Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-12-18
FROM THE RANKS.
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.

matter whom else it might involve, 81
long as it cleared her precious name
He must be patient, he must be calm
and resolute, but the mans cold blood
ed, selfish, criminal concealment nearl,
maddened him. With infinite effort h'
controlled himself and went on:
"But it is of her I'm thinking, no
of you. 1t is the name you have com
promised and can clear and should
clear, even at the expense Of your OWL
in fact, Mr.. Jerrold, must clear
Now will you tell me where you were
and how you can prove it?"
II decline to say. I won't be cross
questioned by men who have no author
ity. Captain Chester said he would re
fer it to the colonel, and when he asks
I will answer-not until then"
81 ask in his name. am authorized
by him, for he is not we'll enough tc
meet the ordeal
"You say so, and don't mean tc
dispute your word, Captain Armitage,
but I have a right to demand soms
proof. How am I to know he author.
lied ycu?"
"He himself gave me this letter, in
your handwriting, said Armitage, and
opening the long envelope he held forth
the missive over which the poor old colo
mel had gone nearly wild "He found
it the morning they left-in her gar
den."
If Jerrold's face had been gray be.
fore, it was simply ghastly now. he
reco1led 1rom the slS-IO an L one fruit
less effort to grasp the letter, then raj
lied with unlocked for spirit:
"By heaven, Armitage, suppose did
write that letter? What does it prove
but what I Isay-that somebody has been
prying and spying into my affairs? How
came the colonel by it if not by fraud
or treachery?"
"He picked it up in the garden, I tell
you, among the rosebushes, where she
where Miss Renwick-had been but
few moments before, and where it
might appear that she had dropped it. "
"Shel That letter. What had she to
do with it? What right had she to read
it?''
Armitage stepped impulsively for
ward. A glad, glorious light was burst
ing upon his soul. He could almost have
seized Jerrold's hand and thanked him,
but proofs, proofs were what he needed.
1t was not his mind that was to be con-
vinced; it was society" that must be
satisfied Of her utter innocence, that it
might be able to say, "Well, I never for
a moment believed a word Of it" Link
by link the chain Of circumstantial evil
dence must be destroyed, and this was
only one.
"You mean that that letter was not
intended for Miss Renwick?" he asked,
with eagerness he strove hard to repress.
"It was never meant for anybody, 1"
said Jerrold, the color coming back to
his face and courage to his eyes. 'That
letter was never sent by me to any wo-
man. It's my writing, Of course-1 cam t
deny that-but I never even meant it to
20. If it left that desk, it must have
been stolen. I've been hunting high and
low for it. knew that such thing
lying around loose would be the cause
Of mischief. Godl is that what all this
fuss is about?" And he looked warily,
yet with infinite anxiety, into his cap
tain's eyes.
"There is far more to it, as you we'll
know, sir, was the stern answer. For
whom was this written if not for her?
It won't do to half clear her name"
"Answer me this, Captain Armitage.
Do you mean that that letter has COM
promised Miss Renwiok; that it is she
whose name has been involved, and
that it was of her that Chester meant to
spea ~
Certainly it was-and [ too.
There was an instant's silence; then
Jerrold began to laugh nervously:
"Oh, well, I fancy it isn't the first
time the revered and respected captain
has got away off the track. All the
same, I do not mean to overlook his
language to me, and ! may say right
now, Captain Armitage, that yours,
too, calls for an explanation.
"You shall have it in short order,
Mr.. Jerrold, and the sooner you under
stand the situation the better. So far
as am concerned, Miss Renwick need
ed no defender; but, thanks to your
mysterious and unwarranted absence
from quarters two very unlucky nights,
and to other circumstances have no
need to name, and to your penohant
for letter writing of most suggestive
character, it is Miss Renwick whose
name has been brought into question
here at this post and most prominently
So. In plain words, Mr.. Jerrold, you
who brought this trouble upon her by
your own misconduct must clear her,
no matter at whose expense, or"-
"Or what?"
II make no threats. I prefer that
you should make the proper explana-
tions from a proper sense OF what IS
due"
"And suppose I say that no man is
called upon to explain a asituation which
has been di, torted and misrepresented
by the evil imagination of his fellows"'
"Then I may have to wiring the truth
out of you-and will; but, for her sake,
I want as little publicity as possible.
After this display Oh your part am
not bound to show you any considera'
ton whatever. Understand this, how
ever-the array of evidence that you
were feloniously inside Colonel May
nard's quarters that night and at his
cottage window last night is of such
character that court would convict
YOU unless your alibi was conclusive.