The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-05-26
APT III.
q

the space Of one moment, while Sim
monds went hurriedly away. Then a
shiver passed owe her.
Dead" she said to herself, in a
whisper. "Great heaven! No, no; it
cannot be-"
Enid did not hear the murmured
words Of anguish. She was leaning
against the door, and only saw her
cousins lips move. With her heart
full of pity and sympathy she stole
across to Dorothy and puther hand on
one of the beautiful arms that hung
down straight and rigid.
At the touch Dorothy shuddered
and shrank back.
Don't, don't" she muttered.
Then, with a sudden movement, she
caught Ends hand in hers. Yes!
Come with me! We must go and see!
lit can't bet can't be true!"
Ends courage ose All her ner-
v~ousness, her weakness, her shyness,
were lost. 1t was Dorothy who was
shivering and shrinking, and she was
SLTOuS anu DOlu HOW.
Stay here, dear" she whispered.
Il will go and see
But Dorothy clung to her, and so
with feet that fastened unconscious
ly they traversed the hall and reached
the chamber of death.
Simmonds met them at the door.
Don't go in, Miss Dorothy" he
urged, don't go in! I have done all
l."
She pushed him away, and with
fingers that gripped Ends small ones
with a grip of desperation, she passed
into the room.
The lamp was lighted and placed
on the table. 1t shed a brilliant light
from beneath the large green shade
on to a few yards around, but the cor
ners were dark, and through the open
window the pale rays of the summer
shone in clear and pure.
Enid never forgot that scene.
There was the chair that morning
after morning she had sat on reading
to Sir Robert the news of the day;
there the bookcases 18th their VOL
umes upon volumes Of priceless
works; there the padded stool upon
which had rested the invalid's foot,
and there the chair from where the
hard, cruel, yet handsome face, with
its burrows of pain, had glared at her
and spoken the many bitter words
she had received. The head was
there now, but it was no longer erect;
the lamplight fell upon the still body
with the gray hued face fallen upon
the sunken chest, and on the hands,
clinched together, as if the last throes
had been more terrible and intense
than any that had come during life.
She made an involuntary movement
of horror as her eyes rested on the
countenance so like and yet so
strangely altered. Was it not but
this morning she had crept away
chilled by the cruel sarcasm and dis
like that had come from those mute
lips? A SILVER passed over her slight
frame, and then suddenly she lost all
thought of herself and of her own
emotions, and turned her whole atten-
tion to her cousin.
Dorothy stood in the middle of the
room; she not only grasped Ends
arm, but for a few moments leaned
her whole weight on the slender form
beside her.
He is not dead" she gasped. "Not
dead! He looked at me. He knew"
She got no farther. Her words died
away in her throat with a choking
sob. She tottered a few steps toward
the door, then, as Simmonds moved
rapidly to aid her, she slipped rapidly
down into a chair, and thence to the
floor, in a state of insensibility.
She must be taken to bed" said
Simmonds. will you run and ask
Virginie to come, miss? She is in the
kitchen. I think I can manage to
carry Miss Dorothy; she is not very
heavy"
He lifted the girls form from the
ground, while Enid hurried to the
servants quarters to find the maid.
The whole household was standing
about in groups discussing the sudden
death with that delight and excite
ment that seems allied with the en-
Joyments of a common mind.
Enid beckoned to the maid, and to-
gether they traversed the staircase
and reached Dorothy's room, not
without many an exclamation of ter
ror and agitation from the French
woman. Simmonds had managed to
carry his burden up with some little
difficulty, and as soon as she saw her
cousin in the hands Of her maid Enid
turned to him.
What shall we do now, Sim
monds?" she asked in a whisper.
i have sent for DR.. Waters, miss.
He will be here directly"
us there anything l can do?"
Simmonds shook his head, and half
smiled. What was there for so frail
and slender a girl to do in such a case
as this?
Il think, miss, if you were to stay
with Miss Dorothy, it would be the
best. She is terribly upset, and no
wonder, especially as Sir Robert put
himself in an awful passion with her
about something just after dinner.
If you want me l will come at once.
Half an hour licked away in ST.
1ence. Dorothy lay staring at the
blue, silken canopy of her bed, and
Enid sat patiently as commanded
though her limbs trembled and her