Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-23
have had hard thoughts of ME lately,


She was silent, but he saw her lips CULVER
"You remember promised to tell you
all about this nightly business of mine, as
soon as I should be able to quit it for some
thing better. Will it horrify you very
much to know that have been for the last
month enrolled among the burnt cork fra
ternity?"
"BIrnt cork !" wonderingly repeated Eliz-
abeth. "What is that""
"Don't you know? it's a term used to
describe the Ethiopian unsatisfactory
blacken their faces and hands, and So"
"Oh, I have heard of them. never saw
them perform, she interrupted. "And you
you mean to say, Harry, that you have
been one of them?"
"Can you forgive me for descending so
low ?'
"Forgive you oh, Harry, if you knew
what a load you have taken from my heart.
But why-oh, why didn't you tell me be-
fore ?"
"Why, 1 thought you would feel so dread
fully mortified-I wanted to spare your feel
such an occupation if could have found
anything more respectable, but you know
how hard pressed was"
swell, 1 suppose it was pretty bad" said
Elizabeth. "But don't know much about
these things; have never been to any sort
of theatre in my life"
"Ofcourse you understand now that [ kept
my door locked because l wanted to avoid
discovery, and often some little thing that
might have betrayed me would be left in
sight; part of my dress, for instance, that
I would bring home in a hurry, and forget
the next time I went out; you know how
careless and forgetful am. Lately L was
chosen to act female part, in the place of
of one of the troupe who got leave of ab-
sence. And now you know the secret of the
hat that you saw when you went to the
room last night. When / found that had
forgotten to lock the door, I was enraged at
myself; for though I did not mean to keep
my secret much longer, I preferred reveal
ing in my own way"
"And I thought you had left the door
open on purpose for me to go inland
Harry, were you the lady that came there
that night-last Wednesday night?"
ooh! I forgot. You don't know. Open
the little drawer of my desk, and you will
see note, torn in two. Read it, and you
will make some excuse for my behavior to
you lately"
Harry brought the fragments to the bed
side, and perused them with varying ex-
pressions Of establishment, anger and dis
gust.
"Who could have dared to write this !"
he exclaimed. "But you, Elizabeth sure
ly you did not wrong me so far as to believe
such base fabrication 2"
II did not, Harry-indeed, 1 did not. l
knew it must be false; but afterwards such
torturing thoughts kept coming-and there
was so much mystery-and last night when
not imagine whose it was-altogether it
seemed too much for me; and the uncer-
tainty, and the knowing that the person
who wrote the note suspected you of doing
wrong things, and my own helplessness and
ignorance, lust broke me down. l lost my
head for little while, think. If / had
been in my senses I would more clearly
have seen the folly of it ALL"
"My poor little girl! No wonder you
were wrought up to believe all sorts Of evil
but this note-I'd like to find out the per-
son who wrote it. Of course, you have no
sort of suspicion ?"
"None in the world-and I hope shall
never find out. Burn it now, Harry, please,
and let US forget all about it. 1t shall not
do me any more harm."
She watched the paper curl and blacken
in the fame, and gave long sigh of relief.
sob! 1 am so happy again." she said.
''Tell me all your plans now-have youseen
your uncle yet 2"
Eyes, he was here this morning; and
he has been very friendly and generous, and
wants us to 60 back
II knew he would! On, Harry, L like
him so much"
"And I can tell you that you have quite
won his heart. He isa good old fellow in the
main; but I never really knew what stuff
he was made of until now. [ am to return
to the bank with an increase of salary and
he insisted on filling my purse, so that we
have more than enough for all present
needs, and our travelling expenses besides.
How soon do you think you will be able to
bear the journey home?"
81 can start to-day-this minute, if you
wish it," said Elizabeth gaily. II am quite
we'll again. was sick from sheer misery
and nothing else."
another moments misery on my account
said Harry, fervently. "After this, my
darling, there shall never be secret be-
tween us-this experience has taught me to
dread the idea of the slightest concealment,
or any shadow of suspicion, for either of
us. In my first relief at finding that was
able to provide for our bodily needs, new
er considered that 1 was endangerlng our
mental comfort by undertaking such rash
experiment"
Elizabeth in a day or two was as we'll as
ever; and there was no delay in the prepara-
tions for the journey, which both were
equally impatient to commence. They fol-
lowed Mr.. Monteith within week, and on
their arrival were installed by him in the
most comfortable quarters which his roomy
establishment afforded. Here Elizabeth
was hidden to make herself at home; and
Mr.. Monteith requested that she would
thenceforth consider herself the mistress of
the house, and regulate all things according
to her pleasure.
AS may be imagined, her pleasure was to
provide with gentle kindness and consider
alton, for that of others; and she soon made
herself beloved in her new sphere. AS to
Harry's uncle, he speedily became so fond
of her as to wonder how he could ever have
found his home complete without her pres
ence. a few weeks after their return, he
suggested that she should write and request
a visit from her parents. And Reuben and
Prudence, filled with trepidatiOn at the
thought of leaving home, yet unable to re-
sist so great a temptation as the prospect
of enjoying their darling child's company
again, accepted the invitation.
When she had been embraced by both
of them, and cried over by Prudence, the
latter, turning to her husband, said in
joyful tone
''Now thee sees, Reuben, how happy our
Lisbeth's marriage has turned out after all,
in spite of the gloomy representations of
those who wished to persuade US that we
had done wrong in sending her into the
world. And the world is surely not so evil
as some believe! / wish Friend Simpson
could see Lisbeth in this fair home, sur
rounded by such comfort and encompassed
with tender care"
"Does thee think, Prudence" rejoined
II ,l,0o ~fh cr,1,n