Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-04-25

Cleveland, sir, 1t you've nnlshed Win tha'
letter, please let me have it again. I was SC
fustered by the general sense of it that
hardly took it all in; and want to keep il
for the Colonel to read, too"
No one had any appetite for breakfast ex,
cept Adelia, who ate hers with as much
serenity and composure as usual, and in
deed seemed rather to enjoy the evident dis
quietude and impatience Of her two compan'
ions. AS she was helping herself with great
deiberation to fourth muffin, Maurice, ex'
cusing himself, jumped up from his chair and
strobe out of the room in fume. He could
not sit there any longer. He went off to the
stables to question old John, who had just re-
turned with the carriage, but got no satisfac-
tory information out of him. All he knew
was that he had seen Miss Mary safe on the
train, and had come off as soon as it started.
"Where's she gone, Mass Maurice ?" ques'
toned the old darkey, in his turn seeking en-
lightment.
"To some friend or another's," said Maurice,
turning impatiently on his heel. "She didn't
tell me-" And the coachman reported to his
sable friends that "Mass Maurice" was evil
dently Gin taking" and that in his opinion
it was mighty funny thing that nobody
knew where Miss Mary was gone He
wouldn't be surprised if she'd gone after the
Colonel, for some reason or other. This no.
ton gained credence among the negroes, who
all began to think that some misfortune bad
bsfallen their master, of which bis ward alone
was cognizant.
Maurice was limping about in the shady
shrubbery. to cool of his excitement, when
Adelia appeared on the scene. She happened
to be the last person whom he desired just
then to encounter; butsbe approached so qui-
etly that he did not perceive her until it was
too late to retreat.
Haven't you recovered yet from the
shock you received this morniug?" she asked,
maliciously. "You seemed quite overpow-
cred by it-almost as much 80 as Mrs. Bland
ingr'
"You, at least, were not overpowered," he
returned, stopping in his walk to look at her.
"To Judge from the GOODNESS with which you
received the news of your friends mysterious
flight, am strongly tempted to fancy that
you know more in regard to the matter than
you are willing to admit"
II know this much" she replied, "that she
did not leave without cause; and of that
cause, yo,. cannot be ignorant"
"May 1 entreat you to explain p asked
Maurice, throwing himself, with a fatigued
air, upon bench. GAS l told you before, l
am a very poor hand at guessing enigmas"
"You are a very good hand at dissimula-
tion," said Adelia. You know, as we'll as l
do, Maurice Cleveland, that it is you, with
your unweIcome attentions, who have driven
her from the house"
A deep flush rose to Maurice's face. He
half started up, then sank back again with
pretended laugh.
That is really amusing" he replied.
"What on earth has put such a-excuse me
truly absurd notion into your head ?"
ut is not absurd" retorted Adelia. cit is
the truth and you know it. Do you suppose
that am blind, or stupid, not to have seen
what was going on? A nice account you will
have to give of yourself to your confding
cousin, when be comes home !!
Take care what you say, Miss St. Maur,"
said Maurice. "You are lady, and, there
fore, have me at disadvantage Still, ifyou
provoke ME, may forget myself so far as to
make you an impolite retort."
"You have not been so overwhelmingly po'
lite to me during my stay here, as to aston
ish me by any want Of courtesy now" she
replied. "Your politeness has been chiefly
reserved for Mary, who, you see, didn't ap'
preciate it as she ought. l must say think
she has acted very foolishly in going away.
But she never had any spirit"
cit is pity she did not consult you before
hand" said Maurice
IF she bad done so, would have given
her some good advice replied Adelia.
(which she doubtless would have followed.
But really, Miss st. Maur, it seems to me
that you are giving yourself great deal of
needless concern about this affair. Neither
YOU nor have any special interest in ar
ranging it, even if it were in our power to do
so therefore, why discuss it any farther%
81 fancy you will find out before very long
that you have a special interest in ar
ranging it. But you are only pursuing your
old method of casting off responsibility of ev-
cry kind. You were never accountable for
anything in your life, you know" she an.
swered, bitterly. "The pleasure and conve
nience of the moment have always been your
chief aim, no matter how the result might af:
feet any one else"
"Well what can be more desirable than
ones own pleasure and convenience? asked
Maurice. "My maxim is that every one
should gather all the enjoyment from the
present that they possibly can. But how
metaphysical we both seem to be to-day. It's
quite out of my usual style; don't know
about yours"
Adelia made no reply. She was twisting a
spray of woodbine in her hand, and she twist
ed it with such vehemence that the slender
stem snapped, and she threw the broken spray
on the ground. There Like that weed, l
destroy old memories, and cast them away,
and trample them under my foot" she ex'
claimed, suiting the action to the word, with
gesture that was quite stage.like. 81 don't