The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-05-05
CHAPTER x.
The Stonind.

Never before since he had taken up
his work Of redemption had Philip
MacCauley found the hours so long
and so difficult to live through. Day
after day he canoed to the place Tony
had promised to meet him, only to re-
turn to Ithaca more at sea than ever.
He had the sickening idea that the
girl he had grown to love was again
in the clutches of her brute Of IA
ther and Reginald Brown.
Tony, too, began to lose the high
spirits that had returned almost I'M
mediately after her escape from the
canal boat. The gray eyes grew dark
ly circled, the lovely mouth seemed to
have lost the power to smile.
Paul Pendlehaven noted all this with
apprehension. He questioned the girl
time after time, asking her if she felt
we'll, if there was anything she wanted,
but she always replied in the negative.
One day after they had had their
dinner, he sat looking at her curiously.
She was close to the window reading
book. when he caused her to look up
by calling her name.
"Run downstairs. Tony DEAR" he
went on, "and tell my brother to come
up here before office hours, will you,
honey"
The girl rose, laying aside her book.
She dreaded venturing into Mrs. Cur
It's presence and shivered when she
remembered the critical Katherine who
looked her over with supercilious tole-
ration whenever they happened to
meet. But she made no complaint and
went slowly downstairs.
The dining room door was closed, but
the sound of voices from within told
her the family was at dinner. She
opened the door slowly and stepped
inside. For one moment her vision
was obscured by the fright that sud-
denly took possession Of her. AS the
blur cleared from her eyes, she saw
John Pendlehaven smiling at her. Then
q sharp ejaculation from some one else
swung her gaze from the doctors face,
and it settled on-PhiIip MacCauley.
She went extremely pale and put out
her hand to grasp something for sup
port as if she were going to fall. She
saw him rise up slowly, an expression
of amazement and relief going across
his face. She smiled, but what weary
little smile it was and how full OF
pleading, as if she were silently beg
ging him to forgive her for some deed
she'd DONE
John Pendlehaven gazed at the two
young people, and then he too got to
his feet.
"Philip," he said abruptly, "this is
Tonnibel Devon. She's PauPs COM
panion. We have"
Philip interrupted the speaker by
his sudden bound around the table.
stony Devon, little Tony" he cried.
81 thought, oh, I thought you were
dead. I thought I'd lost you forever"
A noise fell from Katherine's lips,
and Mrs Curtis stumbled to her feet.
$50 you know her too, Philip" she
snarled with a hasty glance at her
pallid daughter. 81 thought we'd kept
her we'll out of your way. So you've
played the sneak while eating bread and
butter in my house, miss" she ,blurted
at Tony. "Well, it's what one might
have expected Of you-you huzzy."
"Motherw gasped Katherine, as Ton
nibel snatched her hands from Philip.
"Kathie, you needn't mother me-"
cried Mrs. Curtis, blind with rage.
EITHER she goes away or I do. I won't
stay in the house with a common
sneak-a common"
Sarah, sit down." thundered John
Pendlehaven. "Don't speak another
such word or"
Tony was at the doctors side be-
fore he could finish MS threat.
81 didn't sneak" she said, looking up
at him. ooh, please-please believe
me-"
''That she didn't" cried Philip, COM
ing to her side. "Cousin John, I've
known Tony Devon ages, and I didn't
even know she was in this house." He
turned his flashing eyes upon Mrs. Cur
tis, who was weeping Historically.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself,
Cousin Sarah," he went on, ito use
such language to perfectly nice little
girl. Why, you've just about broken
her heart"
His voice had sunk to a passionate
whisper. His eyes msted in youthful
struggle to control his Joy, and-and
at the sight of him, Katherine lost her
wits entirely.
"Who and what have we been har-
boring in this house, Cousin JOhn?'
she shrieled in high thin voice, strug-
Cling to her feet. "A gutter rat, lit
tie snake, a loose girl"
Each word, brought out with greater
vehC~lr',.e and passion than the one
before. struck the listeners dumb. II
shame faced misery. Tonnibel sank "a