Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-03-18
Au @rigiual Storg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
z A N ITA,
THE CIRCUS GIRL.
BY MRS. HENRY DEAS.
CHAPTER XXI.
FOUND AT LAST.

The dawn crept in, chill and gray, and Es-
telle, still haunted by the terror of the night
before, hovered, like an unquiet spectre, about
the scene of the late disaster, trying to find
some clue to the fate of her unrighteous pos
session, but in vain.
Heaps of broken plastering, charred frag-
ments of wood work, and shattered glass, lay
about in every direction, and the cold morn
ing air blew in through great gap in the
roof, part of which had fallen completely in.
It was a dreary spectacle enough and the
guilty girl who stood shivering there, with
pallid face and deep, dark circles around her
heavy eyes, her long hair hanging disordered
about her shoulders, looked not unfit to be its
presiding genius at that moment.
Lord sake, Miss Estelle!" cried Delia's
shrill voice, making her start and tremble
with sudden apprehension, as though it were
some avenging spirits summons, "what on
earth is you doin' here? I thought you was
safe in bed. Missus sent me to see after you,
and to tell you you'd better not get up if you
was very tired. She's better this morning, and
don't need you"
"I couldn't stay in bed any longer" said
Estele, forcing SMILE 81 had bad dreams,
and they woke me up. Doesn't the place
look forlorn?'
"Don't talk" CALCULATED Della, lifting her
hands and eyes in a melodramatic manner.
"What IL master say when he comes home ?
And so many Of your nice, pretty things des-
troyed, too Aint it shame?"
81 wonder how the fire began ?" said Estelle.
"Ah it's mystery, ma 'am-that's what it
is. Unless you had left candle burning,
and forgot it, when you went down stairs"
"No, am sure left no light here then"
"Or q spark of fire, maybe, from the Chin
bly,. However, the evils done, and it don't
do no good to make surmses about it, l sup
pose. Look here, Miss Estele, here's some
pieces of your desk-your beautiful desk that
YOU was so careful about, all broken to little
bits!'
With slight cry, Estelle sprang forward.
Her heart beat violently as she picked up the
. well-known mahogany fragments, and search
ed eagerly, with strained eyes and hurrylng
trembling hands, amid the debris on that por,
ton of the floor for some traces of the contents
of the desk, which had probably been broken
in falling from the shelf on which she had
kept it, Just within closet in her room. But
no papers were to be seen. Only little car
nelian ring, trifing memento of her childish
days, which had for years past been tossing
carelessly about among the more valuable ar
ticles, unnoticed and uncared for, was discov
cred, quite uninjured, beneath lump of yell
low mortar, and angrily tossed aside by the
disappointed seeker.
Gail lost-all burnt ~ she exclaimed as she
rose from her STOPPING posture. Don't you
think so, Della ?"
"What, madam ?"
"My letters and papers-tbose that were in
the desk. They must be all destroyed"
"Oh! we'll, may be some Of them might be
safe," said Della, in consolatory tone. "Mr
Maxwell was here while the fire was going on
and 1 believe he picked up lot of things
that were lying round. If he's got 'em, you
know they are SAFE"
"Papers and such things?" asked Estelle
turning faint with freshly awakened fear.
II think so, ma'am; amt sure Bu
Lord, Miss Estelle, wouldn't stay in this
awful cold place any longer now, if was you
90 back to your warm bed again and take 6
good sleep. 'Taint no use bothering ane
fretting any more about it. What's done can
be undone, and you can't mend the mischie
by looking at it. You look real bad-just al
white as sheet"
"Tll 60 directly. You had better not stay
away any longer from mother, Della she may
be wanting you"
"I'm going back to her this minuit. II
freeze, if I stop here much longer, I expect
I've got neuralgy in my face, too, this NOR
ming"
Left alone, Estelle again prosecuted he
search, but with no more success thai before
And she at last came t. T." >"...luslon tina
the will, among other papers, must have beer
destroyed 1t was not likely that it could hav
escaped.
"Wel" she said, standing upright, will
glittering eyes and flushing cheeks, eff that
the case, Fate has done for me what woul'
not do for myself. and set the matter at res
forever. So be it! 1t is out Of my hand
now. l will have to bear the responsibility Q
it no more"
With feeling more akin to relief than sh
had yet experienced, she turned away an
slowly retraced her steps to the chamber whlc
had been temporarily arranged for her to of
cupy. TO reach this, she had to pass roun
through a little porch at the side of the house
on account of the usual way being obstructed
and as she did so, she was startled by an III