Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-03-11
nm ARTIST IN CRIME
BY RoDRIGUES OTTOLENGUI.


you know that love you" He paused
just a moment, while she trembled
slightly, blushed, and dropped her head.
He continued: II have never told you
this before in words, know, but you
are q woman and must have read my
heart long ago. You are all so clever at
that sort Of thing. I am only man,
and I have not been able to read yours
at all really do not know whether
you care for me or not. Once I thought
that you did, but of late-but no mat
ter will not 60 into that. In brief,
then, have only to say that it would
make me supremely happy to know that
you would some day be my wife. In ex-
change I offer you lifelong devotion.
And now-I think-that is all have
to say. Dora-little sweetheart-do
you, could you trust yourself to me?"
He had gently taken her hand while
he spoke, and the fact that she had nei-
ther resisted nor withdrawn it had en-
couraged him to the more affectionate
terms which he used at the end of his
love speech. She hesitated awhile, then
gently disengaging her hand and look
ing at him with just suspicion of a
tear in her eye she said almost in a
whisper:
"Do you care very much?"
"Very much! I cannot tell you how
much. He tried to recapture her hand,
but she eluded him. Again she asked a
question:
Money is not an object to you in
this?'
"Miss Remsen, you insult me"
"No, nop' she said quickly. "You
misunderstood. I did not mean my
money. I can't explain. yet you must
, answer my question. Would you mind
if-oh, how shall I say it? Suppose I
did something that cost you lot Of
money
"Oh, see," exclaimed Mr.. Ran
dolph, frightening up. "You mean you
are extravagant Don't let that bother
you a minute. You may cost me as
much money as you can possibly spend.
I will never complain.
She seemed much relieved, but she
did not speak at once. Her eyes wan
dered away from him, and following
her gaze he saw them reach and rest
upon Mr. Thauret. A jealous pang dart-
ed through his heart. He was about to
speak when she turned to him and said
with suppressed emotion:
81 hope you will not be angry with
me and that you will not think evil of
me. There is something cannot ex-
plain, yet which. if I could, you would
not object to. But until I can tell you
about it cannot-I cannot-give you
an answer. Would you-would you be
willing to wait?' There was tone of
entreaty in her voice.
GLOW long?" asked Mr.. Randolph,
still irritated, and wondering if the
something which she could not tell was
in any way connected with Mr.. Thauret.
"Would you mind-if I asked you to
wait till-well, say the new year?''
"That is long time, but if it is your
will, must"
"Oh, thank you'll" That was all she
said, but there was hint Of rapture in
her speech, there were tears in her eyes,
and for one brief ecstatic moment he
thought that there was love in her
heart, and that that love was for him.
With an impulse that he could not con-
troll, and which she did not check, ne
drew her to him and softly touched her
lips with his own. He felt satisfied,
though she left him Immediately and
went at once to Mr.. Thauret, who greet
ed her with evident warmth. There is
something, magnetism, if you please,
but something that binds two true
lovers hearts so that an impulse in the
one eXcites an answering sensation in
the other. The oldest fact in this con-
nection is that, though one may fancy
himself deeply in love, he is not till he
has received one of these instantaneous
messages which Cupid ticks over loves
telegraph. After that he is eDslaved.
His better judgment is gone. He will
argue in the lonely hours of the night
that he has made mistake, that the
woman is not destined to make him
happy, that she has this, that or the
other fault, but it counts for nothing
save that he suffers. That one stab has
slain his manhood, and he cannot con-
troll his actions. AS soon as he meets
the woman again, act as she may, his
love is aflame once more She may i'll
treat him, she may ignore him, it mat
tiers not; she attracts him.
Thus it was with poor Mr.. Randolph.
Throughout the many weeks that fol-
lowed he suffered much. He called his
love all the unpleasant things that jeal-
ousy could suggest. But invariably the
recollection of that one moment, when
she had seemed in that indistinct, inde-
scribable way to have yielded her whole
self, her whole soul to him, would flash
across his mind, and at once his reason
was silenced, and he would say:
"She could not have done that if she
were false. She loves me, but there is
something that 1 do not understand
which makes her treat me so. She told
me so, and said that when she could tell
it to me l should not mind. Well, ]
must be patient and wait. l must trust
her; she must be, she IS, truep And
then gradually all the old doubts would
creep over him again, and the suffering
would be as poignant as before.
1t was about a month after the con-
versation related when somewhat
similar one occurred between the same
young lady and Mr.. Thauret. He had
called one afternoon, when Dora was
alone, and so had the field to himself.
He spoke to her of all those things which
he had found most interesting to her,
and she was enjoying his society very
mnch when suddenly, as twilight ap.