The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-01

while the band rested from its laborS.
and the gay assemblage prepared it,
self for the next item in the pro-
gramme.
There seems something specially in
congruous in blank despair gripping
| the heart under such conditions. The
brilliancy of the lights, the beautiful
dresses and conspicuous uniforms all
seemed to mock the gnawing pain at
| Gerald's heart.
Bertha Reeve and Lord Dayre passed
the alcove. AS they did so these words
fell, softly as they were spoken, on
two pairs of ears: q" hardly know
what to say; it is all so unexpected.
You do not wish me to decide to-
night?"
MAY 1 come for my answer TO-
morrow"
Then the speakers passed out of
hearing of those involuntary listen
ers.
II cannot stay here" Mountjoy said,
in a horse whisper, very unlike his
usual tones. 1.-THE air Of the place
| chokes me. I shall get away without
| any fuss. They won't miss me. If
they do, make some excuse to Sir Har-
ry and Lady Gayter. Say I was tax
en- bad, or something"
With q squeeze of the hand Gerald
slipped out Of the alcove. Mechani-
| cally he found his coast and hat, and
then went out at the hall door. He was
glad that the stables were likely to be
deserted. He had not brought a
groom himself. In his present staSe
of mind be hated to have to make
even trivial explanations and excuses.
With some difficulty he managed to
find his own mare among the hundred
horses tethered wherever standing
room under cover could be found. The
carriages were outside in the great
yard. .".~sa..aN -. /"
Gerald was just issuing from the
stables when he heard a great shout
ing from the direction of the castle.
He let 60 his mares bride; she gal
loped out Of the yard and disappeared.
Mountjoy smelt burning wood. He
ran toward the entrance Of the court
yard. When he reached the great
gates his heart stood still. All the
basement and ground floor Of Mellans
we're in flames. Panelled and lined, as
the fine old rooms were, with oak, dry
as finder, centuries old, with a great
staircase of similar material in the
centre, the castle was just adapted for
rapid confagration.
AS it turned out afterward, when
investigation into the cause of b out
break was made, the fire originated
with the overturning of a lamp in
the buffers pantry.
Gerald rushed to the main entrance,
before which a crowd Of guests were
standing. They all seemed paralyzed
with fear. The young man brushed
them to one side. He could see Bertha
Reeve nowhere. She must be in the
burning building still. And there was
Ingoid, too, the man he loved best in
the world.
Gerald dashed into the hall, meeting
overwhelming smoke. He was chok-
ing, and his eyes were smarting and
red hot. He could hear the cries OF
girls, the shouting OF men above. In
his frenzy he could have flung himself
so1o fla qonoac u-hinh Gonnn1 hnf0pn
him.
Then an arm was laid upon lis
shoulder, and he was half dragged,
half led, out. 1t was the parson,
whose courage was of that order which
rises calm and resolute to the greatest
emergency.
The men, under Ingold's direction,
were bringing up long ladders.
Up and down they went in relays,
bringing in their arms faintinG wo-
men. The gentlemen above either
helped by handing insensible burdens
TO the rescuers, or stood back to wait
their turn.
Half a dozen times Gerald had been
up and down the ladder he had made
his owl. Ingold was at the next. On
each journey he had brought some one
to the outside air and safety, and then
handed her to another willing helper
to take away. But that some II was
not the girl for whom, with glad prod
igality, he would have given his life.
Then at the last, when almost all were
saved. Gerald saw Bertha. He
jumped from the ladder top through
the window and ran to her. The
flames We're at the back of her. and
had begun to SINCE her light dress.
Lord Dayre was still by her side. Just
as Mountjoy reached her she was over
Gene ard tottered backwards. Lord
Dayre, with a quick effort, saved her
from failing. There were now only
these two and Gerald left at that end
tie most dangerous part CT the great
salon. Some devil seized him, whis-
pering in his ear: She has half Civ
en- herself to Dayre; let him ave her"
For years the memory Of that terrible
lapse haunted him.
Take her. Dayre. and carry he.
down."
The peer wa hardly able to support
Bertha's weight, much less carry her
down tine ladder. He glanced at the
window, filled with tine eddying smoke;
| then he turned to Gerald.