The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-08-11

with her red tongue hanging out or
her mouth and her tail wagging.
AS she passed down the incline
that has been mentioned before, Enid
suddenly missed the dog, and stop
ping, she whistled and called her
loudly by anne.
Meg! Meg! Where are you?"
There was no answer at first, and
then Enid thought she heard a whine,
as if the poor creature were in some
pain. Remembering the episode Of
the trap, Enid hurried down to where
she thought Meg might be, and found
the collie licking her forepaw, from
which the blood was flowing.
why Meg" she exclaimed, bend
ing over the dog, whats the matter,
poor old thing"
Meg at once began to move about,
wagging her tail and evincing her af-
lection, but she limped at every
movement, and ended by standing on
three legs and holding up the injured
paw.
"She has cut it," Enid said to her
self, as she krelt down to examine
the hurt; there is no trap here"
She cast a hurried glance around,
then taking out her handkerchief,
| she tied it round the dogs paw, not
without much difficulty, for Meg
would scarcely let her touch it. This
! done, she rose and pulled or her
glove again. Nov we must go back,
mustn't we, Meg? For you can't
walk at all, and I am afraid I can't
carry you"
While she half said, half thought
this, Enid was looking about to see
what could have caused the accident,
and suddenly her eye caught a CLEAN
of steel, and STOPPING, she drew out
of the long, rank grass the Indian
dagger Roger Leicester had given to
his cousin, Lady Derriman.
Enid stood gazing down at the toy
weapon with cheeks that turned un-
consciously pale.
81 will give this back to Dorothy"
she said, slowly, to herself; "she-
she may have dropped it here"
Then a wave of self-reproach
rushed over her. Why should she
doubt Dorothy so easily? Might not
this have been lost by some other per-
son? Why should it be necessary for
Lady Derriman to have dropped it,
and no me else, and, above all, why
need she distress herself over what
was a most trivial affair? An Indian
weapon had been lost and she had
found it. What was there in that to
create a disturbance!
So she argued with herself, but to
no end; the first dread and horrible
fear remained, and would not be dis
missed.
She wakened from her troubled
dream to find that Meg had succeeded
in getting the handkerchief off, and
was industriously licking the wound.
With a SILVER of apprehension, Enid
stopped for the discarded cambria,
and wrapping it round the dagger,
she hid it in her muff.
"No one shall know of this but Dor
othy," she said in a misty sort of
way.
And so, with the dog limping ::ow-
ly beside her, Enid went back to the
house.
She hoped to get in unseen, after
giving Meg into the hands of the
head groom, but in this she was dis
appointed, for Gervais was down in
the stables having a look at a fav-
orite mare Dulcie Lowe had success
fully famed the day before.
Miss Leslie, you are al early
bird!" he exclaimed, as he stretched
out his hand. What! is. Meg in the
wars, too?"
"She cut her paw in the woods on
on something! 1 hope it is not
much" Enid faltered.
She was looking very pale, and
Gervais noticed it.
1T is only a scratch" he said, after
examining Meg carefully. She won't
want much doctoring! l wish I could
say the same for you, Miss Leslie; I
am distressed to see you look so i'll!
Will you not let me send for Scott?
1t is only a cold, I expect, but they
are nasty things, and should be taken
in time"
Il am very well, thank you,
Lord Derriman," the girl answered as
bravely as she could. Il think II
| have gone a little too far, and tired
myself, that is ALL"
Gervais was about to administer a
slight rebuke, but something hap
pened to prevent him.
That something was the approach
of the butler.
May I speak to you, my lord?"
was all he said, yet Ends heart stood
still; some intuition Of coming sorrow
and trouble filled her mind.
"Certainly, Parson, what is it,"
Gervais drew a little on one side.
"Outside, if you please, my lord;
if you would come outside
The buffers face wore an excited,
almost agitated air, and Gervais
looked at him in establishment, but he
humored the man and walked toward
the door.
Now, then, Parsons, what does
this very mysterious communication
mean" he asked, when cut in the
hall.
Here's Groves. my lord, the cad
gardener: he wants to tell YOU some
thing, my lord.