Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-01-16

Of Elen's subsequent marriage to Col.
Rathbone and the consequences, an account
has already been given, so that it will not be
necessary to dwell upon them here.
Mrs. Rathbone had lost sight of her cous.
ins from the time when Joshua's ill.advised
step had placed barrier between them but
by singular coincidence, it chanced that he
was passenger on the very ship in which
she embarked for England after her hus'
bands death-a circumstance Of which neith'
er was aware at the time, and which only
came to his knowledge when she was too near
death to recognize him. By natural Sc
quence of events, the letters and other papers
which she con6ded to the chaplain's care, fell
into Joshua's hands; he coming forward as
her hear relative and representing himself as
the fit,sst person to have the charge of her
dying bequest.
It need scarcely be said that this estimable
peraonage cherished lively hope Of inherit
ing the Kentisb property, after the renuncia'
ton of Ellen by his aunt and her husband
and it was not to his.interest that the fact Of
Mildred's existence should ever come to his
aunt's ears, especially after her overtures Of
reconciliation to poor Ellen, Of which he was
now made aware. He took especial care
therefore, that Ellen's communication should
not reach her; and with this view destroyed
Gas he believed) all the letters and certificates
of which he had become possessed, which in
any way could lead to the discovery of the
truth merely sending back the old lady's
conciliatory epistle, by way, as he thought, Of
putting an efectusl end to the matter.
Old Mrs. Sinclair's mind grew very feeble
during her last illness, and Joshua took occa'
sion to intrude himself at various times, and
on various pretexts, into her presence, in the
hope of ingratiating himself into her favor
and coming in for, at least, portion OF the
estate. But to his chagrin and modification
he found himself disappointed in this hope
inasmuch as he was left out Of the will en-
tirely, and all the satisfaction he got was in
the shape Of a small legacy to his sister, which
he had no difficulty in turning entirely to his
own advantage. Clarissa was, and ever had
been, a poor, weak, helpless creature, quite
unfit to combat her brothers powerful will
and becoming, for the most part, mere tool
in his hands. ..a
have said that he believed the evidences
of Mildred's existence to be destroyed. Such
was not, however, the case. How intense
would have been his fury, if be had known
that, through carelessness, in moment Of
haste, he had substituted the wrong papers
for those which he desired to burn, and that
these last, thrust into an envelope and left
unguarded, had fallen into his sisters hands
Clarissa, already knowing something of Mil
dred's story and of her brothers interest in
keeping her from her rights, had wisdom
enough to seize upon the envelope and its con.
tents, and stow them away where he could not
find them, trusting to some future opportuni'
ty to turn them to good account. Of course,
she lived in redoubled terror Of him ever
after. But she had, nevertheless, kept her Sc
cret safe all these years.
Sir Roxwell Seabury, the present owner OF
the Kentish estate, was widower, elderly and
infirm; and to him Joshua hastened to pay
court. He did so far succeed in his attempts,
as to convey the impression to Sir Roxwell,
that he was very worthy and estimable in
dividual, who had suffered great wrong at bis
aunt's hands; and all things seemed to be
progressing in the dissimulator's favor, when
an anonymous communication was received
by Sir Roxwell, which cast fresh damper
upon his hopes. This mysterious letter an
nounced that young orphan girl, the right
full inheritor of the estate, was alive, and COM
mended the said orphan to Sir Roxwells con-
sideration, as the fitting person upon whom,
after his death (or before it, if it pleased him
the property should devolve. Mention was
made of the quarrel between her parents and
grandparents, and of the subsequent desire
of Mrs. Sinclair for reconciliation, and the
manner in which it was frustrated. But to
these remarkable statements, no proof was
appended, and only the exceeding earnestness
and simplicity of the writer's tone, staggered
the conviction, in Sir Roxwell's mind, that it
was not all hoax. 1t was evidently the pro-
duction of an unsophisticated mind, quite ig-
norant of all legal requirements and forms,
and merely imbued with warm desire to see
justice done, without any knowledge Of the
means, most efficient, in attaining such an
end The letter was, in fact, from Clarissa,
who, though Mildred was personally unknown
to her, felt most anxious to have her put in
possession of what she considered her rights.
This was partly in consequence Of an atfec-
tionate remembrance she cherished for Mil
dred's mother, (of whom, in an humble, cling
ing way, she had been very fond, and partly,
it must be owned, because of desire to frus.
trate the plans of Joshua, whom she cordial
ly disliked and despised. 1t was unfortunate
that she could give ae account Of Mildred's
whereabouts, or sny clue to her discovery, for
neither she nor her brother knew what had
become of her after her mothers death. In
fact, like many other persons, they had not,
for some time, known even of her existence.
Joshua could never exactly discover how it
was that his sister had found out anything
about Mildred. Assuredly, he would not
have made her his eonfdants in the matter.
But he knew that, in some way, she had got
into the secret and for this reason he kept q
most vigilant watch over her, lest she might
betrav it. and do mischief TO his plans. He