The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-05-19
II.
Continued.

"By all MEANS" vas the answer,
and Enid turned as he bent to speak
to her kindly, feeling a sensation OF
admiration for this handsome man,
with his bronzed face and manly
figure.
AS they reached the entrance to the
garden, Dorothy stopped suddenly.
"Oh, my bangle!" she exclaimed;
my diamond bangle! 1t is gone"
Lord Derriman looked to the
ground.
81 know" continued the girl,
quickly, II must have dropped it by
the chair. Oh, I hope it will not be
lost; Il prize it very highly"
Il will return at once" said Lord
Derriman.
LET me co." put in Enid, timidly;
but she felt her cousins fingers grip
her arms, and Dorothy had accepted
the offer with many apologies, and
the young man had disappeared be-
fore her arm was released.
Dorothy looked about her swiftly;
then drew a letter out of her pocket.
Take this!" she commanded rath-
er than said, and holding Enid by the
shoulder. Go down that path; you
will come to what they call the wood;
go in through the gate-if it is shut
you must climb it; a little way in you
will meet a man; give him that letter.
Come back as soon as you can-you
understand?"
Enid lifted her pure, true eyes to
the other girls face, flushed and agi-
tated, yet beautiful. in its agitation.
as this something wrong?" she
whispered.
Dorothy stamped her foot, and a
smothered exclamation broke from
her lips; then the knowledge that she
must diplomatic came to her.
at is for charity. You know what
papa is! This Is a poor man I want
to help, and I don't want any n but
you to know! Now you see?"
Enid did not quite see. A hundred
different thoughts rushed to her
mind, chief among them being why
DOIOluy SuOulu uoI 6lfC Iulo' SaoiASy
to the poor man herself, but utterly
b%ewildered and overwhelmed by Dor
othy's energy, she turned and moved
away. Once she looked back, but her
cousin waved her on most angrily,
and she walked quickly down the
path. The way was rough and in
clined a little, and Enid carefully held
the delicate lace of her frock from
the clinging embrace of the brambles;
the music died away in the distance,
and only the sound of the birds and
the occasional sigh of the trees in the
summer breeze disturbed the silence.
She walked on and on till she
reached the gate. 1t was unlocked;
she pushed it open and advanced a
few yards into the shade of the
woody Enclosure. Here she stopped
and looked round. At first she saw
nothing, but after a moment she
became aware Of the presence Of a
man leaning modify against a tree,
smoking.
Enid hesitated. Certainly this did
not look like a needy person or one
who should be the recipient of char
ity, but she felt that he was the one
Dorothy had meant, so she went tim
idly toward him. AS her light foot
fall sounded on the ground he lifted
his head; for n instant a sharp,
almost triumphant look o~verspread
his face, the next his brow clouded,
and he compressed his lips, on the
upper one of which a soft golden
brown mustache grew, as he took in
the girl before him.
"If you please" Enid said, timidly,
holding out the note, Miss Knebwell
has sent you this"
He pushed himself from the tree
into a standing position.
who are you?" he asked, sharply,
and Enid felt instinctively that he was
not of refined origin, his voice was so
common and coarse.
II am her cousin, Enid Leslie"
He took the note, and pushing his
hat back on his head, opened it leis-
urely. Enid turned away, now her
errand was done, but he stopped her
Wait" he said; II may wish to
send some reply"
She stood still, and as he opened
the letter she had a good opportunity
to observe him. Rarely, ven in her
dreamy moments alone with her
painting, had she conjured up a more
strikingly handsome face; it was
more than this, the features were
purely Grecian, the brows notebook
ing, the eyes of deep, star-like blue,
fringed with lashes a woman might
have envied. Enid saw that the COM
tenance perfect, though a faint shade
of brown was spread over the pink
tinted skin, yet, despite all this, the
girl let an intuitive wave of dislike
and fear for this man. pass through
her mind. The face was beautiful
In shape and outline, but the eyes
were soulless, and the mouth bespoke
cruelty, weakness and deceit. While
she wondered vaguely what charity
st could be this well-claG person could
oeed, he startled her by uttering a
loud oath, crunching the paper in his
, hand, then throwing it on the ground
and stamping OF it.
Ends hand went to the tree neal
which she stood; the brute passion on
this mans face alarmed her, the
coarse words Jared her. AS he
ground his heel on the latter he sud.
denly lifted his head, and his eyes