The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-07-15
CHAPTER XII.
For Old Sake's Sake.

AS Sybil thought Over Nebelsen's
revelations she found it difficult
wholly to resist the impression they
made upon her. They had aroused
the superstition, which, in spite of
education, is more or less latent in so
many of us. =,
She had only to insist upon taking
the idol back, and when he saw that
nothing alarming happened to her,
he would be cured Of his morbid
fancies. Perhaps Nebelsen's Mahat-
ma, whoever he might be, was right
in this at least.
Impulsive Sybil nc sooner con-
ceived this resolve than she was i'm
patient to carry it out. She must
save Ronald, and if-well, If there
was anything dreadful about the idol,
as to which she could not reason
away all her terrorist was only just
that she should bear the brunt of its
inexpiicable malice.
The following day was Sunday, and
as the afternoon drew on, Miss Sybil,
who was accustomed to restrict her
devotions to the morning service, as
tonished her aunt by announcing that
she was going to church again that
evening.
Mrs. Standard, as Sybil had antici-
pated, did not propose to accompany
her, but sent one of the ~housemaids,
who attended in the worst Of tenn
pers, having made other plans for
spending the evening.
Romanoff Road looked more Area
dian than eve in the warm Sabbath
stiffness, and under a, sky which was
just beginning to melt from throb-
bling blue to a luminous green. There
vas 40 one to be seen except a pair
of lovers parting at a corner, and the
lamp lighter beginning his rounds at
the end of a turning.
And now Sybil was at the studio
door, and it seemed to her that some
one was within. Ronald often sat
and smoked there, she know, in the
evenings.
She had Louisa as chaperon, or
rather duenna, but she began to wish
she had not come, and to hesitate.
Suppose Ronald's man or a model
were to come to the door, what
should she say?
Her hand was already on the bell,
when from within a peal Of laughter
rang out on the silence, and she
shrunk back, terrified.
For it was laughter that conveyed
an insult, full of coarse triumph and
cynicaLmockery, and yeti was like
Ronald's laughter, as it might be-
come after some sad deterioration.
She turned to the maid with a
white face and startled eyes. II
don't think 1 will 60 in just now. after
all, Louisa. Mr.. Campion seems en-
gagged"
Just as you think best, miss, I'm
sure" said Louisa, primly; and they
went back to Sussex place.
On his return to his lodgings,
which were in a quiet street in Pad
dington, Nebelsen set about the bust
ness of repudiating his Mahatma. 1t
took him some hours to compose a
document which should strike a poig-
nant remorse in his gurus unsympa-
thetic bosom, but he finished it at
last. II will not send it by Babu
Chowkydaree Loll," he reflected,
because he will want to talk and to
argue, and induce me to retract. I
will dispatch it to the Mahatma my
self by occult means. He will get it
quite as SOON"
And then his pupilage was over;
the vision of transcendent knowledge
and power faded; he could no longer
f1atter himself with the secret con-
seriousness of superiority to the rest
of mankind; he had deliberately re-
duced himself to their level.
TO be Continued.