Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-02-04

companion nevertheless perceived was no
precisely her own. "Dear me, no! VIII.
should be?"
81 don't know, I'm sure but still, Susy,
thought SO, because you've acted queerl!
lately"
"Acted queerly, have I, my dear?" sale
susy, laughing. "Well, now, that's odd;
didn't know it.
"Didn't know it! Why, you've been alto
gether different from your usual self you have
hardly spoken word 10 me for week"
"Oh that's because I've such lots of thing
to attend you; I've had so much sewing ane
fixing to do, helping mother Worth and Zof
with the new wardrobes. You don't come il
for that, you see."
"But before, even when you were busy, yor
always had plenty to say AMI you never KEPT
aloof from me- I really thought you must be
offended"
"Offended What nonsense! Look here
Nita, I've lost that blue gauze stuff 1 was fix
ing skirt out of; I've thrown it aside some
where, and I want it. Do look around and
rummage it up for me, will your"
Hunting for the article in question, which
was supposed to be in the depths of bag Of
odds and ends, in one of number of parcels
the untying of which and subsequent restoring
to their proper order was a matter of time
sufficiently engrossed Zanita's attention for
considerable period; but having come to the
end of her quest, and the blue gauze unex'
pectedly revealing itself in Susy's basket, she
again returned to the charge.
"Susy, you really must tell me what ails
you. Can't see that you are not like your,
self? Even now, though you laug n and talk,
you don't do it naturally, and your cheeks
burn as if you had fever"
She laid her own soft, dimpled cheek ca
ressingly against her friends hot face as she
spoke, and twined one arm about her neck
Susy struggled for moment against the en-
brace, then suddenly yielding to it, bent her
head on Zanita's shoulder and burst into tears.
"Oh! Nita," she cried passionately. "Ii
you knew how wretched I amp
"Wretched susy, dear Susy; tell me all
about it"
Susy shook her head. "I can't, Nita no.
body can ever know"
"But perhaps I might comfort you"
"No, you can't do that. Nobody can"
"Try me, dear; only try me-"
Susy raised her head, and dashed away
her tears.
"It's no use, Nita. Don't bother your head
about me. 1t don't make any difference.
Please let me alone. I'm awfully stupid to
be carrying on in this way, anyhow l don't
see how can be such fool !"
She shook Nita's hand, and turning alb.
ruptly away, resumed her work with almost
fierce energy of manner. Her friend sat 81
lent and perplexed, almost afraid to ask any
farther questions, yet longing if she could, tc
offer some comfort for this unknown grief
Susy's needle dashed in and out of her work
at lightning speed. For some moments, she
seemed completely engrossed by her occuPa'
ton, then suddenly pausing, she looked ur
and spoke again.
81 say, Nita, what an awful humbug all this
u.s."
"What?' asked Nita, startled.
"This life that we lead. Do you know, I'm
getting sick of it"
"Are you? 1 thought that you liked the
excitement"
"Oh the excitement Yes, when ones in
the humor for it, it's we'll enough to see the
crowd, and hear the music, and the applause
and all that. But wearisome enough some
times. And begin to think that it's not q
good life."
"I don't think it's wicked life, Susy."
"No, not wicked. I dare say, for the mat
ter of that, we are not worse than half the
people who come to see US perform, and maybe
not so bad as some. But / mean bad in Other
ways It's bad for the nerves, bad for the
temper-I get horribly mad sometimes, wher
things 60 wrong-and it leaves one no time
for anything else. It's a hollow, artificial
make-believelkind of an existence; all fnery
and show outside, and lots of bother and trou
BILE in reality"
81 had no idea you felt that way about it. D
"I dare say not don't show all that feel. .
"You always seemed so contented and SC
merry"
"Well, I have been merry sometimes; and
used to be contented. But lately things
seem different. have great longing for
change"
"What kind of change do you want2"
81 fancy l should like to 60 off into some
quiet place, somewhere in the country, where
there are trees, and water, and sheep and COWS
feeding out in the green fields. I'd like tc
live there all alone, away from everybody
and when died, nobody should know it, only
the birds would cover me over with leaves
like the Babes in the Wood"
"Oh! Susy."
"Fact, my dear. To tell you the truth, I'm
thinking seriously of cutting the profession
altogether"
"You don't really mean that"
"Why not?"
"You have to work for living, haven
you ?"
"Well, do you suppose that Ainging my
heels about and climbing in trapeze is thu
only sort of work I'm capable of doing
Can't sew as nicely as anybody?"
"But I've always heard that sewing wa
the hardest thing to make living by
81 don't believe it. Anyhow, coul6 try
and if it failed, why I'd get a situation some