The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-07-18

you fell fainting into my arms, and
told me you were without friends and
without relatives, and was your
cousin all the time"
Are you really my cousin"
THAT is one of the things l am 60
ing to explain to you, dear Katie. Oh!
if Tom Addison had only come home
with Harry McLauchlin!"
"McLauchlin! That is the name Of
the officer who was missing at the
same time"
"Yes-he was only prisoner, and he
escaped. If Tom had only escaped
with him! Poor Katie! we lost our
lovers together Oh! If we could find
them together"
She stopped and listened. Outside
there were voices.
She ran out of the room, and Katie
heard her saying, earnestly: mot yet
oh! not yeti implore you-not yet
wait till call you" Then she returned
and shut the door carefully. "Oh, l
have such a lot to tell you. First OF
all, dear, you are my cousin. Do you
see this portrait?" 1t was miniature
representing an old lady, sweet of face
and beautiful. "That is your great
aunt and mine, Katharine Regina Will
loughby. Your name is the same, and
so is mine"
But my name is Capel."
Nothing of the kind, my dear. Your
father called himself Capel because he
quarreled with his relations-and-and
refused to speak to them any more, you
know" This was kind way of put
ting it, end the male members OF the
family reversed this statement.
But his real name was Willoughby.
Here is a portrait of him in uniform
when he was in the army-there it is"
She brought q water-color portrait
showing a very gallant young hero in
scarlet. TITS a color which sets of the
fire and masterfu1ness of the hero in
his youth.
."Oh! it is my father" cried Katie.
though l cannot remember him so,
young as this. But he kept his good
looks to the last
"Yes-it is your father. 1t is all
proved now without the least doubt,
Katie" She lowered her voice as one
does wl1en one is going to say q disa-
greeable thing. 1--WE will not talk
much about him. because he-he had
his faults, I am afraid. But you should
keep this likeness. He was Miss VIII
loughby's favorite nephew; she gave
him quantities of money; she forgaVe
him all extravagances; she even placed
a large sum in the hands Of Mr.. Joseph
Addison, her solicitor, so that he might
enjoy an annuity of f300 year, which
was paid him regularly"
"Oh, in Mr.. Addison's hands? Toms
Uncle Joseph?"
Eyes, after his death the principal
was to be given to her niece-to you,
my dear"
ITO me-"
Eyes, to you. That trust, the discov-
cry of which sent Tom to Egypt, was
yours, Katie And I am very much
afraid that Mr.. Rolfe, who seems to
have been person of no morals at all.
was actually going to cheat you out OF
it. 1t is all yours, Katie; you are-not
rich, perhaps-but you have plenty. My
dear, if Tom had only escaped with
Harryw
"Oh; but how did you find out all
this? Is it really Gue?"
You have lots of friends, Katie,
quantities of friends. There are both
friends and relations waiting for you.
10 think that l did not know, and took
you to the Cooperative Work Girls!
But never mind. And now I am going
to bring in some of your friends" She
rang the bell and the door was opened
with a promptitude which proved that
the man-it was a man-must have
been lurking outside in readiness.
Katie" said the other Katie, this is
Harry McLauchlin-my Harry-who
was in captivity among the Arabs for
six months with your Tom. Harry
made his escape, you know. If Tom
could only have escaped with him."
The escaped prisoner, who showed no
traces of his long captivity, bowed and
took her hand, but said nothing and
looked embarrassed.
1T is like dream to me-" said Katie.
II cannot understand. You were a
prisoner with TOm-you were present
when he--was killed?"
Harry will tell you all, # you please
to ask him tomorrow; not to-day, dear.
He will tell you how it Jared with
them in their long captivity. But per-
haps you will hear from another
source" -
miss Willoughby," said Captain Nc
Lauchlin, recovering from his con-
fusion, I'VE found out-Tom and lin
the talks which we had at night all
about each other. We guessed that
you could be none other than the
daughter of Harry Willoughby.
Did Tom send me no message when
you escaped-none at all?"
None" said the captain.
Captain MCLAUGHLIN, tell me"-she
caught his hand-"oh! tell me, once for
all, how he died"
Not now, not now. Ask noe, if you
like, tomorrow"
Did he suffer? Was he murdered
while he tried to escape with you"
He was not murdered, but lie suf.
fered-wel, he suffered about as much
as ] did. We had 4 bad time Of it,
Miss Willoughby. He helped me to