Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-08-14

4ORh V IhLE, =
to hear no more on the subject" finally her
temper rising, "what business was it OF his, "
she demanded, "what help she kept, or
book back accounts were square between
them; there was no further call, so far as she
could see, why he should meddle in her
concerns. The upshot of the interview was
that John flew out of the kitchen with his
face as red as fire, tackled his horse, threw
valise and feed bags into the wagon, flung
the amount of his reckoning on the table,
and addressed Lucy, who pale and terrified,
stood bundle in hand, prepared for flight,
calling out:
"Now, then, my good girl, you've lost one
place by my fault, and Pm darned if don't
offer you another. Will you jump into my
wagon and go home with me My old
mother has been talking this long piece back
of getting a smart girl to help her along
when she's laid up with rheumatics SO
you fairly enough, I'll be bound, and you
Shall have whatever you were getting here.
And if you behave yourself, you'll be we'll
used, not turned out of doors for nothing
I'll engage to that; it isn't the way up in
our parts" with. a vindictive look at the
landlady, who stood rigidly planted in the
doorway. "We don't set up to be extra
Christians, but there's little honesty and
decency left among us, which is more than
can be said for all places. Well, what do
you say? Yes or no. There's my hand on
it, if it's yes"
He held out his broad palm. Lucy hest
tated, but for moment only.
eyes, I WILL" she said. "I've nowhere
else to 60, and you seem kind"
Another moment and they were driving
off together down the maple-shaded road
whose yellow and crimson boughs danced
overhead against October's bright blue
weather. There was peace and calm in
the fresh stiffness of the early day. Grad
ually little color stole into Lucy's pale
checks, and Johns hot mood gave place to
his wonted good humor and cheer.
"You've had no breakfast, I'll bet," he
said with smile. "And no more have l..
I was so mad with that woman that I
couldn't swallow mouthful, but now be-
gin to feel sharp enough. Well stop at the
next tavern, Southwick, isn'tit? Five miles
and a half. Can you hold out till then ?"
"Oh, yes, indeed" with a grateful look
out of the blue eyes.
Johns tone grew more and more friendly.
"We'll have something hot and hearty
there" he said. "You look pale. [ guess
you didn't sleep any too much last night"
"Oh, I Icouldn'tsleep atall. Mrs. Nash told
me that must 60 the first thing in the morn
ing, and I felt SO badly"
II shouldn't think you would want to stay
with woman like her"
"But it's so dreadful to have nowhere to
60 to and, besides -"
She stopped abruptly, with look like
terror in her eyes.
"Have youno friends, then ?" asked John.
"No."
The tone was very reserved; but reserve
could hardly fail to melt under so sunshiny
a presence as John Boyd's, and before the
long days ride was done he had won from
her the main facts of her story.
Lucy Dill was her name. Her mother
had married for the second time when Lucy
was - years old, and three years ago, when
the girl was barely 10, had died, leaving her
to the protection of her stepfather.
"She didn't know what kind of a man he
was," said Lucy. "And he wasn't that
kind of man when she was alive. was
too young to notice much, and mother al
ways put herself between him and me when
things went wrong. After she died it was
dreadful. Elkins-that was his son-came
home to live. He never lived there before,
and-he-"
"Wanted to marry you ?"
was afraid of him-ofthem both. And peo-
pie began to come to the house-bad peO-
pie, no good-and began to suspect things"
"What kind of things ~
It was not easy to get an answer to this
question. In fact, the terrified and ineXpe-
rienced girl had hardly dared to formulate
her own fears but John gathered the idea
that coming or some other unlawful prac-
tices were going on, and Lucy only half
comprehending, had understood enough to
startle and frighten her into making her es-
cape. She had effected this by night, six
weeks before, and her great dread was of
being discovered and forced to 60 back.
John reassured her as we'll as he could.
"You'll be just as safe at the farm as in an
iron safe," he protested.
terror never left Lucy's eyes though weeks
sped safely by and nothing occurred to
alarm her. Every sudden noise made her
start !; the sight of a strange figure on the
road blanched the roses to paleness. Ex-
cept for this fearfulness, she proved an eX-
cellent "help" in all ways-quic]l, neat-tin-
gered, sweet-tempered. Old Barbara Won
dered how the farm had ever got along with
out her, and John in his secret heart won
dered also. It never should be without her
again, on that he was firmly resolved
"Lucy," he said one day, three months
after she became his inmate, 'I'm tired of
seeing you jump and culver, and scuttle up
stairs whenever the peddler or the ragman
comes along. It's bad for you, and it wor-
ries me almost to death. Now, there's just
one way that'll make all safe, and set your
mind at ease, and that is that you should
just marry me out of hand, and give me the
right to protect you. Once my wife, l
shouldn't care if your stepfather and all the
gang came after you let them lay finger
on you at their peril, while Pm alive and
have right to interfere. Will you, Lucy I?
It's the best thing to be done, trust my word
for it. don't mean to pretend that | am
doing it for your sake entirely" "added John
with broad smile, "for 1 amt. / want
YOU for my own sake the worst way, but
both ways will be gain so, unless you
have something against me, say "yes,"
Lucy, and We'll have the parSOn over to-
morrow, and make all safe. Will you,
Lucy?"
"Oh, how could I have anything against
you ?" replied Lucy with the sweetest
blush.
"Well," declared John, moment after,
as he raised his head from his first long
lovers kiss, "noW forgive Mrs. Nash ~
KILKENNY CATs.-The story has been so
long current that it has become proverb-
''as quarrelsome as the Kilkenny catS"-