The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-07-28

passage and knocked. At first there
was no answer, but finally Dorothy
pale and %disheveled, opened the door.
Enid tremblingly asked if she could
be of assistance, but was dismissed
with a rough "No!"
Dorothy waited with her ear close
against the door till the SOUND OF
Ends soft footsteps had died away.
She was trembling all over from the
effects of excitement, the great fear
that had come upon her in the woods,
and lastly by the dread of detection
with which she had struggled, on her
stealthy passage back to her room;
with almost superhuman swiftness
she had thrown off her cloak and
slipped her loose silk peignoir over
her dark tweed gown, shaking down
her hair as she did so.
She was careful to stand with the
door only. partially opened, so that
Enid might not see anything strange
in her appearance, or catch a glimpse
of the thick boots that were wet from
the moisture of the weeds and grass
through which she had just come.
Once alone and safe, Dorothy sunk
for an instant on to an ottoman that
stood at the foot of the bed, and bend
ing forward, buried her face in her
hands and tried to calm the futtering
of her heart and the trembling in her
limbs; but suddenly she started up,
for the dim light fell on her right
palm, and she noticed for the first
time that a stain Of blood was
smeared on it, left there from the
moment of finding the wound In
Laxon's arm. She rubbed her hand
feverishly with her handkerchief, and
then went hurriedly to her dressing
room and held 1t under a running
steam of water, having first thrown
the piece of cambria and priceless lace
to be devoured by the fire.
She shuddered every now and
then with a long-drawn shudder Of
horror. 1t was a wise precaution she
had taken in shutting Gervais and her
maid from the room, for assuredly
her condition would have provoked
much alarm and many questions.
Shivering as If struck by some sudden
chill, Dorothy crouched down by the
fire and tried to gather warmth and
strength from it, but the strain on her
mental powers had been so great that
she could not control herself, and in
sheer desperation she ose to have
recourse to other aids.
By the earl's orders, Virginie had
brought up a dainty tray, with some
delicacy to WOO back Dorothy's truant
appetite, and a small bottle of cham
payne, which Gervais had sent up,
having heard from Lady Lowe, that it
was so good for neuralgia. This Dor
othy had despised, simply bidding
Virginie leave it and not return; but
now it came as a friend to succor her.
With feverish, trembling hands she
tried to unfasten the cork, and, find
ing her fingers powerless, she struck
the neck off against the marble man.
tie pillars and drank the bubbling
golden liquid without drawing breath.
The effect was almost instan-
taneous. Of late Dorothy had had re-
course to brandy and other stimu-
lants, and the celebrating wine ran
with Strengthening fire through her
veins.
Her courage gradually stole back,
and something like self-disgust and
contempt filled her heart.
"I am a weak fool" she unused
sharply. eff I go on like this, I shall
be soon discovered by my WI stu
pidity. After all, why should the
sight of blood alarm me? 1t was only
a scratch, and he is a coward and I
am safe now. I feel I shall be rid OF
him. Six thousand a year! It is q
fortune, but it is worth his silence"
She swept to and fro and laughed
with triumph as she caught a glimpse
of herself, and saw that the color was
back in her cheeks and the frmness
to her bearing; then she took off her
peignoir and removed the gown, ex-
aiming it deliberately to see that no
stain of blood was on it., Or on the
cloak either; this done, she threw the
dress down carelessly for her maid to
remove and brush and hung the cloak
away in a cupboard; then she drew
her peignoir round her again, pulled
up a chair to the fire and sunk into 1t
with a sigh of fatigue.
"He swore by the child" she NUT
tered, gloomily, as she gazed into the
glowing red embers, land this oath
he will keep sacred, for he loves her.
must write him in the morning, dis
guise my hand, so that the inn people
may not know it, and send or take it
myself. Send" she repeated to her
self. II can trust Enid. What a
strange thing that I should trust her,
ever while 1 hate her"
She leaned her head back and her
eyelids dropped; the wine was max
ing her drowsy.
To be Continued.
jamaican Cotton.