Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-02-08

her, She thought she knew the cause of the
sadness. She thought: "she has learned
her lesSOn."
"Poor, little stricken flower, I've done all
in nv power to prevent this, and Bayard has
promised to come and dtake you out riding
tomorrow afternoon and YOU must make it
upwith him. Men are so silly, dear. lhad
no idea-why, what do you mean?"
sImean," returned Grace, who had drawn
herself up to her full height and stood look
ing at Miss Stone with the utmost scOrn.
"bve been IA little fool but, excuse me,
think you've been a bigger One:"
For once in her life Miss Harriet Stone
was nonplussed To save her life she could
not saw word. She knew it was true, and
she now saw also that she had failed in her
object. She was forced to acknowledge that
I the "Iittle chit of wOrilanhOOd'' had Outwit-
ted her and Bayard Gilbert was a white ele-
phant on her hands.
He came the next afternoon to take Grace
driving. She was mot at home" and Miss
Stone, to her chagrin and Mr.. Gilbert's de-
light, was obliged togo in her stead. He
drove through the principal streets, and in
half an hour everybody tIkneW it, land COM
ments were freely circulated. Miss Stone
had never been seen riding befOre-With a
beau, at least. He evidently felt very i'm
portant, but was shortly relieved Of the en-
tire amount of his burden of self-cOnse-
quence.
When they had reached a lovely spot some
few miles from town. where the violets and
cowsips were just peeping out, and when
Miss Stone had become quite poetic over
them, Bayard seized the opportunity while
this mood lasted, to unburden himself: Miss
Stone, you've been the billOw on which I've
been heaved to fame. 1t is to you / owe it
that posterity shall bless my name. Will
YOU accept it and wear it for your own?
BE the guiding star of my life? Say yes,
dear Harriet, and by that one little mono
syllable raise from the depths one who"
But he was cut short. Miss Stone could not
control herself another minute, but burst
into laughter. Bayard just stared at her in
stupefed wonder.
ooh! Mr.. Gilbert, you'll kill me! DO you
not realize what presumption it is IN you to
so address me-"
"Why, Miss Stone, what do you mean? ?
You've encouraged me; yes, made love to
me yOurSelffOr over two months. thought
you wanted to marry me. Prof. Matthews
said l really ought to relieve you of your
suspense, ,o,, ,,o
for if she valued the good opinion OF any
man on earth; that man was Prof. Matthews,
"have you dared to mention this affair to
him."
"Why, I've told him all about it,"
"Youimpudent,c cOnceited, little specimen
of humanity, because I've deigned-tor rea-
SONS of my own-to allow you to call me
| friend, you've made me ridiculous in the
eyes of one of natures nOblemen. Oh you
miserable wretch" And Miss Stone, of
calm, dignitied demeanor, actually beat the
air with her fists.
Bayard had stopped the horsea and now he
said in very deliberate tone:
"Please get out of my buggy, Miss Stone"
And she, so full of rage and modification
as to be hardly aware of her action, me-
chanically obeyed him.
Then he made her mock bow, almost to
the ground, and said:
"Your gracious highness is pleased to be
changeful in your notions. / can do no bet
ter than to initiate your example. have
changed my mind in regard to our drive
Good afternoon, Miss Stone" And he
sprang into the buggy and she was left
there in the road, good six miles from
home.
His method of revenge was characteristic
of the man. Little-souled people always re-
venge themselves, and too, always in some
little way. And in his delight at the an
noyance and inconvenience he had OCCASION
ed Miss Stone, he almost forgot his own
modification.
And if ever footsore, temper-sore, thor
oughly detected woman crept in at Mrs.
Wizards back gate and through the side
way sought her room it was several hours
after, Harriet Stone was the woman.
The next day there was an odd look on
Prof. Matthews face when he met her in the
hall, and she knew Immediately that he
must be in possession of the facts of the
drive.
She tried to resign, but was held up to her
contract and had to "grin and bear it," and
her own sutferings were ten-fold what she
had caused others to bear.
Mrs. Willard amongst her many charac-
teristics possessed that Of inquisitiveness,
and she had practiced the art until she had
reached a point of perfection rarely attain
ed. She never liked Grace.
The latter never fawned upon her and
seemed perfectly Indifferent as to whether
Mrs. Willard regarded her with favor or not :;
and on one occasion had she acted directly
in opposition to Mrs. Wizards advice, and
this to that lady was an offence no amount OF
contritiOn could efface. And then, too, she
had destined Mr.. Gilbert for a niece others.
And now this girl must step in and spoil
her plans. So she and Miss Stone, aided
and abetted by each other, had planned to
frustrate Grace's "designs" on MIR. Gilbert.
And just here, when matters have become
most interesting, now that the crisis is reach
ed, Miss Stone Suddenly drops her from her
confidence. 1t was too bad And Grace said
carelessly, when questioned, on, since MIR.
Gilbert had dropped her for Miss Stone she
knew nothing abOuthis affairs. She did not
pretend not to have been in love with him,
when accused of it. And people soon said
she had been flirting, and that for once Bay
ard Gilbert had met his match.
Without meaning to deceive anyone, and
without caring what they might say, or
think she was really deceiving them all
and doing the best thing in the world for
her own cause. Mrs. Willard was not to be
Dalked of her object. Her next step was to
sound Mr.. Gilbert, and as he was shallow,
she soon knew as much as he did and from
the insinuating remarks of Mrs. Willard,
Miss Stone knew she had found it all out,
and she knew that everybody in town would
laugh over the joke before the day was
over. 1T is needless to say the remainder
of her STAY was one of exile from society.
Her only wish was to put as much distance
as possible between Fairvicw and herself.
Bayard Gilbert tried to rewin Grace, but
ignomiousy failed and soon found another
star, whose brilliancy he wOrshipped with
all the ardOr of a first love.
The school year was fast drawing to a
close, and now Grace's one dread was John.
Would she see him, she wondered. She
would rather die than face John Stratton.
Then she would resolve to pluck up cOur-
age and strength and tell him all about it
but as she saw, in imagination, his look OF
mingled pity and scorn she shuddcred, and
said: "NO! mop
And she thought, maybe, if she never saw
him she might forget him. Finally the
wa nnIpI