Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-10-21
have some motive outside Of the mere dread

OF dspleaslng her, TO make neE 30 auAious W
keep my aunt from discovering the state of
affairs.
you'll be discreet, like good girl, won't
YOU ?" said Ellen, coaxingly, at length, as l
kept silent. 1t was quite new tone tor her
to adopt toward me, and read in it the in
dication of special anxiety.
"Oh don't want to talk about your at:
fairs, Nelly, of course" rejoined. "You
must settle them your own way !; only 1t seems
q pity that aunt Mabel should not know"
"I'll put that all right afterwards; never
fear. And now don't let US talk any more
about this silly business it IS silly, own,
for more reasons than one; and please to lay
aside your stiff manner to me, and be your
own self again"
There the matter dropped for the present;
but observed thenceforth desire on Ellen's
part to propitate me in various ways, as though
anxious to secure my favor. Of course, hav-
ing agreed to say nothing on the subject, l
carefully refrained from letting even hint
to aunt Mabel escape me but disliked the
position in which was placed, and heartily
wished that my own suspicious had never
been aroused. I now saw less OF Stephen
Holcombe than ever; and in the round OF
gayety which thickened as the season pro-
gressed, had enough to engross my mind to
Danish by degrees all uncomfortable thoughts.
I had my fill of dancing, of beaux, and Of
flirting-for in spite of papa's warning, Il could
not see that there was anything reprehensible
in partaking modesty of the latter amuse-
ment, in purely innocent way. 1t was my
first real taste of society, and l enjoyed it
thoroughly, and felt no anxiety for the ap.,
proach of the time when we should be obliged
to return home.
That tine, however, was rapidly drawing
near; it was now the third week in August,
and aunt Mabel had made arrangements to
leave on the first Of the ensuing month.
One evening, after had been short time
in the dancing room, headache came on,
and finding it impossible to amuse myself any
longer, whispered word in my aunts ear,
and slipped away from the noise and glare to
to the refreshing quiet and solitude of my
own room. undressed and got into bed, but
the recumbent position seemed to make my
head worse, and after courting sleep tor some
time in vain, | rose, and, throwing light
shawl around me, sat down near the open
window. 1t was sultry night, and | was
glad of the soft breeze that stole in and
breathed upon my forehead, like the touch OF
a cool hand.
Presently the sound of voices fell on my
ear, and in the uncertain, halfveiled light Of
the moon, I saw two figures slowly approach
ing, along path in the rear of the house:
"Theres a filtration" soliloquized. "Who
can thew be- I wonder?"
Keeping myself behind the screen of the
window curtain, looked out, idly curious to
discover the identity of the romantic pair
The gentleman was dressed in black and the
lady in white, and the latter had scarf over
her head and shoulders, the color of which
was quite undistinguishable in the faint
moonlight. After watching them for min
ute or two, I gave up the idea of finding out
who they were, and drew back, thinking that
it was growing cooler and that l would pres
emily have to put down the sash. AS l was
about to do so, however, the voices coming
directly below, grew quite distinct, and i'm
mediately recognized them as belonging to
Stephen Holcombe and Ellen. The latter
spoke the first audible words.
II should hate to have you 60, Stephen,
without telling her."
"My dear Nelly, haven't given you my
reasons for keeping silence just for a short
time longer? Were they not satisfactory
ones"
perhaps so-but still"
"But still they do not satisfy you. What
persistent young woman you are!'
Persistent young woman! What an epithet
to bestow upon ones lad dy-love! 1t was GER
tainly more familiar than polite. Ellen, how
ever, did not appear to resent it,
"You see" she responded, Il have my rea-
sons for urging my request, which think are
quite as weighty as yours. In the first place,
Rosamond suspects"
At the sound of my own name | started, IN
tie guilty consciousness that l was playing
eavesdropper. I had no right to listen to
their private conversation and quickly and
noiselessly closing the window, | again sought
my bed, and before long was sound asleep.
Thank heaven, was my last distinct waking
thought, have no secrets on my mind.
The next day noticed that Ellen looked
thoughtful and little disturbed, and had no
difficulty in tracing the cause of these symp-
toms to the interview of the previous night.
Soon after we had finished luncheon, she
came to me and asked me to 60 with her into
my godmother's room. "The truth is, l want
you to support me-" she said with a little
laugh 81 have confession to make to mann
ma, and l don't know exactly how she will
receive it..
"Is it about Stephen Holcombe p l asked.
"About Stephen Holcombe, my dear"
"Are you engaged to him, Nelly?"
"Yes, 1 am engaged to him"
1 said no more, but picked up book and
followed her at once into my aunt's apart
ment To my surprise, Ellen calmly com.
menced talking on some indifferent subject,
as if there were no such person as her atti-
anced lover in existence. By degrees, how
ever, she dexterously brought the conversa'
tion to bear upon him, in the following manner.
"How many people are leaving the Springs
already, mamma. l suppose by the time we
20 there will be scarcely any one left"
"Oh don't know about that, DEAR" said
aunt Mabel. "Others will still be dropping
in for little while longer, on their way from
the other places around here Is any one
that we know going off to-day"
Eyes, the Mortons are going, and to.mor'
row the Eldrldge tribe follow suit. Ano Mr
Holcombe is going too"
"Is he p said my aunt indifferently.
"Yes. And he wanted to see you, mamma
before he left, but there was no time; he has
to Join one of his friends this afternoon, at
some place few miles from here, and so
told him it would do as we'll when we got thome
he is coming then to pay short visit to his
brothers family"
"To see mel" said aunt Mabel. "What