The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1888-09-13
WING ENEMIES.

The reflection Of slim. black-robed
gure, a piquant, sweet face, to VIII ich
reflection Miss Sybil Darke made an
elaborate bow, and turned away with q
wry face.
s'Arrayed like the Queen Of Sheba,
TO pass muster,o She wickedly thought,
going down the richly carpeted stairs,
singing softly. 'Poufl why should I
care an iota for the opinion Of all the
cynical. crusty old bachelors in Christ
endomp and I don't. Mr.. Rex Vaneka,
my honorable unwilling guardian, least
of ALL"
When she came slowly In, still hum
: ming in q sweet, careless way, she
found her guardian standing by the
window of the dining-room awaiting
her arrival.
On her entrance he turned with a
lazy smile which lay more in his dark
eyes than on the lips almost hidden
beneath dropping. well-trained mus
tache.
Inwardly, Sybil was provoked that
even the fact Of her having kept dinner
waiting could not betray him into IT.
ritation or impatlence.
Outwardly, she returned his greeting
with q careless nod ana few light
words, then both took their places at
the dainty, richly-laden table, under
the care Of q well.tratned butler.
Sybil had spoken Of hor guardian rs a
"cynical, crusty old bncheloE,' yet
stealing o glance at him across the table
from under her heavy lasb a. 4, 10 ~ ~
{ compelled to tle knowledge that he
was certainly handsomer. IN natural
way, " y, :, .nen @ any Of the many young
8 pacneiorswho had come under the fire
y ~ w W violet eyes and keen satire.
Fad Rex Vaneka was thinking In an
amused. lazy way how much her keen,
witty presence had done to give edge
and flavor to his appetite.
Just one week since she had come TO
the Glades straight from the funeral of
her worldly, handsome father, sent
there by fate, and that father, who had
been an old friend Of Vaneka's in the
days when both were struggling artists
and "hail-fellow-woll-met" Bohemians.
Thco Darke was then widower with
one child-Sybil-the light Of his care
less, reckless life. To the end Of his
days Darke had remained a Bohemian,
a will-o'-the-wisp, who knew all parts
of the world, but rested or settled in
none.
An ancient relative had obligingly
yielded the ghost, and left Rex Vanela
not only handsome fortune, but the
beautiful home known us the Glades.
Fate and Theo Darke had constitut-
ed him guardian Of an "Unknown
quantity"-namely, Miss Sybil-when
her father had laid down his life as
easily as he had lived it under the
sunny skies Of Italy.
On his death.bed he had witten Rex,
begging him to look out for%the wei.
fare of his darling child, for the sake Of
the old days.
Although Vaneka had answered inn
mediately by cable and sent his lawyer
to attend the funeral expenses and bring
Sybil back with him, he hardly regard.
ed the duty imposed on him in regard
to the child in the light Of a pleasure.
What did he know about children.
large or small. and "what the deuco
was lie 10 do with herp''
He hardly stopped 10 count the age
the 'child" must be--eighteen years, If
he had counted---but laid the matter be-
fore his kindly housekeeper, Mrs. Mer-
Ger. who advised him to have the child
brought to the Glades, and engage q
governess for her.
Sitting opposite his ward at dinner,
Vaneka remembered all this, and smiled
over the thought Of the goyerness to
teach this tall, graceful young lady
with the free, queenly grace Of young
6lly; the lovely, fresh face, charming,
changeable, yet possessing all the proud,
naughty curves Of intellect and culture;
the education Of practical worldly ex-
perience that tho will-o'-the, ,wlsp, Theo
Darke's will.o'-the-wisp daughter, must
possess
Mr., Vaneka lifted his eyes during a
momentary lull In tho conversation to
regard her again, and caught her in a
like breach Of etiquette.
A swift flush Or. ed her lovely,
s,ucy face; her eyes regarded tho dainty
S,vres Of tile table instead of her COM
panion's face, as they had meant to do.
Then the sense Of the ludicr0us over.
comes !,er confusion, and she gives way
to tho nir,h consuming her In q merry.
amused laugh.
Gravely, as if at a funeral, Vaneka
saanmed Ills dinner. and gave the butler