Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-01-07
CHAPTER w.
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

1t was bright, cold winters day. The
sunshine lit up, with its cheerful glow, the
white walls of the house at "The Cedars," Mr..
Blandford's pleasant country home, and
streamed in upon the bright carpets through
the windows, freely opened to admitit Some
housekeepers would have shrunk from admit
ting its CHEEKY presence in such close juxtapo-
sition to those painted roses and forget-me-
nots, to the soft crimson curtains, and the
polished, old-fashioned furniture of the front
parlors; but little Mrs. Blandford dearly
loved the sunshine, and let it come in whenev-
er it would. None of the household belong
ings were considered fine enough or precious
enough to be taken extra care Of All were
pretty, comfortable, and appropriate, but ev-
erything bore marks of the "use which is not
abuse" There was no stiff company-room
with chairs and sofas swathed in ghostly
Holl and, from which the children's merry
faces and voices were perpetually banished,
and where ordinary domestic occupations
dared not intrude themselves The signs Of a
cheerful presence fingered everywhere, in the
often-read books, the stray bit of work or un-
finished drawing, the freshly cut flowers, the
open piano, the chair or footstool pushed a
little out of its place; yet there was no disas-
ter, no dust, no untidy litter to offend the
most fastidious eye. People said the Bland
fords' house was one of the incest and most
attractive in the neighborhood; yet it was a
very unpretending house, simplein its archi.
lecture, and by no means extensive, for Mr..
Blandford, though comfortably off, was not
rich like his brother, and could by no means
have afforded to set up and maintain grand
establishment like "Silverlake" Mr.. Richards
place. even had his inclination prompted him
so to do.
Fortunately, both his wife and himself, were
of unambitious tastes, and we're quite satisfied
TO live in modest style. They had a suffi-
cheney of the comforts of life, and enjoyed
them thoroughly, without enjoying the expen-
sive luxuries which were beyond their reach.
1t never occurred to Mrs. Blandford to feel a
pang of discomfort because she had but one
nice carriage to ride in, instead Of half a
dozen equpages of differentsizes and patterns,
or to wish for three new silk dresses at a time
instead of one; and Mr.. Blandford was quite
satisfied with his sleek pair Of carriage.horses
and his one handsome hunter, and did not
covet his neighbor, Mr.. Smiths, fine stud,
which it cost small fortune to maintain.
And yet he was generous to fault and would
lavish his money freely to give others pleas
ure. Many were the fine clothes and ex-
pensive ornaments which he would have be-
slowed upon his wife, if she had not had the
good sense to decline them in favor of more
useful articles AS to Carries dolls and toys,
the amount they cost Mrs. Blandford declar-
ed, was equal to the housekeeping bills; but
this was an excusable weakness on his part.
True to her promise, Carrie shared these,
without stint or thought of herself, with her
new companion for in respect Of giving she
was her fathers true child. Thus Estelle
had not been installed two days in her new
home before she could boast Of as many pos
sessions as Carrie herself and it was observa'
BILE, that when they were playing together,
she always kept her own things exclu-
sively for her own use, while those which her
little playfellow retained were equally at the
disposal of them both AS to the large doll
Mr.. Blandford had given her in New York,
she would not let Carrie so much as touch it,
because, as she said, she was "too little, and
nlSnI uulI ~ anu Soou-teilPeieu N"i ~
turned resignedy to her own favorite big
cloth baby, though not without a little mild
wonder at the unusual circumstance of any
thing that she wished for being denied her..
1t soon became apparent indeed, that the
two children were quite different in disposl-
ton. Estelle had always watchful eye to
her own interests, and a strong objection to
the least infringement on what she considered
her rights; and her first shyness having worn
off, it was marvellous to see how quickly and
easily these supposed rights were established,
and how entirely she managed to adapt her.
self to her new position-assuming, without
difficulty, the character of a child Of the
house, and elder sister to Carrie, over whom
she began, ere long, to exercise a species Of
small tyranny, which she had the tact, how
ever, carefully to keep from the observation
of the grown folks To Mr.. and Mrs. Bland
ford she appeared merely as clever, some
what forward, but, by no means, unamiable
child, whose little imperfections were doubt
less, in a great measure, the effect of faulty
training, and could be easily eradicated by a
few months of judicious management and
care.