Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-01-10

ing company with the daughter ?" asked the
woman, in her turn, looking attentively at
her.
"With Adrienne-yes. Butnow she's gone
away somewhere, and nobody'll tell me any
thing about her" rejoined Posy, piteously.
"Well, you just let her be-" said the wo-
man. II wouldn't fret about her if l was
you; she amt worth it. can't tell you
nothing about her, or none of them. They're
gone, and so much the better for their neigh
bors, says l." With that she shut the door,
not rudely, but in answer to some voice call
ing her from within, and Posy turned away,
more heart-sick and bewildered than ever.
"Ohl Adrienne, my kind Adrienne, if l
only knew what had become of your she
sighed to herself Her afectionate little heart
was full, and oppressed with the mystery
which no one seemed able or willing to un.
ravel. Her next resource was one Of the
other ballet girls whom she liked, and who
was always kind to her. She asked her pri-
vately if she could tell her about Adrienne |;
but Nina shook her head.
"Pm afraid Adrienne is bad girl, Posy.
I don't know much about her, but guess
she's behaved wrong, some way. Don't talk
about her, deary; just forget that you ever
knew her-that's the best way"
Everybody tells me to forget, and not to
talk about her; just as if could ever for
gstw cried Posy, Indignantly. "You your
self, Nina; you pretended to love her too,
when she was here"
"Ohl yes, was fond enough of her," an
swered Nina, carelessly. "But if I had a
piece of money that I'd kept, thinkingi it was
good, and found it was bad and worthless,
I'd fling it awayE don't you see?"
Posy was too angry to say anything more
but that night, after she had gone to bed, she
cried so bitterly that Mrs. Manuel insisted on
knowing what was the matter. When the
child confessed her trouble, she petted and
comforted her, and promised her all sorts of
things if she would only leave off fretting
and be happy again; but no satisfaction
could Posy obtain from her in regard to the
mystery which so perplexed and grieved her.
So she gave it up, after that, as one which it
was vain to try and fathom; but it was long
ere she ceased to miss poor Adrienne and
grieve for her loss.
When Posy had been year at Mr.. La.
combe's theatre, her salary, which had been
very trihing before, was raised, and by this
meaas her mother was enabled to leave their
present squalid lodgings, and move to a
somewhat better home. Posy took great de-
light in adorning this new abode, to the best
of her ability, and giving it cheerful and
inviting appearance. With the aid of a mus
lin curtain at each window, square of
bright-colored common carpeting on the floor,
and some cheap ornaments on the mantel-
piece, the two tiny apartments were made
quite gay. 1t was true they were only the
back.rooms of basement floor, but they
looked out on little morsel of a garden bed,
where larkspurs and dandelions grew in abun-
dance. Besides this, they had sort of spare
closet or pantry attached, where all unsightly
odds and ends could be slowed away out Of
sight. Altogether, it was the most luxurious
home Posy had ever known, and she was
proud of it accordingly.
Mrs. Manuel, who, since disabled by ill.,
health from pursuing her avocation as dan
Ger, had led an idle, shiftless sort of life, now
had regular employment at the theatre where
her daughter was engaged, as hair-dresser and
costumer of the etgirls. 1t was chiefly her
anxiety to be near Posy, which had induced
her to improve her talents in this line, so as
to obtain the situation, which, fortunately for
her, had been left vacant about six months
before. Besides this, she often had other odd
jobs given her by the stage people, and would
get paid more or less for them, as they might
be worth so that her earnings, Joined to Po-
sy's, not only made little income quite suf'
6cient for their daily support, but enabled
her to lay aside something, as she expressed
it, for rainy day. This something" was
kept tied up in an old stocking and carefully
slowed away in some corner, of the locality,
of which even Posy was kept in happy igno-
rance.
This humble but tranquil life continued
for some time without disturbance. Posy
worked hard, but she liked her occupation
and was happy and thanks to Mrs. Man.
uel's vigilance, she was kept screened. in
great measure, from evil influences and hurt
full knowledge. As matter of course, her
surroundings were of any thing but refined
sort, the manners, to say nothing of the
morals of her daily associates, being such
as would not bear very severe test But
her mind, of a singularly pure and refined
type, seemed instinctively to avoid contact
with what was coarse and injurious. She
found no attraction in vulgar gossip, and on
ly partially understood doubtful or scandal
GUS stories, such as were current among the
stage.society, and which, indeed, she felt no
interest in listening to. Coarse as the major
ity other com mpanions were, they appeared in
some way to be sensible of a difference between
themselves and her, and to recognize in her,
though in outward surrounding as poor and
common as themselves, a nature more eleva-
ted than their own. 1t was this feeling
ded to the circumstances other extreme youth,
her gentle disposition and sweet temper
which made her always ready and willing to
do any little service for them in her power,
and to the fact that, Notwithstanding her po-
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