in case Of sudden
need it would serve very well as dag
ger. Misdoubting her intentions, the
artist was about to tear it from her
grasp, when she turned in the same me-
chanical way, and brought it directly
to him, with a CLASSY horror visible in
her eyes that completely paralyzed
him and made movement impossible.
Leaving it in his hand, she went
away again, and directing her steps
toward the staircase, began to re-as'
cend them in the same spirit-like way
in which she had come down.
When she was near the top he found
breath to return the whistle which had
been given him by. Mr.. Gryce, but he
could do no more. He was over
whelmed by the token which he. had
Just received, Of her recognition of. his
presence, though that recognition was
seemingly abnormal, like the vision OF
a clairvoyant who sees without looking
and knows without any manifest effort
of the faculties.
Meanwhile she had reached the up
per floor, and Hilary Aspinwall and
Mr.. Gryce beheld her shadow reappear
upon the curtain. Large at first it
grows smaller and smaller as she
floats away from them down the hall
In another moment it will disappear
entirely, but something alarms Mr.;
Gryce, and he filings the curtain sharply
aside, and they see not only the sway
ing form Of the signorina, but the
crouching figure of man, creeping IN
from the back hall and pausing, with
hand upraised and menacing eyes, qi.
rectly in her pathway.
So threatening is. the sight and so
sudden its revelation that for an in.
slant Hilary Aspinwall stands ap
palled, and even Mr.. Gryce, who is
usually SO ready for action, and SO
fearless wherever it was concerned,
remains rooted in his place. For moth.
ing but an outcry can save the signor.
ina, and an outcTy uttered in the ears
of one in her condition may cause mad
ness or sudden death.
To be continued.
Hunting Not What It Used to BE.
nr g T Huohps whn hadn't hunted