Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-23
Am Original Storg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
A RASH EXPERIMENT.
az MISS M. LEE.
BY MISS M. LEE.
CHAPTER x

BY MISS M. LEE.
.. CHAPTER x.
have said that Elizabeth tried her best
to sleep; but she did not succeed.
put it to any of my feminine readers
would they, in her place, have succeeded? ?
Here was legitimate opportunity for
gratifying consuming and long-checked
desire. Wasit within the bounds of reason
able expectation that such an opportunity
would be deliberately and wilfully over
looked?
The harder she tried to WOO the drowsy
god, the wider awake she grew. Her men-
tai vision traversed the darkness, and pen
etrated the hitherto forbidden boundaries
of the mysterious apartment, which she was
was at liberty to enter. She thought about
it until the thought became positive tor
ment; and at last-must it be confess
ed?-with sigh at her own weakness, she
rose from her pillow, slipped on her dress
ing robe, and struck a. light. In another
moment she had crossed the threshold OF
the door, and stood looking vaguely around.
She saw all sorts of odds and ends lying
about confusedly; and her first thought
was that she would 60 to work at the ear
liest opportunity and put everything to
rights. ). ,,:o W. uoo,, hoe hoon
busted once! How foolish of Harry not to
let me keep it in order! No matter, it
won't look this way much longer. Just see
the litter on the table, and the pile OF things
in that corner! Books, newspapers, q pipe,
a portfolio, a collar that ought to 60 in the
wash, handkerchief stained with ink, or
some other black stuff, and-what's this?
hat?" ..
It was certainly hat-but what was
there in that fact to blanch her face, and
bring such startled look into her eyes?
It was jaunty little affair, turned up at
the side and fastened with rosette; a gay
feather curled around the brim scarlet ends
depended from the back; and on the paper
thatlined the crown inside, the name Mol
lien was written in q bold masculine hand.
A Woman's hat, without doubt. And
how had it come there?
Was it any wonder that at that moment
the contents of the anonymous note, nearly
consigned to oblivion, should suddenly pre-
sent themselves with fatal distinctness to
her memory and that one especial sentence
seemed to stand out in living characters be-
fore her eyes-"Ask yoatr husband aohat lady
aoas admitted into the room that opens on the
cross-enty on Wednesday night lost' at t'oe'ce
o'cJock?"
'It is not lady's hat," said poor Eliza
IL,
hand. "No lady would wear such a thing
but an actress might, or circus girl"
She laid it on the table, and turning away
walked with unsteady steps to her rocking
chair, and sat down. She did not know
what she thought or feared; she felt cold
and stupefed, and was trembling in all her
limbs.
Had she, then, really been deceived? :?
Was Harry not the true and honorable man
she had always believed him to be-?
She crossed her arms on the. table, and
could not cry her eyes felt hot, and lead
en- weight seemed to press on her forehead,
making it ache and throb. She wondered,
in s. vague, dull way, that she should have
felt so light-hearted and happy only few
minutes before. Would she ever be happy
again?
Perhaps it was because her nerves had
been overwrought lately, that her discovery
should affect her so strongly; perhaps 1T was
that subtle illness had been for hours or
days past creeping into her blood-she had
once or twice felt chilly sensation come
over her-and chose just this moment to de-
velop itself; but as she raised her head, and
looked slowly around with CLASSY eyes, the
whole room seemed suddenly to swim with
her, and she lost Stconsciousness. When Har-
nv came in, he found her in burning fever,
and from her incoherent talk he soon gath
cred what had occurred. He rushed Otf in
a fright for the nearest physician, who came,
pronounced her attack purely nervous, gave
her a soothing dose, and enjoined strict quiet
for the next twelve hours.
AS Harry could not 60 to his uncle in the
morning, he dispatched a note to the hotel
making his excuses, and soon afterwards
Mr. Monteith answered the note in person.
Elizabeth was now sleeping TRANQUILITY;
and the two gentlemen sat in the next room,
talking earnestly. Harry gave his uncle
doing, and ended by asking him if he con-
sidered that he was very much to blame.
"All things counted up, don't know that
you are" "replied the old gentleman. "Your
first step was really the wrong one-I don't
mean your marriage, but what followed it
and having got yourself into a dilemma,
you were bound to work yourself out of it
in the best way that you could find. And
you say you have never told your wife,"
she would consider it sort of disgrace-at
any rate knew it would give her shock,
and wanted to spare her the modification
of knowing that her husband was engaged
in such profession. You know she has
been very strictly brought up, and her nat
ural prejudices would all have been against
me-"
- QOn't know WneCner IL WOulu HOG nave
been better to offend those prejudices, than
to carry on such an uncomfortable sort of
concealment," said Mr.. Monteith.
"It was more than uncomfortable was
horrible" rejoined Harry. 81 can't tell
you, sir, how I have suffered"
"You had to choose between two evils,
and presume it was hard Tor you to decide
which was the worst. But now do you in
tend to make clean breast of it,"
81 suppose must, as soon as she RECEIVERS;
in fact assured her that 1 would, when l
could get another place."
"The sooner the better for her peace of
mind, I should say. And if you'll take
my advice, nephew, you'll let the whole
matter be kept secret in future among us
three. don't know that / should care to
have any outsiders learn that you had ever
been in that style of business, even for few
weeks"
''I assure you, sir" replied Harry, color
ing deeply, 81 shall be too glad to let this
episode in my life remain forever buried in
oblivion"
"Well," said Mr. Monteith as he rose to
90, las have already told you, shall be
obliged to leave St. Louis tonight. You
and Elizabeth can pack up and follow as
soon as it suits your convenience to do So"
'It will not be long before we are with
you," replied Harry. "And l hope, sir,
that have sufficiently expressed my sense
of your kindness, and the deep obligations
I feel"
"Nonsense," briefly said his uncle. "We'll
start fair and square again, and say nothing
about what's past. You've simply been on
a wedding tour, and are cOmmlng back to