Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-01-24
gu Original Starg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
MARIPOSA;
... OR,
THE HEART OF A BALLET GIRL.
CHAPTER VII.

If Jim StrattOn haQ lOOkeu Ilke q Ium"n'
" outcsst on the evening when he had tirst
presented himself before his wife and Posy
be now looked more rufianly, more beggarly
more of an outcast than ever. Then, he had
been dressed with some attempt at decency
Now, his clothes were dirty and torn, and it
needed but one glance at his face, to show his
wife that he had been drinking freely, and
was in a state of, at least semi-intoxication, at
this moment.
To say that the sight of him, in this condi'
ton, at that late hour, and her lonely ROOM
(where she was quite removed from the pos
sibility of obtaining assistance in any sudden
emergency did not cause her a thrill of fear,
would be giving her credit for degree OF
courage which she certainly did not possess
particularly, just at time when her oody
and mind alike were suffering and oppressed.
Her breath came quick aud short, and her
hands involuutarily clasped themselves more
tightly about her knee, as he came forward,
with no steady step. and planting himself
before her, eyed her with fixed and angry
gaze. >,
"What d'you mean by behaving this way,
he blurted out, with one of his accustomed
oaths.
"What way, Jim ?" she family rejoined.
"What. way? Why, shuttin' up house at
t'other place and clearin' out, bag and baggage
SOS couldn't find you again? You'd thought
you'd hide from me, hey7 You see you was
mistaken, though There's mighty few pla'
ces where you can hide from me, l eau tell
you. D'you s'pose I'D ha' kept away from
YOU all those years, if hadn't been shut
up in that rat hole ?" (He alluded to the PEN
itentiary, where he had been serving out
term. most of the time which had elapsed
since their separation.) "Now, just you tell
me that" ..
II don't know" she replied, seeing that be
paused for an answer.
"Don't know. hey? There's lots of things
YOU don't know, l reckon. What have you
done with the girl?" As be spoke he cast
searching glance around the apartment, which
was stting-room and bedroom in one.
"she's gone away" his wife answered, mus
tering courage to meet his fierce eyes, as they
returned to her face
"Gone away! believe you lie. What's
she gone for?"
81 sent her away, Jim. She's boarding
and-snd being educated" the woman falter'
ed forth. trying to think how she could best
frame her statement, so rs to conceal the truth,
without uttering an actual lie.
Educated r' he broke into scornfu laugh.
"You s'pose believe that, don't your More
likely you've sent her somewhere to earn
higher wages, SOS to keep you from working,
you lazy jade! Who'd pay for her educatlon'
I'd like to know ?"
"She has got some friends, who takes care OF
her now. didn't send her of to work for
me. can work for myself, enough to make
support"
"Where's she gone TOT That's what l want
to know" was his fierce retort.
"It's no concern O yourn. You let her
be-" She made the answer with show of
defiance, but che quailed, inwardly, with the
fear of the wrath that it might provoke.
With step forward, he laid bis heavy hand
upon her shoulder.
"Woman. do you want me to kill you p
he asked, between his set teeth. II tell you.
I'm iuat in the humor for it, tonight. You
know me we'll enough to believe that can be
pretty dangerous, when like
"Why should tell you about the girl ?"
she reioined. She's in safe hands, and you
can't trouble her. 1 amt goin' to have her
live with me no more, again"
"Ain't your But I'll find out where she
is, if want to, for all that Now you just
answer my questions, Or" he cast glance
around, and seeing short. heavy iron poker
leaning against the side of the chimney, reach
forth his hand and laid hold of it, cor I'll
brain you with this.'
"You daren't do it, "she gasped, though
an involuntary shudder ran through her frame.
You'd swing for it, ify you was caught"
"Ah! but who'd catch me? That's the
question. Now see here, Stell.-" he released
her from his grasp, and spoke in more
pacific tone" you needn't try to put me off
this way, cause amt going to be put off: |
won't hurt you if l can helpit; but if you
don't tell me what l want to know, as sure as
1 stand here, I'll kill you, and nobody II new
er know who done it."
She looked in his face, and knew that he
meant what he said. Rapidly she revolved
in her mind the probable result of his knowl'
edge of Posy's whereabouts, if she should i'm
part it to him. Could she trust her pres
ent protectors to keep her out of his power
They might guard her while she was with
them, but they could not watch her continu-
ally, and in one of those times when she was
necessarily removed from their surveillance,
might he not discover and take advantage of
the fact ? She knew not whether he had de.
signs upon the girl, beyond his threatened at
tempt to restore her to her family. But she
felt that she would far sooner die, than be the
means of placing her in his hands.
"S'posin' you do find out where the child's
gone," she said, by way of oftemporizing little,
"what'll you do about II"
whats that to your" he rejoined.
"You know it's a heap to me, Jim. That
child's been like my own these twelve years
nearly, and she's all cares about in this life
Tell me if you've found out who her folks is,
or anything about her."
"I'll not tell you -- thing more'n