Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-08-06

knew where, and Rena felt herself the
cause. But with her remorse for that, min
gled an undeniable sense of relief that they
were gone.
She married in due time and went away
on the bridal tour.
One afternoon, as she sat looking from the
window of the hotel where they were stop
ping for day or two, she saw lady and
gentleman come in.
They were Fred Mercer and his mother.
Both were very much altered, she saw, even
in the brief glimpse she got of them as she
drew back quickly her white face.
Had they seen her?
In five minutes she knew. Some one
knocked. 1t was Mrs. Mercer. She spoke
very coldly and hurriedly. ..
''My son is just out of the insane asylum" "
she said. ellis father was so; hekilled him
self. I ought to have told you, but l could
not bear to tell anyone. The doctors pro-
nounced Fred cured, but he is very excita-
BILE. Rena, don't let Fred see you. Pm
afraid he has already, for he positively re-
fuses to leave the hotel"
''He sha'n't see me-" Rena answered, her
white and trembling lips refusing to utter
another word.
The conviction smote her that he had
seen her, and that he would try to speak
with her. She had not forgotten his last
words:
s'If 1 can ever make you suffer as you
have me, I will do it,"
Her husband was asleep in the next room.
She passed into it, and stood looking at
him.
A fair frank-faced man he was, with curly
brown hair and lips that smiled even in
slumber-not much like the other of whom
she was thinking with such dread.
ha bI1rt
through you, my darling," she thought.
One window of this room looked upon a
small-fower garden belonging to the hotel:
AS she stood she raised her eyes to it, and
she saw Fred Mercer standing on the ter
race outside, and gazing into the apartment.
With one hand he held the curtain back,
with the other he motioned her to come
towards him.
Involuntarily she went, though his death
white face, his glittering black eyes, turned
her sick with fear. Was he mad again ?
Oh if her husband would only wake.
Her visitor loosed the curtain and laid q
cold hand upon her bare shrinking arm.
''I've come to keep my word," he said in
a whisper. "That is your husband there,
it is not ?" and he took pistol slowly out
of his breast and pointed it at the sleeping
man. "Utter one sound," he said, "and l
shoot"
But the caution was needless. Rena was
too frozen with horror to either speak or
move.
"You love him, I suppose?" he went on.
"At last, at this moment, you suffer some,
at least, of those pangs you once made me
endure"
Rena could not have moved or spoken if
she had tried.
She Just stood and stared at him, and
wished John would wake, and prayed in
wardly with all her soul:
"Dear God, don't let me faint. 1t isn't
John who is to blame, but me, and you
know am wicked girl better than l can
tell you."
Which was indeed very true.
However, to make a long story short,
Rena Arundel did faint, and her husband
was awakened by the sound Of her falling.
Fred Mercer stood inside the room now.
II am an old acquaintance of your wife,"
he said, in answer to his stare OF amaze
ment. "She was standing at the window
talking to me, when something frightened
her and she tainted"
At this moment Rena opened her eyes.
She was in her husbands arms and he
was saying to Fred Mercer in a very stern
voice:
81 know all about you. The best thing
you can do is to leave"
Rena shuddered, but to her amazement
Mercer instantly passed through the low
window, and, standing outside, turned and
looked at her.
II beg Mrs. John Arundel's pardon for
keeping my words so literally true to her.
I shall never trouble her again."
And he was gone.
Rena clung to her husband cOnvulsively.
II am the WickedeSt girl that ever lived,
John. Fred Mercer has just come out Of the
insane asylum. There is madness in his
family, and if he goes back again it will be
my fault. =,
HE won't 20 back-no fear, my darling,"
her husband answered soothingly.
There was long silence, and then Rena,
without lifting her head from her husbands
shoulder said:
"John, am wicked girl, am not?"
John Arundel laughed.
"You are my darling"
ut is million times more than / de-
serve," she said: land you are the best
man that ever lived to love me so, knowing
my faults"
81 don't think you have any,"
"That is just the way you men all talk !;
and you help us tiirt-you know you do"
II don't doubtit, my darling. Men are as
bad flirts as women, and / think they do
just as much mischief"
eyes, l suppose So" Rena answered
sadly.
And here is where 1 believe in Rena.
They were in society, and she was much
admired, but she never became married
hirt.
She had girls of her own in the course of
time, and they got the benefit of her exper-
ience and remorse in such earnest and oft
repeated words of caution as they never
forgot.