Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-07-28
Lord, Lord! What is the matterf'

~IeG me come In ana speak 10 you, MTS
Mead" said the girl in low whisper. II
am leaving father and mother for good, but
have no strength to walk all the way to
Winston without living voice to give me
word of comfort and advise me-"
ITO Winston! This time o night! But
come in, come in!" cried the old woman,
lowering her voice with involuntary relish of
this new mystery that had come to her very
door, and looking backward at the staircase
to make sure the tailor was not listening.
"Leaving father and mother for goodp
said she, leading Jenny to chair, and push
ing the candle cloSs to her that she might see
her face "Whatever are you doing that
fort"
because father suspects me Of speaking
falsely" answered Jenny: sand I cannot bide
with him to be thought sinful, and spurned
at by the people"
"And for that your are leaving homer e1-
claimed the old woman, who showed no
symptom Of sleepiness. "And you are going
to Winstonl What to do there, Miss Jennyl"
@My cousin, Bridget Lloyd, lives at Mar
Piles, and the coach passes Winston at eight
in the morning. To Marples am going, to
ask Bridget to give ME shelter until 1 can
find my living"
"Well, indeed! And do ye mean to walk
five mile tonight? Why, ye says t. coach
doth not pass before eight, and where will
ye stay till it comes:"
u have not thought" answered Jenny with
a heavy sigh "But I will not sto p in Grey
stone to be mocked Oh. Mrs. Mead! to-mor-
row morning father would take me to Lon
don to show him the church where I was
married, and this cannot do. What then
will he think2 But it is not only because
cannot prove myself my dearest ones wife
that I am leaving home Because father
thinks me wicked sinner and a liar l am
running away, and because all the town who
have not fathers heart for me will think
worse things of Jenny. Oh, may God lend
me wisdom to know the right thing to do,
and forgive me the sorrow this night cause
my mother"
She bit her lip cruelty to restrain her tears,
for she feared that the sight Of them would
move Mrs. Mead to hinder her desperate reso-
luton.
Before you move a step or say another
word, ye shall have something to mend your
spirits with" said the old woman, briskly,
and entered her bedroom, whence in few
moments she returned, with a gown and
shawl on, and, going to cupboard, produced
a little flask Of cherry cordial, Of which she
obliged Jenny to swallow glassful
ut is strange thing for you to do," said
she, resuming her chair and twisting her
scant gray tresSes into knot at the back of
her head. "Doth your cousin, Mrs Lloyd,
know you are coming to hers"
No" Jenny answered II did not make
I'D nv mind to leave home till father told me
70 get ready to quit for London with him in
the morning. should fear to be with him
if we could rot find the church. If he does
not think ME truthful then l am sinner to
him, and not fit for his house; and that Is
why am leaving him forever"
Her eyes flashed as she spoke, and the hard
look of her mouth might have reminded Mrs
Mead of the deacon at his sternest But the
anger melted away, and she cried piteously,
"You will tell my poor mother thatyou have
seen me, and why have left hers Fathers
harshness to me is breaking her heart, and
what will she do when she finds her rretty
one gone" and she pauSel again to battle
with her tears.
aMi$ Jenny, if ye are wise, yell 60 home" }"
said Mrs. Mead, nodding her head. "Why,
what'l folks say when it's known you've room
away? Sure enough they'll call ye guilty
wench, and you would not like that"
HThey will call me that if l stay-why
should they not, if father thinks it?-and
never could 60 into the street, nor meet
human eyes, with this shame upon me" she
cried, despairingly.
ats hard to know! it's hard to know!'
groaned the old woman. "Would We wish
your mother to hear where you are"
"No!" she answered quickly. $50 that
am living and with friends. as you must tell
her, Mrs. Mead, she will not despair But
no one must be toll where anl-not one,
Mrs. Mead. Promise ME that! Swear it,"
all swear it if you please. Mrs. Jenny" u"
replied Mrs. Mead, sympathe:i"al giving
the girl wifely prefix. "But before ye
make me take an oath just think awhile. II
swear, they may drown me AMI not get the
truth. Suppose Mr.. Cuthbert-'
"Ahw exclaimed the girl, with short,
passionate cry, "if h, should come-why.
why, Mrs. Mead, you would tell him in
stantly; he would be eager and mad to find
me, and I to lie with him. o. heavenly
Lord! if thou wouldst but give him to ME
now!' she cried, raising her clasped hands,
while her voice died away into a soft. cx-
quisitely musical plaintive note.
u don't like this business-truly would
rather have no hand in it." said Mrs Mead,
slowly turning her face from side to side
"Thy father would come and burn my house
down if he knew had helped you to leave
the town"