Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-08
CHAPTER VIII.

There had been half dozen days and
nights of ofbanqueting and gaming. Irving Nc
Donald, as usual, played high and honestly,
and lost immense sums of money. The night
of which we take note, surpassed, in splendor
and munifcence, all that had preceded it.
Every distinguished man and woman for fifty
miles around Bristol had been invited.
There was music and dancing, and wine
and gaming; splendid men and fair women
and twinkling feet were going here, there and
everywhere. Such an array of sparkling
jewels and emeralds, rubies and pearls, neck
laces, tiaras and bracelets rich laces, shim-
mering robes and beautiful faces, had never
been seen in that State.
In the depths. of Gertrudes heart doubt
had been growing like miserable fungi, day
by day. Her mother-in-law was full of mys-
terious mods and hints, and she had gradually
filled Gertrude with vague suspicious of her
husband, until the young wife began to notice,
with pain, that his treatment toward her was
becoming noticeable for coldness and neglect
alone. And yet only few weeks had passed
since he was more like lover than a hus-
band What had wrought the change? This
sumptuously splendid feasting was plunging
him into sea of the widest extravaganza.
She felt confident of it, and it was becoming
source of sorrow and alarm to her.
He lived in a style Of luxury and bound
less prodigalty, which could not have been
exceled had he been emperor of the world.
But, apparently, his wealth did not diminish
in the slightest degree. He still scattered his
gold in profusion, like the constant flow of
river whose source never dries Everybody
envied the man the possession of his mex
haustible riches, for they procured him all
life's delights, the chiefest Of which was ex-
cessive gaming. This habit appeared to at!
ford him the greatest pleasure, and yet his
purse was ever open, paying his losses-and
he almost always lost. Consequently, his sa-
Ions were always crowded. 1t absolutely
seemed to afford him as much, and more de-
light to lose, than it did to win.
Among the many who thronged around
the tables in the Mcdonald mansion, was a
certain Colonel Vaughn Fessenden, retired
officer of the regular army. He had lived
almost all the years of his life on the frontiers
and now that he had taken position on the
retired list, he carried with him into the pol
ished and refined circles of modern society,al
the brusquerie and crudeness of army life.
He was rough old soldier, whose features
had been beaten by the winds of sixty winters,
and wore always sullcn and naughty ex-
preston. 10 this man Irving Mcdonald lost
terribly large sums of money. Indeed, it was
said that Mcdonald frequently would throw
the game in Fessenden's hands and count out
bank bill after bank bill, and gold piece after
gold piece, seeming to feel infinite relief in
parting from his money.
"What is the matter with you, Gertrude ?"
asked old Mrs. Mcdonald, one day, when she,
Gertrude and Lide, all sat together in the
room of the latter person, who had become
household favorite, and whose position among
them belied the mother-in-laws prophecy and
the infamous sisters hopes
"Why do you sigh so deeply?" persisted
the importunate qucstioner, who would not
be deceived.
Gertrude's sweet face bore traces of intense
mental anxiety and disturbance; but what
ever annoyed her, she exhibited no inclination |