Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-04-01
The Sturp Teller.
MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.

| John brought her TO the 1arm-a dark Skill
ned, velvet eyed girl, with a light step
like that of some beautiful panther stealing
over the forest leaves. / was preserving
grapes in the kitchen, with big white
apron tied around my waist, and my hair
tucked away behind the frills of muslin
cap, when John opened the door and said to
me:
"Mother, dear, here is daughter for
youw
"a daughter" I echoed, dropping the
glass jar to the ground, where it shivered
into a score of sparkling pieces. For this
was the first had heard of my sons mar
riage. "John Murray, what on earth do
you mean?"
"Didn't you get my letter, mother? ?"
said he.
l had received no letter and told him
so.
"That's unfortunate" said John grave
ly. "But 1 can tell you now what I wrote
you last week-that Pm married to Juliet
Percy. Have you no welcoming kiss for
my wife,"
Mechanically 1 kissed her but there was
no heart in the action.
"Come into the parlor, my dear, and take
off your hat and shawl. suppose you are
very tired with your journey and would like
cup of tea."
Juliet did not answer, only looked at me
with her dark, solemn eyes.
"For mercy's sake, who is she?" asked
John, when he came to me out in the gar
den, where I was gathering peaches to slice
up for tea. "Where did you meet her?
And how did you come to marry her in
this unexpected way?"
"She is the daughter of Percival Percy,
the actor. He boarded at the same house
where I did and died suddenly from an
overdose of morphine. She was left utter
ly alone and unprovided for, and / got in
terested in her before I knew it,"
"Humph!" was my comment
"You will try to love her, mother, for
my sake, urged John, laying his hand ca
ressingly on my shoulder. could feel the
sudden tears brimming into my eyes.
"John," cried I, 81 would try to love
cook maid or beggar girl, if you brought
her home here, and asked me to love her.
But, it may not be such an easy task"
Mrs. Deacon Dodley came to tea the next
day, and told her all about it.
"She seems a pretty girl enough" said
Mrs. Dodley.
'But she's such mere child," said I,
'and as inanimate as block of wood. And
an actors daughter at that. John has mar
ried her merely out of pity, and 1 hope he
won't live to repent his rash Quixotism,
that's ALL"
"Do you really mean it?"
"Heas good as told me so himself" said l.
When the tea-bell rang, Juliet was no.
where to be found.
II suppose she has gone out to the field to
meet her husband" said 1. ''These young
married people are so silly. We won't wait
tea for them, Mrs. Dodley."
The meal, however, was but half over,
when John came in, very pale, and with
set look about the muscles of his mouth
which 1 had never before seen there.
"Mother," cried he, passionately, "What
is this thing that you have done?"
"I?" echoed l, in amazement.
"You have driven my wife away from
me?"
"John ~
~ met Juliet just now, hurrying down
the road, with bundle under her arm. She
told me you had said to Mrs. Dodley that 1
had married her merely out of pity. She
declared to me that 1 was free once and for
ever. I could not stop nor pacify her, poor,
tortured child; but gathered from her in
coherent talk that she was going to her
friend, Mrs, Bigh, who kept the New York
clearinghouse. Get me my things, moth
er. will follow her there at once"
But when he reached Mrs. Blighs house
Juliet had not been there. And no trace
could he find of her anywhere.
He came back to the farm, looking full ten
years older.
"Mother," said he, hoarsely "this is your
work."
ooh! John! John!" was all that could
say, as wrung my hands in mute despair.
81 didn't mean any harm! l didn't, in
deed!"
"You have blighted my life!" he said,
bitterly. "And poor, poor little Juliet
God only knows what has become of her"
l can hardly remember how that autumn
and winter passed away, but it was the next
spring, just as the crocuses began to show
their emerald points through the vailing
snow that covered the March world, when
John fell ill of typhoid fever. And in his
delirium he kept calling day and night for
"Juliet Julietn' He never mentioned his
mothers name; he never looked up into
my face with eyes of tender recognition !;
but he fancied himself looking for lost
child in the woods, and the name of that
child, repeated ever and anon like a sad re-
frain, was "Juliet!"
"Who is Juiet?" the city doctor we had
called in, suddenly asked. "Whoever she
is, let her come to him. 1t may be his SAL
vation."
And then l was forced to tell him all.
"Put an advertisement in the personal
column of the daily paper" said the doctor.
"Do you think it will do any good?" l
asked, piteously and he answered.:
"It is worth the trial, at all events"
was sitting at the kitchen table that
very evening, studying out the form OF an
advertisement chose the kitchen SO that
the light of the lamp should not annoy my
Door boy-when the curious magnetic thrills
which sometimes announce to us the pres
ence of another humanity than our own in
the room, crept through my veins, and
looking up with start saw-Juliet!
Standing on the threshold, dark-skinned
and velvet eyed, just as she had stood that
radiant September afternoon when first
saw her.