Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-06-10

He says he admires you for your presence OF
mind, although you are. But how l do
chatter" catching herself up with blush
"He admires you so much"
"Even though am so plain" calmly re-
marked Miss Branch, no flush staining her
cheek as she spoke words so difficult for
woman to accept.
"But I did not mean to tell you that"
carelessly said Julia.
Miss Branch laughed, not bitterly to the
ear in the least.
"Oh, I don't mind it at ALL" she said
lightly. 81 am plain, and / know other
people know it,"
In her heart the woman was saying:
"He shall pay for those words"
In the days that followed, it would have
been a curious study, for one not vitality
interested, to have watched the change in
Luke North's manner toward Miss Branch.
Gradually, from polite listening to her
he came to turn with an apparently irresis-
tible inclination toward that part of the
room where she happened to be.
He stood near her chair he looked at her
if he spoke; he listened with peculiarly
vivid look upon his face whenever she made
any remark.
This attention was not marked; on the
contrary, it almost seemed az if he was
desirous of concealing even from his own
consciousness the attraction which Miss
Branch held for him, and which every day
he felt more and more powerfully.
Had he ever thought her face unprepos-
sessing? When Julia reminded him one
day that he had said Miss Branch was plain,
he uttered an exclamation of astonishment,
but he made no reply. His betrothed, in
troubled tone, persisted in dwelling upon
the subject.
81 suppose she must be fascinating, is she
not?" she asked wistfully.
The mans face wore strange smile. He
averted his eyes, as he remarked, in harsh
voice:
"Fascinating! Yes, I think that must be
the word by which to describe your friend
and she is your friend, is she not?" asking
the question suddenly.
Julia Stallo trembled little, and turned
pale. She seemed to struggle for moment
with herself, and then she said, family:
"Oh, yes! OF course she is my friend"
The winter days ran on. Miss Branch
had come to stay with her friend until the
spring.
How did it happen that Mr.. North could
now sometimes come to the house, and re-
main, perhaps, for a couple of hours before
Julia would come into the room? He al
ways scrupulously called for her the mo-
ment he came, but he appeared to forget
that she had not come.
On one of those days when Julia had
not come, North had been strolling about
the room in silence. Though he did not
speak, his eyes turned again and again to
the woman who sat so quietly on the Sofa
There was reckless resolve in his face,
and that look was mingled with something
which could not be interpreted, which any
woman naight do we'll to fear, even though
she could not understand it.
North came and leaned over the girl
His voice vibrated as he said:
"Miss Branch!"
She looked up-a light bewildering and
enthralling, was in her eyes, and diffused in
lovely glow over the hitherto unlovely face
"What would you say to me if l were tc
tell you that love you?" he asked quickly
There could be no mistaking the expires
sion in her eyes; there could be but one
reading of the curves about her mouth
The binding loveliness that was in her
gaze at that instant made the mans heart
stand almost still. Did she really love him ?
"Need I answer" she asked softly.
"Yes answer ?" imperatively.
"Then I should say that 1 love you," was
the low spoken reply.
Something in the mans face made Miss
Branch suddenly rise to her feet, while her
face grew paid and the glow died from her
eyes.
"You are mocking me-" she cried in a
smothered voice. "You do not really love
me!"
81 am thinking of a young man, my half
brother, whom loved more than broth.
ers usually love-" returned North, in a
stern voice. "You may recall Morris Lor-
ing. Oh! see you do! You killed him
that you might be amused. Perhaps it was
not manly Of me to resolve to avenge him
in some slight degree. But l did not think
of so base an action until fancied you
wished to play with me. do not love you
Miss Branch but I can understand how a
man might be infatuated with you. 1t was
beneath me to stoop to such a course as this.
don't ask you to forgive me-"
'No, no." said Miss Branch, her voice
husky and strange. "Do not ask that, for
l never could do So"
"And why?"
because love you. At last love. DO
not speak to me. tell you that for the
first time in my life, l love. DO you think
1 am sufficiently punished for trying my
power? Do you pity me, Mr.. North"
She stood looking at him for an instant,
then turned and hurried from the room.
North gazed blankly at the door which had
closed behind her. He had not known how
much he could despise himself and there
was curious pulsation in his heart which
made him unwilling to see Julia.
1t was week before he returned to the
house. When Julia informed him of Miss
Branch's departure, he would not allow
himself to manifest any interest. The few
weeks that had passed had formed an ep-
isode in his life which he could not wish to
remember.