Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-09-15

choose, and the greater her love, the greater
may be the doubt as to its return from you,
unless such return be shown clearly, unmis-
takably.
met Blanche the next day. Possibly I
carried this thought in my eye for as it met
hers there seemed in the lighting up Of her
features a recognition of it. She took my
offered hand with frank, winning smile,
and an openness Of manner which said more
than any words could have done Words,
after all, are but one means for conveying
thought, and not always the strongest
She desired to return to the Bar as soon as
possible, being still anxious on her uncle's
account
We Travelled on horseback The moon was
at its full as we rode back to the Bar to-
gether.
But my trials were not yet over. I had
the greatest Of all to meet. I was burdened
with sense Of over-much obligation to a
woman. Three times had this girl steppel
in and served me at q crisis; first in loaning
ME money; second in rescuing me from the
high-binders; thirdly in confirming my story
at the trial. She had performed all the
practical chivalry in the affair, and looking
over the whole matter, felt sense of
humiliation.
I was silent. Possibly she felt my depres-
sion. Moods may travel from mind to mind
in close rapport as well as words
"What are you thinking of, Johnr said
she.
A month previous should have evaded the
question, and said: "Of nothing in particu-
lar" Latterly had come to the conclusion
that between some individuals, at least, the
fewer secrets of any sort the better; the
some" being limited in this case to two.
1t was hard work to speak my thought 1t
seemed to resist my attempt to drag it out.
1t would bury itself deeper than ever within
my breast. And when hesitated it conjured
up Immediately series Of evasions, with
plausible reasons for using them.
shook them Off and said: Blanche, the
trouble is now that you've played the mans
part all through and the woman's, and now
that it's all over want to 60 and hide myself
somewhere"
"You feel, then, under too much obligation
to womanl"
"Well, that's about what 1 mean," 1 re-
piled.
Suppose" she asked, "our situations were
reversed, and you had been Of the service to
me that you say have to you, how would it
be proper for ma to feel!"
"Oh, WELL" 1 replied, "you know what's
generally expected Of the man in these mat
ters."
Expected by whom2" she asked.
"By the world-people, everybody"
"And what right has the world-people,
'everybody-to expectl What! That the
man should bear Off all the honors Of knight
ly service, while the woman stays at home
and does fancy works Has the world any
particular business in these matters, which
concern Blanche Seton and John Holdera
Listen, John: there is side to your case.
Pardon me if I take the liberty Of arguing
it for you I do so the better to
argue my own. It is not, admit, easy or
tion to the worlds verdict or opinion in any
matter. Nor may it always be wise, cer-
tainly not profitable, so to do. The world
does expect the man to act the mans part in
all that concerns the woman. The world is
right also in this respect, though the mascu-
line half does not always fully carry its SEN
timents. But when a woman sees an oppor
tunity to serve the man she loves will she re-
fuse to so serve him if the opportunity does
not take the shape she desiresl Certainly,
my womanly instincts recoiled from facing
the crowd that night in the hollow. Ger
tainly, had rather not have faced that
court room full Of men, and in this country,
where now a woman Is a show, stared at
and stared through with a sentiment
far more Objectionable than mere
p,,t
else to act at the time! Was not COM
PEELED to do as I did quite as much for my
own sake as yours, for had I not so done
would not my responsibility in the matter,
had harm came to you, have haunted and
harassed ME ever afterward! Was it not
circumstance, after all, that reversed the sit
uation, and would you not do the same for
me9 OF course you would. should expect
it of you. l mean by ''expect" that know
you have it in you so to do. Be assured,
John, that if you wish to stand well with me,
you will not lack for opportunities to act like
a man. And now is there any other griev-
anceN
"There is that affair Of the fandango
house"
do you wish to exchange your present
nightF' she asked archly.
AS some sort Of luck would have it, we
were obliged to pass through camp that
very night where one Of these standing revels
was in full blast and quite open to our inspec-
ton from the street. I turned my head
away.
1T does not seem so interesting to you as
formerly" she remarked.
sits not fair to hit man when he's down."
replied.
"Well, John, you know the way Of the
transgressor is hard. shall not punish you
often by these raminders-say once year,
when your memory needs reviving"
CHAPTER XIII.
BACK AGAIN.
ALI Eastport was shaken from center 20 cir
cumference People buzzed the news on the
street 1t was the first item dealt that morn
ing by Varney, thu gossipy storekeeper, to his
customers over the counter Deacon Hodges,
who kept the grocery at the corner, was so
full of it that he filled Miss Pelter's pail with
vinegar instead of the molasses she asked for.
Miss Pelter was so full Of it that she did not
discover the mistake until reaching home.
In the pals bottom were discernible a pair
of spectacles. They were the deacon's. He
had dropped them there in his abstraction
and the obscurity Of the store cellar.
What was it!
Mrs. Pelter was telling Mrs. Ann Hedges
over her backyard fence in an interval taken
from the preparation of breakfast She was
on her way from the pump to the kitchen
with pail of water Sausages were frying
in the kitchen You could hear them sizzling
and spluttering, and their SAVIOR was in the
morning air.
blanche Seton and John Holder came
back together last night! Lord knows
where they've bin Some say he's bin to
Californy and some say she has, and he's
made fortune, and some say they're mar
ried, and some-Gracious! them sausages are
burnin'r'
Mrs. Hedges told it over the back yard
fence to Mrs. Lugar Mrs. Lugar said sim
ply: "Well, of all things" Mrs. Lusar told
it over her pig pen, which adjoined the back
yard fence to Mrs. Obed Smith.
Mrs. Smith put on her bonnet directly after
breakfast, and told it distractedly where'
she went.
ITO think" said one Of her listeners, John
Holder to make forty thousand dollars ir side
of year, and my husband has been out there
two and hasn't sent home shilling. tell
you, Mrs. Smith. John Holder never came
rightly by 50 much money"
"She's brought French maid with her"
said Mrs. Oded Smith, resignedly.
"They're going to Europe next month.
Well, ut that rate, Mr.. John Holder will
soon have to 90 back to Californy for moro
money. She always was an extravagant
strck-up thing!" said Mrs. Smith, next door
neighbor but one.