Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-12-13
CHE Sturp Teller.


wife.
"Must you really go, Dick ?" imploringly.
"Must really go" he. he.repeated. "What
a dreadfully solemn face! Yes, you rldlcu-
Ious darling, really must"
"Why?" persistently.
ooh! because of an-an engagement -
cannot break, dear" a tritie gui!tiiy.
"Good gracious! what an inquisitive little
mortal It is, to be sure! Don't trouble your
nrettv head with business engagements;
and once more my pet, good-by. And-oh!
I say, Dolly" turning back and putting a
furry head inside the door, eff you are in
search of a Job, just wish you'd mend my
other overcoat. l noticed big tear in it
for the first time tonight. Will you"
And to his rather disconnected speech
Mrs. Dick nodded, and smiled bright ac-
quiescence.
The door slammed behind Dick, and she
glanced round the cosy, home-like room,
tIf Dick had not been obliged to go out
and such cold night, too"
The gas burned brightly. =.
The CHEEKY fire in the CRATE was bed OF
golden Goals.
The French clock on the mantel licked
musically.
which lay pile of unopened magazines,
looked two wistful blue eyes.
But the bride of six months shook her
dainty, bronze-brown head, with resolute
determination.
The rosy lips repeated the hackneyed
formula, "Duty first, pleasure after"
So, accordingly, the little white hands la
boriously lugged and hauled Dicks big over
coat into the room, turned it over, ana COM
menced their wifely occupation.
She smiled softly to herself, her thoughts
were pleasant ones, as she sat and seWed.
A rarely pretty picture in the ,parlor.'s
fire-lit glow, the childish figure in the soft,
dark dress and snowy muslin apron, the
busy hands flying briskly through their
task.
"To-morrow will be my birthday, and
Dick has forgotten it, know. How sorry
he will be when l tell him tomorrow"
And as it broke merrily into Com
ing Thro' the Rye" the French clock on
the low marble mantel struck TO-.
Her task finished, she turned the coat
over to see if it needed other repairs, and as
she did so a square sheet of creamy paper
fluttered from an inside pocket and fell up
on the carpet.
laugh.
foppish to perfume his love-letters Won
der?"
tThen she turned it right side up and
looked at it.
And she saw-What?
Nothing very alarming.
ONLY thick sheet of embossed paper,
stamped with monogram, in blueand gold,
incomprehensible as monograms usually
are. or
A woman's letter, decidedly, written in
a pretty, scraWllng, irregular mana, urlllls-
takably woman's.
The bird-like song died on Dolly Ever
ett's lips.
Thesoft, bright color faded slowly out of
her face.
The blue eyes grew wide and startled as
deliberately, though involuntarily, she read
the few words on the page before her.
The note ran:
"DEAR DARL1NG-I have missed you dread
fully of late Come. Exercise diplomacy to-
night and slip away. hate her for keeping you
from me- Besides, Gerster is in town. Is the
hint too broad? In spite OF all, Dick, ever your
ESTER.
That was all.
But it was enough.
For few moments Dolly's eyes, blazing,
terrified, stared straight at the fatal sheet,
as though they would shrivel it up with
their blue fire.
Then She flung it shuddering from her, as
though it were venomous thing and could
sting her.
Who was the woman who dared to write
in that manner to Dick-her Dick yes,
she told herself, with an air of defiant pro-
prietorship, hers only.
She crushed her hands tightly together,
till the diamond next the plain gold circlet
cut the white flesh cruelty.
Then as horrible suspicion leaped to life
in her brain, with a slow moan she slipped
from the chair and crouched, shivering
against the great shaggy overcoat.
Her fears took shape.
What if he had gone to meet this woman?
For the first time he has evaded answer
ing her qustions.
And how guilty and hurried he had SEEM
ed-so horribly happy and light hearted,
too.
A thousand words and glances, before
almost unnoticed, now flashed upon her.
She snatched up the note again and look
ed at it.
1t was dated the evening of that day.
"Oh, Dick! Dick !" she Grid wildly, chow
could you, how could you: And l loved
you sop
Then with Il sudden burst of sobs she
broke down altogether, and, burying her
face in the crumpled overcoat, wept and
wept as if her very heart would break, the
graceful little figure was shaken ana con-
Vulsed.
The fire burned low in the CRATE under
a coating of gray ashes.
Eleven!
Now she did not pause to listen to the
music.
Footsteps came along the sidewalk, up
the steps.
A latch key turned cautiously in the door.
She neither heard nor stirred.
In the hall Dick paused, curious smile
on his lips.
"Dolly's asleep, as sure as fate!'
He divested himself of hat and OVercOat,
and, humming a popular air, turned the
handle of the parlor door.
"Goodness! Dolly, what's the mattcr?'
His song came to an untimely end as he
caught sight OF the sobbing, shaking little
figure on the hearth-rug.
He took one stride toward her, but at the
sound of his voice she had sprung to her
feet, with crimson cheeks and dangerously
sparkling eye.
"Great heaven! Doll" in direst be-
Wilderment. :" -,
"Don't Dolly me!' facing him like a
diminutive tigress-''don't dare to"'
"Dollyw
Don't mention my name so soon after
hers-this 'Ester," to whom you are, "Dlck
darling"
"DoIlyn'
"Can you find no other word with which
to defend or vindicate yourself except the
repetition of my name"' this last with un-
natural calmness.
The temperature had waited round from
the torrid the frigid zone:
''Have you gone-mad ~ slowly.
"If I have, find the cause--there.'
Sc0rnfully she flung him the crumbled