Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-02-06

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been turned into mince-pie," suavely re-
sponded Auguste. "That is to say" he added,
"such would have been the fate Of my body /;
of the more ethereal part of my composition
1 do not speak, since I cannot know with any
certainty what would have become of that
But seriously, are you not rejoiced to see me
again ?"
"You gave me dreadful shock" said Mrs.
Ford, evading the question.
"The expression is scarcely complimentary,
my love; but forgive it in consideration of
the peculiar circumstances under which we
meet. This rencontre is to me, at least, high
ly gratifying. But can you not find more
retired spot than this, where we may converse
without fear of interruption? 1 have so
many things to say to you"
II don't know-I feel all in maze" said
the house-keeper, whose face wore a most pit
eous and perplexed expression, contrasting
strongly with its usual imperturbabillty. Il
have no time to spare now-I am obliged to
20 back into the house directly; I expect the
family back every minute" she added, CLAN
cling in the direction of the carriage-road as
she spoke, in hopes she might espy some signs
of the returning equipage from afar.
"The family! Mr.. Alfred Stanley has
family, then ?" inquired the man.
eyes. How did you know this was his
nlace ? who directed YOU here how did you
know was here at all, in fact?"
"Three questions in breath 4! My love,
YOU are too voluble.. I must answer them
separately.
"In the first place, learned that Mr.. AL
fred Stanley had purchased an estate ia the
upper part of South Carolina, and that the
name Of the said estate was Mossgrove.
"In the second place, on my arrival in this
vicinity, I enquired, at neighboring planta-
ton, the way to Mossgrove, and was directed
by sable son of Africa, who put me in the
way of finding it without any difficulty.
"In the third place, which, permit me to
remark, should be the first, according to the
right order of things, learned your present
occupation and whereabouts with infinite diff
fculty, and by various and complicated means,
which I shall relate to you at length when 1
have more convenient opportunity than at
present. On this discovery hung all my in
terest in the other two discoveries, for had |
not heard that you were an inmate of Mr..
Alfred Stanley's establishment, the said estab-
lishment, for all I cared about it, might have
been situated on the extreme confines OF the
African desert, and the knowledge would
have given me no concern"
"Well, I confess it is all mystery to me"
said Mrs. Ford, who hal listened with ill.dis-
guised impatience to this lengthy harangue.
'The last I heard of you, you were killed by
the bushmen in Australia, four years ago."
"And was your heart torn with grief at the
intelligence" ?" inquired Monsieur Auguste, in
a sentimental tone.
At this moment to the housekeepcr's i'm.
mense relief, she caught a glimpse of the car
riage at a distance.
"There they come now," she hastily ex-
claimed. "Auguste, you must go-I will see
YOU another time, tomorrow; if you will Do
you hear? Go, go!' and she pushed him as
she spoke.
"Parbleu! You don't use much ceremo-
n.y." said the man, little brusquely. "Why
should you be in such a devil Of hurry to
send me off? I am not ashamed of being
seen."
"But YOU must not be seen here-at least
not now," said the house-keeper, urgently.
"Go, Auguste, and will see you tomorrow,
and give you private interview, on my word
of honor"
"Where, and at what hour?"
Mrs. Ford reflected a moment.
"You know the back road that leads along
behind that fence?" she said at length, point
ing toward the rear of the shrubbery.
"Yes-or I can find it, which is the same
thing"
"There is gate there, behind those trees
Be at that gate at eleven o'clock, and Iii
meet you there and bring you to some place
where we will be in no fear of interruption"
81 obey your commands You won't fail
meW
"No, won't. Go, now; see how near the
carriage isl!
81 co." said Monsieur Auguste, theatrical
ly. "Alas! cruel one, that you should drive
me from your presence !-adieu, or rather au
reuoir-I languish until the morrow comes. J"
With this parting flourish, Mrs. Ford's un-
welcome visitor, to that lady's great relief,
took his leave. She fingered moment to
watch him as he glided swiftly away in the
direction of the back gate, and when he had
disappeared, reentered the house, with the
look ofperturbation his presence had awaken
ed still resting on her face
She was just in time to escape observation
from the occupants of the carriage, which
drove up to the door few minutes later.
Monsieur Leroy-for my readers will have
had no difficulty in divining that it was he
after making his exit by the back gate, walked
leisurely off with his hands in his pockets,
whistliug softly to himself, as with eyes bent
on the ground he pursued his meditations,
somewhat in the following manner.
"By Jove how startled the old girl was to
see me. She looked as ifshe took me for ghost
or something worse lam afraid she wouldn't
have been quite SO prompt in coming to my
relief, if she had known it was I. (What
cursed dog that is! feel his teeth in my leg
yet luckily it wasn't very vulnerable part
l thought at first, though, that ne had cracked