Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-04-15

| hood, she renamed sllenC, surviving, ny VIZ
lent effort, to suppress the agitation that
would gladly have found vent in burst OF
tears. One better skilled than herself in the
art of evasion, could have readily found some
egress from the difficulty, but she was toe
truthful and unsophisticated to be able to do
80.
ut is plain to me-" said Mrs. Broderick, in
severe tone, "that you have desired to de-
ceive me. What your motives may be for
doing so cannot conjecture, though | am
willing to believe that they must be weighty
ones. see however, that you are not an
adept at prevarications and it may be we'll for
you, in this instance, that you are not. Alice
Lynn, your name is not an unfamiliar to me
have often heard it before"
Alice gave her look finquiry-surprise,
| for the moment, almost overcoming her en-
barrassment.
"Your family history" continued Mrs.
Broderick, sis one with which I am perfectly
we'll acquainted. Your mothers maiden
name was Alice Marion Fielding your faith:
ers Ernest Lynn, and they were married
when your mother was eighteen, against the
wishes of her parents and family. You are,
I believe, their only child"
More and more surprised, Alice murmured
an assent to this statement.
"You will not WONDER" pursued her com.
panion, "that am so familiar with your his
tory, when 1 inform you that l am near rel
ative of your own. My maiden name was
Chester; my father was your mothers half:
brother and I am, consequently, your half
first cousin. My brother, Raphael Chester,
and myself, are the sole living representatives
of our branch of the family"
Alice knew that she had, or had once had,
a grandfather Chester, who had been vaguely
associated in her mind with an image of some
thing stern and terrible. Other relatives OF
the name she supposed existed, but it was 80
long since even the scanty portion OF her fam
ily history with which she had been acquaint-
ed had found any place in her thoughts, that
this revival of it came upon her as new and
startling revelation, bringing back ideas and
associations so long buried in oblivion that
they rose before her now like the shadows OF
dream.
"Ycu have heard, I suppose, something OF
your mothers family?" pursued Mrs. Brod-
erick. "She did not keep you in total igno.
rance of everything concerning then?"
"It is so long ago." faltered Alice, "and l
was so young, that have but an indstnct
recollection of anything she may have told
me on the subject. I knew, of course, what
had been her name; and 1 believed at the
time of her death that her parents were alive.
But there seemed, from some cause, to have
been an estrangement between herself and
them, and my mother appeared always to feel
so much pain when she alluded to it, that |
never asked questions concerning matter
which 1 felt mparatively little interest in:
You know" she added apologetically, II had
never seen my grandparents, or any of the
family"
"Very true; but do you know on what &C.
count this estrangement took place?
81 believe it related in some way to my
father" said Alice in reluctant tone. Her
mother had taught her to hold the memory
of her dead father as dear and sacred thing,
and she could not bear to have his name
brought into question now by one Of the very
family who she felt sure held it in ill'favor.
ut related altogether to him. Your father
was your mothers inferior in station, IN for
tune, in everything; he was the son of an OBJ
scure mechanic, while the Chesters had for
generations occupied high and honorable
position in the State. Your grandfather bit
terly opposed the match, but she was self
willed creature and persisted in having her
own way, and as he positively refused his
sanction, what should she do but run away
with the unworthy object of her choice"
"Stop," said Alice, with crimson cheeks /;
"whatever else my father may have been, he
was not unvorthy of my mothers love; for
one as good and pure as she was could not
have loved an unworthy object"
81 can't say much about him" said Mrs.
Broderick, coldly. "After the marriage there
was no intercourse between the families. Y our
grandfather would have forgiven your moth
er, for he was foolishy fond Of her, and blind
to her defects but she was too high and in
dependent to seek a reconciliation, and pre-
ferred starving among her husbands beggarly
relatives to returning to the home where she
could have lived in ease and comfort. What
year was it she died in ?"
Alice, with difficulty, named the year.
$50 long as that, was it? And where have
you been all this time?"
Staying at my uncle's, Mr.. Fielding's."
"Your mothers halfbrother. What have
you left there for p
Alice replied that she was going for short
time, to -, naming the place she had fixed
on for her destination. Farther than this she
was resolved not to divulge, and though Mrs.
Broderick asked her many questions concern
ing her plans and prospects, she succeeded in
giving such short and evasive answers as to
afford little satisfaction to her questioner,
who presently gathered up her work and left
the room.
After the lapse of another day, during
which no farther conversation of special i'm.
port passed between her hostess and herself,
Alice feeling her strength tolerably well re-
stored, announced her intention of proceeding
on her journey, on the following morning.
To this announcement Mrs. Broderick made
no direct answer, but told Alice that her
brother had expressed wish to see her, and
asked her if it would suit her to have him to
come to her room now. Alice assented not
feeling any particular pleasure in the antici-
patton of an introduction to the brother, if he,
in any way, resembed his sister.
Mr.. Raphael Chester presently appeared
a pale, sickly-looking individual, with stoop'
ing shoulders, and a nervous, hesitating man
ner. He had rather long hair parted in the
middle, and large, intensely black eyes, like
his sisters Like her, too, he had the habit Of
fixing them, when speaking, in a concentrated
stare on his listeners face, which was both un
pleasant and embarrassing. Alice bowed tc
him when he was presented to her, but he of:
fered her his hand, which she could not refuse
to take saying as he did So
"My dear cousin, l am most happy to have
the opportunity of welcoming you to ourpool
! mansion"