Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-12-11

his crime? He looked at his watch. 1t
was nearly II, and he must push on to
the hotel before that hour, report to the
colonel, then hasten back to the station.
He sprang to his feet and was just about
to mount when a vision Of white and
scarlet came suddenly into view. There,
within 20 feet of him, making her
dainty way through the shrubbery from
the direction of the church, sunshine
and shadow alternately fitting across
her lovely face and form, Alice Renwick
stepped forth into the pathway, and
shading her eyes with her hand gazed
along the leafy lane toward the road,
as though expectant of another's COM
ing. Then, attracted by the beauty Of
the goldenrod, she bent and busted her
self with gathering in the yellow sprays.
Armitage, with one foot in the stirrup,
stood stock still, half in surprise, half
stunned by a sudden and painful
thought. Could it be that she was there
in hopes of meeting-any one?
He retook his foot from the stirrup,
and relaxing the rein still stood gazing
at her over his horses back. That placid
quadruped, whose years had been spent
in these pleasant byways and were too
many to warrant an exhibition Of coltish
surprise. promptly lowered his head
and resumed his occupation Of grass nib
bling, making a little crunching noise
which Miss Renwick might have heard,
but apparently did not. She was singing
very softly to herself:
"Daisy. tell my fortune, pray.
He loves me not-he loves me-"
And still Armitage stood and gazed,
while she, absorbed in her pleasant task,
still pulled and plucked at the golden
rod. In all his life no vision of fair
women" had been to him SO fair and
sacred and exquisite as this. Down to
the tip of her arched and slender foot,
peeping from beneath the broidered hem
Of her snowy skirt, she stood the lady
born and bred, and his eyes looked on
and worshiped her - worshiped, yet
questioned, Why came she here? Alb
sorbed, he released his hold on the rein,
and Dobbin, nothing loath, reached with
his long. lean neck for farther herbage
and stepped in among the trees. Still
stood his negligent master, fascinated
in his study of the lovely, graceful girl.
Again she raised her head and looked
northward along the winding, shaded
wood path. A few yards away were 9th
er great clusters of the wild flowers she
loved, more sun kissed goldenrod, and,
with little murmur of delight, gather
ing her dainty skirts in one hand, she
fitted up the pathway like an uncon-
scious humming bird garnering the
sweets from every blossom. A little
farther on the pathway bent among the
trees, and she would be hidden from
his sight, but still he stood and studied
her every movement, drank in the soft,
cooing melody Of her voice as she sang,
and then there came a sweet, solemn
strain from the brown, sunlit walls just
visible through the trees, and reverent
voices and the resonant chords Of the
organ thrilled through the listening
woods the glorious anthem of the church
militant.
At the first notes she lifted up her
queenly head and stood, listening and
appreciative. Then he saw her rounded
throat swelling like a birds, and the
rich, full tones Of her voice rang out
through the welcoming sunshine, and
the fiuttering wrens, and red breasted
robins, and rival song queens, the brown
winged thrushes-even the impudent
shrieking jays-seemed to hush and lis
ten. Dobbin, fairly astonished, lifted
up his hollow eyed head and looked
amazcdly at the white songstress whose
scarlet sash and neck ribbons cleaned
in such vivid contrast to the foliage
about her A wondering little cotton
tall rabbit, shy and wild as hawk,
came darting through the bushes into
the sunshiny patchwork Oh the path,
and then, uptilted and with quivering
ears and nostrils and wide staring eyes,
stood paralyzed with helpless amaze,
ignoring the tall man in gray as did the
singer herself Richer, rounder, fuller
grew the melody as, abandoning her
self to the impulse of the sacred hour,
she joined with all her girlish heart in
the words OF praise and thanksgiving
In the glad and triumphant chorus of
the Te Deum. From beginning to end
she sang, now ringing and exultant,
now soft and plaintive, following the
solemn words of the ritual-sweet and
low and suppliant in the petition, "We
therefore pray thee help thy servants
whom thou hast redeemed with thy
precious blood" confident and exulting
in the declaration, Thou art the king
of glory, o Christie and then rich with
fearless trust and faith in the thrilling
climG.x, Let me never be confounded y
Armitage listened as one in a trance
From the depth Of her heart the girl
had joined her glorious Voice to th'
chorus Of praise and alteration, and nov
that all was stilled once more her helt
had falleu forward OIL her bosom; he
hands, laden with goldenrod, were
joined together. 1t seemed as thougi
she were lost in prayer.
And this was the girl, this the pure
God worshiping, God fearing woman
who for one black instant he had daret
to fancy had come here expectant of ;
meeting with the man whose aim hat
been frustrated but the night before! Ill
could have thrown himself at her fee
; and implored her pardon. He did stel
forth, and then, hat in hand, barring hi
proud Saxon head as his forefather
would have uncovered to Unelr monarch
he waited until she lifted up her eye
and saw him and knew by the look il
his frank face that he had stood by,
mute listener to her unstudied devotions
A lovely flush rose to her very temples