Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-12-02
gu 0rigimal Storg.
SLEEPY HOLLOW.
CHAPTER XVI.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
AN ENCOUNTER IN THE WOODS.

CHAPTER XVI.
AN ENCOUNTER IN THE WOODS.
Ellen went home, and her departure wa!
relief both to Arthur and to me.
Everything went on smoothly now tol
some time. I remembered the promise I had
made, and tried faithfully to keep it. l took
no farther notice of my husbands regular alb
sences from the house, and when be was al
home made everything as cheerful and pleas
ant for him as could. Under the influence
of this change, his own spirits frightened
he threw off the gravity and melancholy
which had hitherto not unfrequently possessed
him, and appeared buoyant and happy in my
society, while he strove to show, by added ten
derness and indulgence, his appreciation OF
my efforts to comply with his wishes.
In truth, but for the one drawback which
existed to my perfect happiness, would have
had not the slight reason to quarrel with my
fate I was united to man who possessed
sterling nobility of character, and all the
virtues which win reverence and esteem, and
who loved me- as fondly as could desire. He
was constantly devising new pleasures, new
indulgencies, to crafty me, and left nothing
undone which could contribute to my comfort
and contentment. My home was an Eden,
into which the "serpent's trail" indeed had
crept, but where it was rarely discovered amid
the foliage and blossoms and fruits which
we're heaped around it with lavish hand.
The news from home. too, had been lately
of much more cheering character. My IA
ther, during slight indisPosition from which
he had suffered, had permitted aunt Mabel to
20 and nurse him, and finding much satisfac-
ton in her society, had requested her to re-
main permanently in his house. She had &C.
cordingly broken up her own lonely estab'
lishment, disposing of such of her goods and
chattels as she could not bring with her, and
renting her house to friend and gladly &C.
cepted her brothers invitation to pass the
rest of her days as his companion, and the
supervisor of his domestic affairs. This piece
of intelligence lightened my heart of load
which, in spite Of my efforts, had often op-
pressed it. | was truly thankful to think that
my dear father had taken this step, which had
always appeared to me such a desirable one,
and it was the greatest comfort to know that
my godmother, with her warm heart and
cheerful, genial disposition, would create sun
shine around him, and dispel, by her loving
efforts, the morbid and unhealthy feelings in
which he had INDUCED slice left him. He
wrote to me sometimes, though not very fire.
quently, for he was not fond of writing, leav-
ing most of the correspondence to my aunt.
His letters were always afectionate and kind,
though not as ardent as mine, which / dis
patched to him regularly once a week.
There was not very much intercourse be-
tween the Holcombes and ourselves and
more than a month had elapsed without my
CHANGING to meet Stephen, when one evening,
in the early part of April, as l was coming
home from ramble in the woods quite near
our place, encountered him unexpectedly at
q turn in the road.
"Alone, Mrs. Wardlaw?'' he said. as he
Joined me- "That is unusual, is it not?"
"It is quite unusual for me to walk alone" )"
Ireioined, "but DR.. Wardlaw is writing some
business letters, and l had little headache
and thought the air would refresh me-"
"You are pale" he remarked with sym
pathetic look. "You are not looking as bright
and blooming as you did formerly. Excuse
me for what may perhaps seem somewhat
intrusive remark, but do you know, l think,
you are too much alone-too much shut up in
that quiet nome OF yours
"You are quite mistaken" replied, coldly.
II am by no means solitary. You forget that
l am quite accustomed to being the only lady
in the house"
eyes, but at home, you know-your former
home, 1 meant was so different. There
you had so many friends and companions
within reach, whom you could see whenever
you pleased while here, there is no one, ex-
cept my wife-and you don't see great deal
of her. 1 wish you would come oftener to
Lilybank."
"Thank you, come as often as itsuits me, !"
said !, still with extreme coldness.
II sometimes fear" he continued, after a
short silence, during which he walked at my
side, idly switching off the heads Of the weeds
and grass with little cane he carried, "that
I am the cause of your visiting our house so
seldom"
"Why should you suppose so?" I asked.
"Because am quite aware that I am un-
fortunate enough to lie under the ban Of your
dispeasure-or dislike, shall I say? Yes,
Mrs. Wardlaw, it is unhappily too plain that
you do dislike me. have long perceived
this to be the case. What can do to remove
this feeling on your part? think your kind
heart would relent, if you knew the pain you
caused me-
was silent, feeling both angry and embar-
rassed. / was too truthful to assure him that
he was mistaken in his supposition, yet was
unwilling that any fresh cause of o6ense
should be stirred up between US.
81 see that have spoken correctly" he
continued, presently; ''you do not offer to
contradict my statement. But is it not unrea'
sonable and unjust to cherish anger and re.
sentiment so long for past offense ?"o
"Mr. Holcombe," said, whilst l felt my
face flush in a provoking way, 81 think it is
in bad taste for you to make any alluson to the
past. | am not now either angry or resentful,
and had no intention of appearing so. sim
ply desire to cancel all remembrance of our
former intercourse
"But is that possible?" he rejoined, in!a low
tone. "Can you so utterly forget the events
of a few brief months ago?'
1T is certainly better, and more agreeable
for you, that shoAld," answered. Il can
not understand why you should have chosen
this topic of conversation you might certain
ly find more congenial one"
"Ah Mrs. Wardlaw, am man of i'm
pulse and feeling; l cannot bind my heart
forever in stern conventional chains. Per-
haps it was imprudent in me to indulge my
longing to meet you this afternoon, but it was
too powerful for me to resist it"
"It was premeditated, then !" exclaimed,
my surprise betraying me for the moment into
ignoring the sentiment of this speech. "How
did you know was coming out?"
II did not know it beforehand, but | was