Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-03-06

ing up here at Uncle Perry's and him in
town all the time. Ma and were saying"
"Pauline!" interrupted her mother rather
hastily, "recollect you have nothing to do
with Ralph Barstows affairs. Of course he
is the best judge of his own business"
And only wish you was better judge of
yours, I circulated mentally, as 1 glanced at
poor Fanny's flushed and distressed face,
which she vainly tried to keep from betraying
her agitation. Inwardly consigning our vis-
tors and their silly chatter to place the
reverse of agreeable, I exerted myself to
turn the conversation into safer channel {;
and after what seemed an interminable
time, they finally took their leave, without
anything more of an unpleasant nature
having been said.
When they were gone, Fanny left the room,
and I found her, some time later, crying qui-
etly in window of the library, where she
had taken refuge suppose, thinking she
would be safe from discovery.
my dear girl, what is the matter?" I asked,
cheerfully. I Always tried to divert her
thoughts, and ignore, as far as possible, the
real cause of her sadness.
"Oh Uncle Perry" she murmured, as she
hid her face in her hands, "did you hear what
aunt Jane and Pauline said to-day about
Ralph"
"Yes, my dear, I heard what they said but
what of it ?" was my rejoinder.
swell, suppose everybody else thinks and
speaks just as they do. And it's not strange
that they should" she continued, excitedly,
looking up with glittering light in her eyes.
"Just consider how he has acted-leaving me
week after our marriage, and never coming
near me since, but day or two at time.
Of course, it's plain to every one that he does
not care for me-that he would rather be ab-
sent from me than not l wish to Heaven he
were free"
"My DEAR exclaimed, shocked; for had
never heard her speak in this strain before
eyes, l do" she continued, with vehe-
mence quite foreign to her usual manner.
"This bond is terrible one to him. [ have
long ceased to hope that anything but wretch
edness can be the result of our union. Fool
that I was, once thought that he loved me,
but the illusion is fatally dispelled! J"
"Fanny," said I, seriously, "you are undu-
ly excited, and say more than you mean.
Drop this painful subject. Think no more Of
what foolish, gossiping people may say. Ev-
erything, 1 trust, will come out all right in
time"
"You say so to try and comfort me, but
YOU do not really think so,' she drearily an.
swered. Chow can thing ever come out
right which is radically, fatally wrong {?
Uncle Perry, did Ralph an irreparable in
jury in becoming his wife. If / had known
what 1 know now, would gladly have died,
sooner than marry him.
"You do him an injury" I exclaimed.
"Poor child!"
eyes; what greater one could do him,
than force him to accept me against his will
But will try and find remedy-yes, and
you will help me, dear uncle. You will make
arrangements with a lawyer to get divorce,
and then he will be free, free from his hated
bonds And l will live with you here, if you
will let me, and be your house-keeper, or any
thing else you please" And, without giving
me chance to make any reply, she hastily
left the room.
Poor girl! I had no idea that matters were
as hopeless as this. I had known, indeed,
that she felt Ralphs neglect keenly; but not
that her conviction of his Indifference was so
strong.
But the worst was yet to come.
was sitting in my library one cold, dreary
afternoon, when messenger returned from
the post-ofice with batch of letters, two of
which, as saw, by the direction, were from
Mrs. Tracy; one addressed to her daughter
and one to me.
opened the letter Immediately, anxious
for news which could in any way concern
Fanny's welfare.
The first line thrilled me with sickening
fear 81 wish you to prepare my unfortunate
child for blow which will, doubtless, be a
heavy one to her, and which l myself have
not the courage to announce to her" And
then she went on to state that Ralph had
gone, she knew not where, and intended to
return no more-had written to her saying
that it would be useless to try to track him
that life in his present condition was a burden
heavier than he could bear; and feeling that
Fanny would be the happier, under the cir
cumstances, for severance Of the tie be-
tween them, he had resolved to break it by
one bold stroke, and set them both at liberty,
to seek happiness by different roads.
"Traitor! villain" exclaimed aloud.
"Unfortunate girl, your fate is indeed as sad
as it is undeserved!"
"What have you heard? Tell me. I can
bear it ALL" said Fanny's voice, in hollow
tones, beside him. She had entered unper.
ceived; and little by little she gathered from
me the story of Ralph's per6dy and flight.
"He might have waited, she muttered be.
low her breath; "he might have waited lit
tie, little while. l should soon have set him
free"
The next moment she fell heavily to the
ground, in a swoon. A long, weary illness
succeeded, during which her unnatural moth
er (devoid of natural feeling she certainly
was) was obliged, for very shame, to come and
minister at her beside. But she found it an
irksome occupation and as soon as Fanny