Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1919-10-11
CHAPTER xx-Contsnued.

''''l Tvs ''NI''tN ai inc door 'IilI I'
heard the waiter gathering down the
stairway, and then wen. swiftly down
the hall to No. 3d. Mr.. Tru~~or WAS
sleeping just as SuuuI'y and as re-
soundiugIy as ut midnight,
by CAD" he mu,tcrpd, haIf-aLoud.
Everything was ~ rIpar.a~ day 10 him
now. Boiling into his own room. ne
closed the door and stood >tpcksfiU
for many minutes trying 20 picture
the scene in The cottage.
He found a letter i'm his box when
he went downstairs, after ~tufling the
tin box deep into his pocket Before
ne slit the envelope he knew that
Sprouse was the writer. The message
was brief:
After due consideration. | feel that
II would be a mistake for you to ahun-
don your present duties AT this time.
1t might be misunderstood Stick to
the company until something better
turns up. With this thought in view
withdraw the two days limit men
toned recently to you, and extend the
time to one week. Yours very truly,
81. H. WILSON"
Cad. the fellow thinks of every
thing" said Barnes to himself "IIe
is positively uncanny."
He read between the lines. and saw
there IA distinct warning. II had not
occurred to him that his plan to leave
for New York that day with Miss Cam
erOn might be attended by disastrous
results.
But the jewels? What of them? He
could not 20 gallivanting about the
country with a half million dollars
worth of precious stones in his posses
sion
He spent the early part of the fore
noon in wandering nervously about /
the hotel-upStairs and down. The
Jewels were locked in his pack up
stairs. He went up to his room half /
dozen times and almost instantly f.
walked down again, after satisfying !
himself that the pack had not been
rified.
For the next three days and nights
rehearsalS were in full swing, with
scarcely a moments let-up And so
the time crept by, up to the night of
the performance. Miss Cameron re-
Iaained in ignorance of the close prox-
Of the jewels, and the police of
Crowndale remained in even denser |
ignorance as TO the whereabouts of |
the man who robbed Mr.. Hasselwein |
of all his spare cash and an excellent |
gold watch.
No time was lost by the countess in |
getting word to her compatriots in |
New York. Barnes posted dozen let |
tiers for her; each contained the It'd |
ipgs of her safety and the assurance |
that she would soon follow in person. |
Those three days and nights were
full of joy and enchantment for
Barnes. He actually debased himself
by wishing that the Rushcroft COM
pany might find it imperative to go on
rehearsing for weeks In that dim, en-
chanted temple.
He sat for hours In one of the most
uncomfortable seats he had ever
known, devouring with hungry eyes
TO his Own-and never tired
On the afternoon of the dress re-
hearsal he led her, after an hour of |
almost inSupportable repression, to
the rear of the auditorium. Dropping |
into the seat beside her he blurted !
out, almost in anguish:
81 can't stand it any lnger. / can
not be near you withOut-why, IL
well, II Is more than | can struggle |
against. that's all. You've either got |
to send me away altogether Or-or-
let me love you without restraint !
tell you l can't go on as l am now. |
You know | love you, don't you? You |
know l worship you. Don't be fright |
ened. l just had to tell you today. |
| should have gone mad if | had tried |
to keep it up any longer" He waited |
breathlessly for her TO speak She sat |
silent and rigid. looking straight be-
fore her. rs it hOpeless?" he went |
on at last, husSily. "Must l ask your
forgiveness for my presumption and
and go away from yOu?"
She turned TO him and laid her hand |
upon his arm.
Am l not like other women? Why |
should l forgive you for loving me? |
Doesn't every woman want to be |
loved? No, no, my frieDAl Wait! |
a moment ago l was so weak and |
trembly that l thought I-oh, l was |
afraid for myself. Now l am quite |
calm and sensible. See how well I |
have myself in hand? l do not |
tremble. l am strong. We may now |
discuss ourselves calmly. sensibly. |
Oh What are you dOing?"
II too am strong" he whispered. 81
am sure of my ground now, and l am |
not afraid"
He had claSped the hand that rest
ed on his sleeve and, as he pressed II .
20 his heart, his other arm stole over
her shoulders and drew her close TO |
his triumphant body. For an instant !
she resisted, and then relaxed into |
complete submission. Her head sank !
upon his shoulder.
"Oh!" she sighed, and there was
wonder, jOy-even pefplexity, in the
tremulous sigh of capitulation. "Oh."
came softly from her parted lips again
at the end of the first long. passionate
kiss.
CHAPTER XXI.