The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-17
you. l win write a check for five
thousand dollars, and You shall carry
L Immediately to Ynur sister"

you. l win write a check Tor i've
thousand dollars, and You shall carry
It Immediately to your sister,"
"A sop to Cerberus," murmured
Jacqueline, with fine scorn. spare
yourself the trouble, sir. I will not
accept It,"
Think twice. I offer you this
money on condition that you never
come near me again. The painful
memories you arouse are really more
than I can endure"
"Mr. Trevor, l decline your offer.
My fathers children NUT have all
that belongs to them or nothing
He dropped the pen which he had
taken. For a moment he looked as
though he was about to rush upon
her.
THAT insult again! Well, you are
my guest, and I must bear with you.
Heaven give me patience! See! the
storm is increasing. You cannot
leave the island to-day. Mrs. Trevor
will meet you at lunch. When l set
un my Lares and Penates on this rock
she came with me-her love Is my
! solace here-it makes my desert to
blossom like the rose. I am Bracti-
cally an outcast from the world and
, my fellow-men, yet I find life still de-
sirable, because 1t is shared by the
sweetest and Ioveliest of women
Jacqueline felt a thrill Of aston
ishment. Philip Trevor, in the char
! acter of a lover, bewildered her. He
waved her smilingly toward the door.
The interview was over. Had she ac-
complished anything by it? She fled
! to her own room, and sat down there
to think. She was still thinking when
the lunch bell rang. An unbidden
/ and unwilling guest, she descended
/ to the room where the table was
spread. Philip Trevor was standing
! on the hearth in the light of a drift
wood fire, conversing with a lady.
The entrance of Jacqueline cut short
the conversation. He turned toward
her with a sprightly air.
Let me-" he said, present yoc to
Mrs. Trevor, who desires to make
your acquaintance"
Mrs. Trevor bowed. Her hand just
touched Jacqueline's, and dropned
away-nerveless, cold as snow. She
was a slender woman. white as ala
baster, with ash and gold hair and
melancholy gray eyes. Her features
were as regular as a cameo, but thin.
almost to sharpness. Her dress OF
rich, severe black, accentuated her
extreme pallor. Whatever her feel
ings may have been, she certainly
evinced no pleasure at meeting JAG
queline-on the contrary. her manner
was distant-even ~forbidding.
1.-The woman that ] saw at the win
dow as I came up from the pier!"
! said Jacqueline to herself.
The three sat down to a table gilt
tering with French porcelain, cut
glass and massive silver. Peter of
the cross eyes passed the dishes and
did the honors. J%acqueline might
! easily have fancied herself in a Bea-
con Hill house, instead of on a lonely,
! hostile island far out in the wild sea.
Both Trevor and his wife had their
drawing-room manners on, and GER
tainly they had managed to preserve
them intact during their long exile.
Their conversation was brilliant and
witty. Trevor maintained a tender,
even adoring attitude toward the ala
, baster woman. He deferred toEher in
everything-hung on her words.
looked unutterable things, whenever
| his smiling eyes sought hers. This
devotion she seemed to accept as a
| matter of course. She had been edu-
Gated abroad-had wintered in Egypt
and summered in Norway, and
seemed familiar with most Of the CIV
ilized globe. She asked a few Ian
guild questions concerning places once
| visited, but hardly appeared to listen
to Jacqueline's replies. Her appe-
lite was like a bird's-she barely
tasted the food which the man Peter
pressed upon her; and once, when he
! CHANGED to touch her shoulder, she
started nervously, and a look of un-
speakable horror and aversion swept
over her cold face. 1t was gone in a
breath, but not before Jacqueline had
| seer and interpreted it.
"She detests Peter" was u hero
| ines inward comment.
Jacqueline responded briefly to
| such scraps of conversation as were
| addressed to herself. She was upon
unknown ground, and it behooved
| her to be on her guard. Presently a
long, lamentable blast Of wind shook
the stone house, ratified the easement,
| shrieked in the chimney. Mrs. Tre-
.vor threw up her head like a startled
deer.
. r - T~-,