The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-12-26

the sunlight, and a moment later nc
WAS facing the muzzle of a pistol,
while behind it he still met those
~lifeless blue eyes fixed on his race
with no light of hatred in them.
The sight of the little black orifice,
with its rim of blue steel, drove the
smile from the young EnSlishmans
Inns; but still he slowly approached
her with the logged GOODNESS. OF. his
race-not blindly, but calculating
his chances AS if he were gifted
with a dozen lives.
If" she exclaimed, in her prettJ'
Russianized English, you come one
step nearer to me, 1 kill you'll
No reply came from his lips. me
stream laughed on. Overhead the
pine trees sighed, and far away IN
the blue ether a solitary ,curlew gave
forth his weird cry of warning.
Facing the mouth of the grim lit
tie pistol, and with the same sure
footedness he continued his way.
Then suddenly the girl dropped
her arm.
For Gods sake, stop" she Kissed,
stamping her foot on the soft turf.
Still he came on toward her, with
steadfast grey eyes fixed on her face.
Then she slowly raised her arm
again, and turned the pistol toward
him. While facing it, he was calcu-
lating the chances with a deliberatlon
that was surprising even to himself;
and there fitted through his mind
the recollection of his own failure to
shoot a disabled horse, because its
eyes met his without fiinching.
The bed of the stream was now
rising at a gentle incline beneath
his feet; a few more steps, and he
would be in shallow water; yet an
other few, and that small white hand
would be within his reach.
Suddenly a streak of white flame
almost blinded him, and a ringing
report well-nigh burst his brain.
The little puff of gray smoke rose
slowly on the breeze, and Marie Ba-
kovitch saw Mistley standing in the
shallow water.
The sulphurous smoke had half
choked him, and some grains of I'M
burned powder had flown into his
face, causing a momentary sting;
otherwise he was unhurt. The pis-
toll threw high, having been made to
sell, and not to shoot with.
He gave her no time to attempt a
second shot. In an instant he was
on the bank, having sent his rod
quivering on to the turf beside him.
He grasped her wrist, but not too
fiercely, for even then he remem-
bered his manners, and the wrist was
very small and shapely.
She made no attempt to resist, and
relinquished her hold ,on the weapon
as he firmly took it. Suddenly he
felt the life go from her hand, and
was in time to catch her as she fell,
unconscious and helpless, forward
into his arms. 1t took him a moment
to realize what had happened; then
he laid her gently on the bank, and
turned to get some water, which ele-
ment he supposed to be necessary
under the circumstances.
Carefully holding his cap by the
rim, he suddenly tipped it over, and
cast upon the girls lifelessS face a
cold shock of water, which imme-
diately trickled down her graceful
neck in a most uncomfortable man
:ner. But what man, under the cir
cumstances, could have been expect
ed to think of that? This vigorous
treatment met with its due reward,
for Marie Bakovitch promptly opened
her eyes just in time to save herself
the infection of a second capful.
Where am II" she inquired in
French-that being the tongue in
which she prayed and thought, hav-
ing spoken it before any other.
VINEYARD vas never to sat
isfying harmless curiosity; but to
answer this question was a matter
'of some length, so he ignored it, and
said in the same language: Now
yon are all right again, is it not so?
Come, let us sit on that great stone.
There you will get the breeze"
He slid his arm under the light
form of his would-be murderess, and
gently supported her toward the
rock indicated. She allowed herself
to be placed thereon in dazed silence,
and then slowly raised one hand to
the bosom Of her dress.
N am afraid you are rather
damp" said VINEYARD, apologetically,
but with a! chesrfuIHess of manner
which seemed to indicate that all
had occurred for the best. Then,
being a gentleman, and perhaps a
little soft-hearted, he turned away.
This gave the girl time to rearrange
the soft masses of hair which had
become a little %loosened, and to give
one or two cunning little touches TO
her apparel. which a woman with
only half her senses will still do.
Here" he said, holding forth the
cup of his flask take a little drink
of that"
O~bediently she took the metal cup
and drank. If only Ivan Meyer could
have seen how VINEYARD commanded
and Marie obeyed, he might have
learned therefrom an Invaluable les
son, for the girl was of those who
need to be domineered over, and are
happiest in obedience. What Ivan