Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-03-23

irresistibly together. The barrier was sWep
away, and by simultaneous movement the!
embraced, clinging together in desperate
clasp that seemed to say "We defy Fate-l'
shall not part us!'
"Sophy," muttered Harry hoarsely, "it ii
not too late for things to be changed. Yot
were bound to me first. He shall give yol
up.''
ssBut I-dare 1 ask him 20 she moaned
''There is nothing he would not do. But after
all that is past
"After all that is past, who can have bet
ter right to you than 1 You were mine
first; you have been mine always. What
can he have done, to merit sacrifice on
your part that will destroy two lives-yours
and mine ? He is only a stanger, whom
clance-a cursed chance-threw upon oul
shore''
''He acas stranger but he has been an in
valuable friend Harry, his generosity has
been without bounds. feel myself so deeply
his debtor that 1 know no other way of repay
ing him but this. I know that he would re-
lease me but it would break his heart"
"And would you break mine instead? Are
your vows to him more sacred, more binding,
than those you have made to me me nun
dred-nay, a thousand times Answer me
that
sNo-not more sacred. But am pledged
and the time is so near"
"You were pledged to me before you ever
knew him. Your present engagement was
only made under the suppositiOn that was
lost-and is compulsory, you yourself admit
ted."
s'Not exactly compulsory-they begged
me- lr
"Well, if you spoke truly when you said
that your heart was unchanged, it is easy
enough to settle this matter Follow the die
tates of that, and forget everything else
Choose between US two. 1t is not too late for
you to choose. Be true to yourself-and to
me. Oh Sophy can you hesitate ?"
He spoke with force and vehemence that
seemed to defy opposition. Sophy had already
felt, as she listened to him, that he was no
longer the boy, ardent, ignorant OF the world,
whom she remembered. An added manliness,
anew self-relance, a self-assertion, that sprung
from the experience of lifetime, crowded into
few brief months, spoke in an authoritative
manner and resolute tone. He no longer
pleaded. He seemed to command, and to feel
the right to DO so. He had conquered the ag-
itation which had deprived him of all power
of reason. His only aim now was to prove to
her clearly where right and justice lay. Rap
idly, fluently, he continued to follow up his
T., cbo 1;ctonod nowprpcc tO
answer. Had she not already said all that
she could say? Right or wrong, she could
not resist him when he drew her to his heart,
when he kissed her dropping face, when he
told her that this, and this alone, was her true
resting place that she was his own, and could
never belong to another. Was not this what
she had been yearning for all these years, and
now must she dash the sweetness from her
lips, when she had drained the bitter of the
cup already to the dregs?
While this tumult was going on in her heart,
while she stood, still supported by his arm and
listening to him in bewldered, half compre-
hending way, a window of the house, near
which they stood, unclosed. Mrs. May had
heard their voices, and not understanding
what could have happened, now arose from
her bed, where she had been for some time
vainly trying to sleep, and looked out to see
what was the matter.
'Sophy, my darling," she tremblingy ask
ed, sis anything wrong?"
s'Mamma, dearest, I will come in. 1 am
coming now, and will tell you. You must
talk to her," said Sophy to her lover as she
led him towards the door. "You and she
must decide; trust to her. I cannot think,
nor reason any more. But let me 60 first to
her room and prepare her. Too sudden
knowledge of your return may do her harm,
for she is still weak and cannot bear a shock. :"
X
Mr. Erskine, when Harry had passed on,
had fingered little while in the road, and
then, mechanically turning, had walked to-
wards his own home. His home! There was
mockery in the words. What spot was there
on earth now that could be to him a home
He reached his house, and went in. Enter
ing his study, where, as everywhere else, his
housekeeper had, that afternoon, busted her
self in putting things in the most exact order,
in anticipation of the arrival of it's new mis-
tress on the following day, he sat down and
thought, or rather tried to think. His brain
was chaos. He felt, but did not yet fully
comprehend, the dilemma in which he stood.
Gam awake ?" he muttered, passing his
hand over his brow or is this fearful dream,
a nightmare from which I shall soon be re-
leased 20
He rose up presently. and began to walk
about. He took some turns about the room,
then passed out through the hall, into the op-
posite apartment From thence into another.
The demon of restlcssness had seized him.
He must keep in motion, if only to escape
from his OWE reflections, or they would drive
him mad. He ascended the stairs. He enter
ed the chamber Oh the second floor. This was
the one assigned to the use Of his bride, and
next to it was the dainty little boudoir, that
he had taken such JOY in fitting up to give her
pleasure. lie looked around on the furniture,
the delicate knick-knacks that were awaiting
her coming to take possession of them. They
seemed to ask mutely for her presence. How
often, in fancy, had he seen her sitting, as she
would have been, in that very chair by the
little work-stand! Pcturing to himself her
very attitude, seeming to hear the very tones
of her voice as she would speak to him. Ito"
real, how true the picture had appeared ! And
that night-that self-same night-had he not
held her in his arms Had she not kissed
him-and was that first kiss to be her last
Yes he said to himself, it was all over. Not
for an instant did he dream of holding her tc
Lor ,,rop,;ca NOW Rittpr1v bitterly he re-
membered how hard that promise had been to