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


"And I trust it will be the last" answered
Mrs. Mcdonald, with succinct asperity
"Think of the nature of our errand. Heaven
defend me from ever venturing out upon such
another"
A light, merry laugh was the younger Mrs
McDonalds reply to this speech.
By and by Benna returned and asked thE
ladies to walk up. They followed her dlrec
tions and were soon in the room of the or
phaned sisters.
Miriam invited them to be seated-ano
then there was pause-a hush of expecta
ton and embarrassment-au presently the
elder lady spoke
"We came upon a strange errand. MY
daughter Mrs. Irving Mcdonald, seeing
you"-nodding her head toward Lide as sht
spoke-"at the window, took fancy to hire
you for companion"
II will be good to you-very good-lf you
will only come" broke in Gertrude, rustline
her rich robes and leaning her well-formee
head, with its thick windings of braids, towarc
Lide, who sat silently regarding them. He1
face was void of all color as that of marble
statue, and her eyes, filled with unnatural
light, restlessly and dangerously wandered
hither and thither. Observing her strange
demeanor, Miriam strove to do the honors
and give her time to recall herself but Lide
did not seem to beed her. She only sat there
and stared wildly and never spoke. "lndeed
and indeed, ma'am, my sister would be more
than proud to 60 with you; and what would
you be willing to give her for her services,
said Miriam, with obsequous humility.
1.-TWO hundred dollars. I want her for
companion, more than anything else. She is
so very pretty but if she does not wish togo
of course I must abandon my desire" said
Mrs. Mcdonald, junior.
"You have grown very considerate sudden
ly," said the elder lady, aside.
Nevertheless, will secure her." replied
Gertrude, soto voce. "But I will not be
brusque about it just now"
"Your modesty astounds me-" said Mrs
Mcdonald senior, with sneer.
81 know-but it will have its effect" replied
Gertrude again "I can wait-a little while
At this instant, Lide rose and staggered
toward the door, like drunken woman hel
brain seemed on fire; she felt as if she woulo
suffocate, if she remained in the room where
her sister was about to sell her away, body
and SOUL She took few steps, then reeleo
and fell with dull, heavy thud to the floor
and lay there prone and white as a dead wo
man.
90, mother.n-law, she is dead-she il
deadw Gertrude screamed out, covering hel
face with both hands, as if to shut away tht
sight of that still awful white face.
In a moment the room was in state O.
confusion and terror. Gertrude was shrek
ing in alarm and horror, while several per
sons hastened in to the side of the PROSTATE
girl, whose head Benna Dinwiddie was thu
first to upraise.
"She isn't dead--no, she lsn't!" cried Ben
ma, ''its only dead faint Somebody-wa
ter !'' shrieked the girl, half choked with emo
ton.
"The doctor-the DOCTOR" called old Mrs
Dinwiddie, addressing nobody in particular
"fetch the doctor, he'll Dr;"s her round!"
"Come away, Gertrude" said Mrs. Nc
Donald, senior, "I'm sure she is dead, though
that girl says she is not and we had better
be going, else our presence will attract com
ment."
"Dead" !" repeated Gertrude ; "dead ane
so young and so fair! Oh! mother-in-law
could it have been her heart shocked suddenly
by our coming? She looked so Wild"
The other answered with a heart-crue
smile-"it was joy then that killed her; the
thought of getting among rich people upse
her"
Gertrude shuddered, and hastily followed
her mother-n-law from the rickety old tene
ment-house, where the fair and hapless CIR
lay lifeIess followed her away through the
sweet open air and the slvery moonlight te
her own palatial home.