Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-07-16

rush over her, and she caught hold of the
chair-back for support, when she saw tall
sheeted form standing motionless in the
doorway, but she was at bay, and after the
first few moments of terror, she found her
voice.
"Who are you? and what do you want ?"
Miss Justine had not provided for that
question, not crediting her cousin with
courage enough to ask it, but an answer
was not needed.
A great owl had taken up his abode in
the hall, and disturbed by the unusual
sounds, and the flicker of a candlelight, he
gave one awful hoot, and Tapping his wings,
SWOoped down over the head of the ghost
into the room.
1t was more than the waiting-maid could
bear.
"Oh, Lord, Miss Rilla, what is it ?" she
shrieked and tearing her ghostly raiment
off, fled to the girl for protection.
It was case of "run, black devil, white
devil catch you," and after recovering from
her astonishment, Rilla laughed aloud.
"Sarah, what does this mean"
"Miss Justine made me do it. Don't
don't let the thing touch me? l didn't
want to do it,"
But after knocking down the chart, which
fell with crash, and upsettlng the candle,
the owl flew out at the window and van
ished.
Rilla soothed her terrified companion, re-
lit the candle, and then essayed to pick up
the broken chart. But the frame fell to
pieces, and out from the back of it rolled
bundle of papers.
Meanwhile, all went merry as marriage
bell at the party. Bessie left it to Justine
to make excuses for Rilla, and that young
lady did so with the best grace in the world,
and then she danced and fiirted as though
she had not care on her mind.
But timid Bessie suffered cruel anxiety,
and she drew breath of relief when late in
the evening Paul Daverant entered the
room.
He glanced slowly around, and shade of
disappointment crossed his handsome face.
"Where is Rilla, Miss Sage?" he inquired
as soon as he reached Bessie.
That question loosened Bessie's tongue,
gentleman, who listened with quietness
the gathering fire in his eyes belied.
He glanced at his watch.
'It is time the joke ended. If you are
ready, wewill 60 together. 1fnot1"
"Oh, yes, am glad to go! Call BERTHE,
and will speak to Miss Pendrynn."
Justine smiled disagreeably, but think
ing that it would not do to 60 too far, she
made no objection to an early departure, but
gave her version of the little joke, and
all called Rilla silly child for taking any
one so literally.
The others listened in silence, and Bessie
clasped her hands and strained her eyes
through the gloom to catch the first sight of
the Grange, but there was keener pair OF
eyes watching, also, and the horses had
hardly been pulled up before the gate when
Dayerant dashed open the carriage-door
and sprang out.
All his careless indifference, his languid
nonchalance, fell from him under the pres
sure of fear and anxiety.
He entered the empty, echoing house.
He mounted the stairs two at time, softly
yet clearly Calling
"Rilla, Rilla"
She met him in the doorway of her
grandfather's bedroom, but radiant and
unharmed.
"Rilla, love ?" he cried, and snatched her
to his breast with hurried, passionate words
of love.
"Is it true: Do you really care for ."
she said, in a sort of glad wonder.
$50 we'll that if you had come to harm
this night my peace and Joy would have
been forever destroyed" he said, bending
his lips to hers.
In her happiness she could afford to be
charitable, and she explained the presence
of the waiting-maid with as little blame
to her cousin as possible, and then came q
brief account of the fall of the chart and
leading him near the candle, she held
folded paper out to him to examine.
"What is it?" he inquired, struck by
some subtitle change in her.
"Grandpa's last will, hidden in the back
of that frame. Oh, Paul, you loved me
without the money, but I am glad, your
wife will not come to you pennilesss.
''Let her come as she may, she will al
ways be my best beloved, my dearest" ne
said, with tenderness. after all, malice
can overreach ITSELF" he continued, and they
went down stairs hand in had, the fright
ened maid closely following. IF your
cousin had left you in peace the will might
never have been found"
And so she thought, railing bitterly
against herself and all the world, when
made to comprehend what had occurred.
AS for Lawyer Sage, he rubbed his hands
and said,-
81 knew he could not have destroyed the
will, and 1 always felt that the old chart
had something to do with it,"