Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-11-05
the prosperous village below, said to Lo-

sette::
allow far away the rest of the world
seems when we are up here. Oughtn't we
to be able to rise above all the selfish mo-
tives and the old quarrels that control us
down there?"
eyes, oh yes" said Losette, "if it were
only as easy as climbing to this place.
forget what happened here-the crime!"
'Crime ?" he repeated. "Who knows that
it was one?" 1 have always thought it
was simply an accident"
Losette trembled. "But I can prove to
you that it was not an accident" She fall
tered. "You ought to know. l must tell
YOU"
"Tell me what" he asked, anxiously.
'This," answered Losette, drawinga pa
per from her pocket. "Once, when I was
looking over some. old things at home,
1 found the confession which my great
grandfather left at his death. 1t was nev-
forgotten in our own family. Perhaps, even
my father doesn't know of it. But here is
the copy made. See"
Forester glanced at the writing and
read the revelation of old PennePs guilty
wish to slay his neighbor-how he had
threatened him and hurried him to that
backward step over the rock, which had
caused his death. At first he remained 81
lent; then he said, "what does it matter af-
ter all, Losette:"
"Mattern cried the girl. "It matters this,
that Pm the direct descendant of-oh,, don't
make me say it ~ (She bowed her head.)
"Of man who was murderer"
"No; you shall not say So" Forester
exclaimed. "You must take back that word
and forget it. This old history is passed and
gone. 1t is like legend. 1t has nothing
to do with us. The Harding blood has min
gled with other stock in the last two
generations. 1t is no longer the same.
And look at me. 1 do not even bear my
great-grandfather's name. We belong to a
new race. We live for ourselves. Why
should the past overshadow us always"
"Why," retorted Losette, should this cliff
always overhang Rock Tower. l tell you
it is destiny. We can't escape from the
shadow of that old misdeed until there
has been some eXpiation, and there has
this curse pursuing me. 1 cannot, Arthur.
1 will notn'
AS she ceased speaking Forrester's ear
caught faint, clanking sound that rose
through the air from far below.
"What's that" he asked suddenly.
They drew near the edge of the preci-
pice together and peered over it. "Oh,"
said Losette, "that is fathers men at work.
they are drilling the rock to give more
room for his lumber yard, you know, and
to build the road up the side of the noun
tain.'
Forester took her hand and drew her
say that one of these days the rock is going
to fall and destroy the Village with every
body in it. Are you going to wait till then
before you put aside this nightmare of the
past that paralyzes us and holds me back
from happiness?'
'Oh, don't know how long, Arthur, but
I must waitn And she flung herself upon
his breast. "Oh, Arthur, what is to become
of us =? Save me! Save mel"
Strange situation. Here was this dark
haired girl, whose forefather had sought the
life Of ForreSter's ancestor, clinging to him
and imploring help. Help against what?"
The blue-eyed tawny-bearded young man
standing almost on the spot where Salmon
Drew had taken his last breath of life hard
ly knew what her appeal meant; yet he felt
that some dreadful doom impended which
would overtake them both unless he acted
promptly.
"IfI am to save you," he said, ''you must
rely implicitly on me. Are you ready to 40
so now? Will you make up yourmind to put
yourself in my care this day and for life ?'
"Not yet" she begged. "Give me time.
Let me think"
'There may not be much time for u.s."
said Forester, influenced by his presenti-
ment. ''But 1 will do this Losette: l will
wait week, and then you shall meet me
here precisely at this hour. Will you prom
ise?"
eyes," she whispered.
mo matter what the circumstances may
be or whatever the Obstacles" he persisted,
twill you Gomez"
"Yes, l will come," said Losette, and so
they parted.
The week went by in the ordinary way.
Every one was busy; the neighbors went to
and fro about their affairs. Now and then
a loiterer paused to watch Harding's men
blasting at the foot of the rock. "Ain't you
kind Of 'fraid you'll undermine that old
steeple? ?" he would ask, playfully.
"No, guess not" Harding, answered in
his usual CHEEKY way. Its likely to stand
about as long as we do"
Better blow the whole darned thing
away and use it for building stone," the lOi-
terer would suggest. "We'd all feel safer if
you did"
These obvious remarks were made so
many times that Harding began to take a
cynical view of the average capacity for
humor. Toward the end of the week rain
storm of phenomenal violence set in, so that
ne had to stop work. The streets of Rock
Tower were almost flooded, and masses Of
earth were washed down from the heights.
Then there came a day of intense, prostrat-
ing heat. The inhabitants found it difficult
to move about, and retired to their houses.
The hour Of the appointment advanced.
Arthur Forester awaited it anxiously, and
although well nigh overcome with lassitude,
started to climb to the top of Rock Tower
by a devious path. When he had nearly
scaled the slope, he paused to look anxious
ly for some trace of Losette. He could see
her house, and he was able to make out that
Harding was on the porch. The next mo-
ment Harding went indoors. Arthur grew
dizzy. Was it the effect of the heat? A
murmur seemed to arise from the ground; !;
there was quivering movement in the air.
All at once Arthur beheld the solid pile of
rock bend forward silently, slide, topple
and rush with mighty sweep upon the vii
lage which he had just left.
A roar as Of a thousand cataracts filled his
ears. Then all was silent. But where his
own house and Harding's had stood there
was now only waste Of broken rock and
debris. The cliff had fallen and had moved
a clean swath through the village, to the
railroad, shaken down by an earthquake.
The young man remained where he was,
all but petrified. One thought only occupied
him now. Had Losette perished with the
others? A narrow rift had opened in the
hillside, at his very feet. While he was
gazing about him and wondering where to
turn in search of Losette he heard her voice.
She was there above him stretching her
hand across the rift. She had came to meet
her lover and was saved!