Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-06-14
''TRYPHOSA,"

Mr.. Bert Davenant was yaWning over his
newspaper in the pretty Mount Desert cottage
which was all Eastlake angles, bamboo easy
chairs, and 1uttering awnings. He was
handsome, dreamy-eyed man of somewhere
between thirty-five and forty,-and as Cap
tain Percy checked his horse in front OF the
rose draped railings of the fence, he lifted
his eyes serenely.
'.I don't know that 1 shall go at all !"
said he.
"Ehp' cried Percy. "Not go? Why, I
thought the plan was all ready to 60 into
completion just as soon as the Dido swings
around this wayW
'sNothing is certain, except taxes and
DEATH" epigrammatically retorted Mr..
Davenant.
Captain Percy stared, with rounder eyes
than ever.
'You don't say, old fellow" quoth he,
with sudden catching of the breath, that
you're going to be-married ~
"Worse than that" said. Davenant. "a
man is generally supposed to have the priv
ilege of choosing wife for himself-but I
am made legal guardian to young woman
against my will !"
"Eh said Percy. "Now don't think me
impertinent, Bert, or inclined to pry into
what does not concern me, but how on earth
has this come to pass?"
"Don'tknow myself" said Mr.. Davenant,
leaning on the porch rail to watch the errat-
ic course of a gold-green beetle which had
dropped down from among the ehoneysuckles
and was now making its energetic way
through the high grass. "It happened
that's all I know about it. Colonel Barry
died, somewhere in New Hampshire. He
was a good fellow, Barry Was-I don't see
why on earth he couldn't have made up his
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summer in Scotland. I knew that he was q
widoWer with one child, but never troubled
myself especially about his domestic affairs.
And you can imagine my surprise last week
at receiving legal notification that the poor
fellow was dead, of yellow fever in Florida,
and that was named as guardian, eXecu-
tor, and all that sort Of thing, to the little
girl"
"Wheww softly whistled Captain Percy.
"Name ?" Davenant WINGED, as he answer
ed:
'Tryphosa ~
"New England, all over," said Percy.
"Age?"
"Don'tknow. Never asked. About nine
enteen-or fourteen"
"Your ideas are rather vague on the sub
ject, aren't they ?" questioned Percy with a
laugh.
"Perhaps so-but how on earth am l eX-
pected to know anything about it"
"Pretty ?" abruptly asked Percy.
II haven't the ghost Of an idea"
"Ofcourse she's pretty" said the captain,
thoughtfully twisting off thehead of great
hearted hollyhock with his whip-lash.
tAnd, of course, you'll fall in love with her,
and marry her. Guardians always do"
every likely" said Davenant, with a
little shudder. "No use fighting against
"Poor fellow" said Percy, with genuine
compassion. hWell, 1 wish you we'll
through it, Bert. l merely wished you to
know that I am off for Canada next week."
''Suit yourself" sighed Mr.. Davenant.
"When does the unknown princess ar
rive?"
"Some time this week."
"Perhaps I shall be back in time to call
and see her." suggested Percy.
"Pray do," yaWned our hero-and once
more he fell into a day dream over the
newspaper, from which he aroused him
self at the end of the half hour with a deep
sigh, and the exclamation:
"Pshaw!"
Which was followed up by the confession: {:
II can't for the life Of me, fix my atten-
ton on anything else! Why did he die :?
Why couldn't he have sent her to boarding.
school? Now, l shall have to send for old
Aunt Tessie to matroniZe her, l suppose,
and the house will be full of sheet music,
battledores and shuttlecocks, and dolls! O.,
We Fates, what have l done to deserve
this?''
He had Just commenced on letter to
Mrs. Tessie Trott, his old aunt, that after
noon, when sturdy knock ratified against
the panels of the outer door.
:, RI M Va Mt I (r
with his pen the words "rely upon your
neyer-failing kindness" before he looked
up. -,
There, straight before him, stood tall
woman, gaunt of figure, sallow of complex
ion, with preposterously false row of lit
tie chestnut curls across her forehead, a
poke bonnet, and carpet-bag stuffed to its
utmost limits.
"Much obliged" said Mr.. Davenant, with
the invariable courtesy which he evinced
to women on all occasions, "but we don't
want anything to-day"
The female shifted ominously.
comp said she, 81 ain'ta a book agent"
"No:" said Mr.. Davenant, still on the
letter to Aunt Tessie.
"I'm Tryphosa /"
81 beg your pardon" said Davenant,
dropping his pen. "You remarked ="
"i'm Tryphosa,- Barry's darter.
You expected me, didn't you?"
"He must have married very young in
deed" said Mr.. Davenant to himself, as he
surveyed this extraordinary person who
could not have been under forty. "Or per-
haps it's stepdaughter after all. A guard
ian! | think it is l that will need the
guardian, if this women comes into the
house."
All these reflections flashed, lightning
like, through his mind as he hurriedly rose
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