Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-10-21

ant attitude, all had part ID her par
tial restoration.
II never hearn Of Steve's payin any
tparticl'r attention to anybody besides
Ory," she advanced, with some spirit
"If he has I'd like to know who tits
Speak up, Charlotte, if you've got any
thing to say"
"Wel, I have. Steve Judkins has
paid me as much attention as ever he
did Dry. You needn't s'pose that be-
cause he's carried her to ride off an on
he amt carried no other girls. I guess
I've been as often as she has, an he called
here reg'lar all the spring till l went
up to Aunt Maria's You needn't tell
me Ory's caught him in that little time,
because I won't believe you if you doP
"Charlottel" demonstrated Mrs. Frost,
scandalized at her daughters plain
speaking.
"Don't Charlotte me, mar Frost! I
know what I'm a-sayin.
The girls large face was scarlet with
excitement. She had stationed herself
directly in front Of Mrs. Pease, her
hands on her hips and her tall body
swaying as she talked Her eyes had
sparkles in them. Even Mrs. Frost
quailed under their growing flerceness.
80, there's a partic lar reason you
don't tell more, is there?" she went on
jeeringly. "It's my private opinion you
can't tell anything that's true! don't
believe they're engaged any more'n I
amp
"Well, nowl For the lands sake! Be
you a-tellin me I'm lyin, Charlotte
Frost?'
Don't seem s if you could make any
thing else out Of what said!"
A silence as profound as that which
dominated an uninhabited region fol-
lowed this audacious statement. Char
lotte's two listeners sat rigid with as
tonishment at her daring. Mrs. Froet's
look of frightened amazement was tine
tured with certain admiration of her
daughters fearlessness, Mrs. Pease's
with insulted dignity. For one dreadful
moment she had been completely over
come at her wickedness in proclaiming
as true that which had no other founda-
tion than her own strong hope, but the
skeptical sneer on the angry face before
her, the tone Of defiant accusation in the
vibrant voice, aroused her naturally
combative spirit to defense. "I've got
to believe it's true now," she kept say
ing to herself. 1T is true. I'm sure Of
it" Charlotte's eyes seemed to possess
the quality Of augers Their pitiless
scrutiny was almost unendurable Mrs.
Pease's inward perturbation was such
that she scarcely knew what she was
saying. She was simply conscious, in q
dim, indeterminate way, that she must
support the statement she had been led
into making however indefensible it
might be.
"I had no idee it would touch you 80
deep, Charlotte" she remarked, feeling
that she must say something to prevent
herself from thinking. IF had, I
wouldn t have thought Of mentionin it,
even to your mar"
"Well, Of all thingsP' screamed
Charlotte. "I amt said cared row
Of pins about Steve Judkins, have I? I
only said he'd give me as much encour-
agement to think he liked me as he ever
did Dry. I don't want him, but amt
goin to turn him over to anybody with
out good reason, if I don't. So, now"
"Prob'bly you'll have to make up
your mind to it sooner or later, " replied
Mrs. Pease, whose faith in her own pre-
diction was growing unaccountably.
Charlotte's refuge in generalities had
ightened her burden wonderfully, and
her courage waxed valiant "You really
give me turn callin me liar" she
added reproachfully.
"You acted kinder strange, anyway"
put in Mrs. Frost, who had not hitherto
ventured to interpolate a remark since
she had been so brusquely silenced by
her daughter. "How longs it been since
they fixed things up between 'em?"
The natural question aroused Mrs.
Pease's sickening dread by reducing her
to plain facts, for which she was unpre-
pared.
~ amt goin to say another thing
about it," said she resolutely. II