Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-02-27

that the worst OF IL was yeC W colue.
AS rode along on my gray mare, medita-
ting, there was a clatter of hoofs behind me,
and was presently Joined by Charles Euston,
friend of Ralph's, who had been present at
the wedding, and must have left shortly after
did.
care you going home, Doctor? p he asked.
II am" rejoined. wont you keep me
company?"
"Part of the way will, with pleasure. In
fact, l should like to have little chat with
you. Isn't there sort of mystery about this
matter that we have just been participating
in? Excuse the question. I don't want to
pry into family matters; but you know Ralph
and have always been intimate, and it strikes
me that he has been curiously reticent OF
late"
II don't know that there is any mystery
was my reply. "The match has been made
up, as every body knows. l only hope it
won't turn out badly, that's all"
"The reason that am surprised" contin-
ued Euston, "is that l have been, for some
time past, under the impression that Ralph
was madly in love in another quarter; but l
suppose it was only fancy on his part, or,
perhaps, delusion on mine"
II know nothing Of any such love'affair,
said I. "At any rate, it is to be supposed
that he had put it aside before making my
niece his wife"
"Your niecew echoed Euston, looking con-
fused. II had forgotten"
"Forgotten the relationship, eh? Well,
it's Of no consequence" said l. "You said
nothing wrong. Fanny's father is, you know
my halfbrother; but we have never been in
innate, and the difference of name misleads
persons very often"
II beg your pardon for alluding to the
subject" said Euston. "The fact is, my in
terest in Ralph's welfare is so great, that |
have been thinking of him alone, and it
never occurred to me that you were so near
relative of his wife's, though l knew there
was some sort of connection between you"
"No harm done," said I. II am one out
side the family, as it were have lived abroad
almost ever since my step-brother's marriage
and before that had seen comparatively little
of him. Even if we had been on the best OF
terms, however, his marriage would necessar'
ily have created barrier between US. Mrs,
Tracy and are not fond of one another"
"She is not an attractive person." said
Euston.
"Not at all attractive" said I.
"Miss Fanny-or rather, l should say, Mrs.
Barstow-seems, however, to be very amia-
ble," said my companion, who was evidently
anxious,to atone for the blunder he had made
"She is, believe, thoroughly good amia'
BILE GIRL" I assented. II have no doubt she
will make Barstow good wife. trust be
appreciates her merits"
"He certainly must" said Euston, 'for they
have known each other from childhood. That
was one cause, too, of my surprise on learning
their engagement. mean, had always re-
garded them in the light of brother and
sister,"
"There was, however, no relationship be,
tween them," l rejoined.
"Oh! certainly not. am aware Of that u
We pursued our way for little while in
silence, and then my companion began to talk
of something else. I could see that he was
full of the subject which he had broached on
first joining me, but the discovery of my re-
lationship to Fanny had acted as a check
upon his communicative mood. My own Gu
riosity, however, had been awakened by what
he had said of Ralph's predilection in anoth
er quarter, and I felt desirous Of learning
more of the matter I knew that | could
easily get what I pleased out Of Euston, who
was good-natured, simple sort Of fellow, and
had already, since my return to the neighbor
hood, made sundry advances towards me, such
as are always fattering from the young to
those in the decline of life.
"You said," l presently remarked, when
some unimportant conversation concerning
the weather and the crops had taken place be-
tween us, "you said awhile ago that Ralph
Barstow had been in love. Who was the
lady, may ask? ?"
"Oh! 1 may have been mistaken, you
know" replied Euston, hastily. 81 dare say
it was only-a-"
"Very likely" said I, "but there can be
no harm in my knowing the facts of the case
even if it ,uos only a passing fancy on his
part"
"Well, the young lady was Miss Nc
Gregor," said Euston, with evident reluctance
"She was a clergyman's daughter, and very
pretty. We knew her when we were at Col
lege. All of US fellows were half in love with
her; so Barstow's, you see, was no exceptional
case"
"Oh! a college BELLE" said I. "Pretty
and lively, eh? I can imagine the sort Of
girl you mean-the sort that a lot of young
fellows would 60 wild over"
"She was the sort any one, young or old
would ADMIRE" said Euston, warmly. "Not
bit of fastness about her, I assure you, but
simple and modest, the very picture of refine
ment, gentleness and good taste. Lively
enough, in girlish, unaffected way, but
nothing more. The old gentleman worshipped
her."
"Her father, you mean?'
eyes, sir she was his only child. The
mother was dead, and this girl kept the house
looked after his parishioners, entertained his
guests, in fact; was his right hand in every