Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-10-11
y Strial Storu.
THE UNKNOWN.
BY A sEPTUAGENERIAN.
Republished from the Yorkville Enquirer c
1871, by Request.
CHAPTER vi.

| OlQ NIT. CamUtll CuiuO III ouO CNCu
ing, a few months after Henrietta's
return, in better spirits than she haG
seen him show since the shadow had
fallen Oh her. He could hardly make
his never-forgotten enquiry of how she
was, till he announced the news which
, had so pleased him.
"What do you think? Cover is tc
be married at last"
"To Miss Freeman ?" asked Mrs
Cambell.
ayes. His wooing has won finally
It's been a Jacobs courtship. The
marriage is to come off next week
Since she has consented to marry him
she is willing to listen to his importu
mites for the wedding to be at an early
day. He makes very handsome set
tlement on her. Laurens drew up the
papers all ready for signatures and
dates today. What do you and Hen
rietta think, Margaret, of giving q
reception party to Gower?"
f A refusal rose to Henrietta's lips
an entreaty that it should not be; but
her mother quickly accorded her will
/, iugness, and not to mar her fathers
pleasure, she forced herself to seem
interested in the plans the two elders
were laying. Mrs. Cambell suggested
the propriety of inviting Mr.. Cover to
bring his bride Immediately to their
house, as his marriage followed so
soon on his engagement, he would not
have time to make fit arrangements in
his old bachelor den, for the young
wife he had won.
Mr.. Cover was much obliged for the
invitation given by Mr.. Cambell at
his wife's desire. He eagerly accepted
it; and after the party which was a
handsome affair, the young Mrs. Cow
er's time was much occupied, receiving
and paying calls, and experimenting
the fitting of her future residence, Mr.
Cover having given her carte blanche
wherewith to carry out her designs oi
taste and elegance.
! Henrietta shrank with tortured
spirit from this invasion of her home
, by strangers; shrank from the young
, bride who showed such desire fol-
her company, as was quite fiattering
to Mrs. Cambell; though Henrietta
felt nothing but additional pangs from
this notice. She strove to decline
: joining Mrs. Cover in rides, walks
} and visits; but her mother showed nc
: leniency, the guest would take no ex,
cuse, and she was forced into hel
society almost constantly. At first it
seemed as if she would 60 mad. Her
hours of solitude were occupied by
her sensitive conscience in imagining
how the stately Mrs. Cover would
scorn the hypocritical being she now
sought, with utter loathing, if she
knew the secret hidden by Mrs. Cam
bell from the world; and would have
found positive relief to have told her
the tale. She dared not risk her
mothers displeasure by condolences OF
such nature.
A whisper arose in Charleston cir
cles-from whom the first breath came
no one could tell-but although so
low, it furnished the mirror of the
girls character. Cold glances, haugh-
ty receptions, and, finally decided cuts
were given to Miss Macarthur. No
defined accusations were made, "hut
there was something wrong" This
and that were put together, and "the
something wrong" was cadence i'll
the tone of society toward Mrs. Cam
bells daughter. Young Mrs. Cover,
who was residing in her elegant resi-
dence, now reigning queen of socie.
ty, asserted herself in her set, and
showed marked preference for Henri
etta's friendship and society to any
other. The object of the strife did
not, for some time, perceive the
change Of current sentiment toward
her but Mrs. Cambell's quick percep-
lions, ever on the alert, caught the
first evidences given. She was unsub-
dued in spirit and did not intend to
regard the matter one moment as suf.
ficient to change her tactics but she
was glad of the opportunity afforded
by the sudden death of Mrs. Robert
Cambell to retire from society-hoping
their time of mourning, while they
were secluded, would be sufficient for
scandal to sleep, or find other food to
feed upon.
Henrietta was just awaking to the
Sights and inuendoes being cast on
her, when their mourning made it
proper that they should withdraw
from fashionable life. She scarcely
felt the worlds expressed scorn. Her
humility had felt she deserved it long
before she met it, SO acutely had
she felt appearing other than she was.
1t was no shock. The nowledge of
her own degradation was ever present
with her What worse was it for
others to know? She felt Mrs Robert
Cambell's death bitterly. 1t brought
back the year associated with their
home. She had loved her aunt very
dearly, and now envied her the rest OF
the grave. The momentary respite, as
it were, given her by the mourning
her mother thought proper for them to
assume, alone saved her reason. The
hollow life she was leading in the
world, yet not of il; the wild yearn-
ings of her mother-heart for the babe
were weighing fearfully on her mind.