The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-06-29
CHAPTER V.
Continued.

yourself"
Dear Auntie-Sit right down on the
nearest chair before you read this, and
prepare to be shocked. l am going TO pc
married tonight at the Little, Church
Around the Corner. We had to do it this
way because YOU would not have consent
ed. for you never appreciated him.
[ know he hasn't any money; KNOW
he has no prospect of ever having very
much; | know he is nothing remarkable
in any way and probably never Will be.
I But ! know, too, that lone of these things
matter. for / love him. .
Pm not ungrateful for all your care of
me. and Pm very, very sorry II hurt
you by doing this. But: oh, dearest
Auntie, some time you Will understand
why / couldn't help it. OF course you
know who it is. Lovingly,
P. s. Don't bother about sending word
to Philadelphia. I've written to dad my
self.
AS. / folded the letter her favorite
remark occurred to me. All, Nancy
Welles, sometimes girls as we'll as
men were foolish!
Aunt Josephine. was wiping her
eyes with her handkerchief, and to
this day 7 remember the pattern OF
the lace edge.
az thought 1t was Mr.. Casey" she
ouavered. He came so often, aud
she liked him"
Perhaps" 1 suggested, "she has
gone home-to Philadelphia
Mrs. Robinson shook her head.
at telegraphed my brother last
night, and worded. it automatically.
7 said. "A most Objectionable charac-
ter loves Nancy. What shall do!'
1 received his answer this morning"
what did he say?"
"He said, Mr. Leigh,sLet the man
70 to the devil and send Nancy home
So I knew she wasn't there already,
and also that she has not written
My prospective father-in-law ap-
peared to be a man Of action, and
determined to avoid him for a while
If possible. Aunt Josephine was now
smiling audibly.
g.. where is She? Where is she?
And if she would go off and get mar
ried, why didn't she say whom she
was going to marry? Although" she
finished refectively, eff I had him
here this moment I think I should
kill him without waiting for my
- BROTHER
The latter clause prevented me
from putting into effect a half-formed
resolution to make a clean breast OF
the whole matter and cast myself up
on Aunt Josephine's sympathy.
When we reached the brownstone
front that had hitherto been so ire
sistible to me, I steadily declined
many invitations to enter, for in spite
of her former %belligerent attitude
Aunt Josephine now showed a dis
position to cling to me that was Hat
tering but i~nconvenient.
But I wanted to be alone. I want
ed to overcome the strange a~pprehen-
sion that overwhelmed me and set
my nerves jumping like a woman's-
to think calmly and, If possible, to
act quickly. 1t "a imperative that
something should be done, and there
seemed to be no one else to Go 1T,
since Casey was at present incapaci-
tated. Anyhow, I was sure my meth
DDS would be more eficacious than
his. and that he would some day &C
knowledge I was quite justified in
changing places with him.
AS I heard the door close I glanced
at the next house. The shades were
closely drawn and the silence that
enveloped it seemed ominous. l
thought of Miss Harriet Schuyler go
ing confidingly forth to find her
nephew and not returning. And OF
Starr--a good fellow, as we all knew,
but quick-tempered and prone to act
upon impulse; Starr, who was my
friend, and was missing.
I wondered if our rooms were
watched and thought il very probable
that they were, yet felt irresistibly
impelled to return to them. Then
I remembered that Casey was known
to be there. I was about his size,
and the dark raincoat and soft gray
hat I wore had gone out of there
that morning; why should they not
return with safety?
Sc 7 went home, trying to walk
with the careless freedom of one who
has a right to be abroad, but much
inclined to stink around corners and
evade the public eye. I had commit
ted no crime. but to be under sus-
picion and wanted at headquarters
certainly gives one a very weird and
unnatural feeling.
When l reached my own familiar
door l Elmbled at the lock. dropping
the key and starting guiltily as it
fell upon the hall floor. Once inside
1 b!eathed more freely and looked
around eagerly. Each dingy, defaced
article Of furniture seemed like a per-
sonal friend waiting to welcome me,
and even the cracked mirror on the
dresser appeared homeiike and cozy.
I dropped Imply on the bed. How
could ] ever have reviled that mat
tress as hard and lumpy? 1t was
surely made of down, and I would
rest there while / considered what
TO do.
Soon a strange lassitude overcame
me. l could see through the window
the vista OBJ chimneys and small bit
of sky with which l was 80 familiar;