Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-06-24
THE FITTEST SURVIVES.
BY j. HI. CONNELLY.
Copyright, 1896, by the Author.
CHAPTER XXI.

SOpyTlB0C, loSO, ny tuO ouoAAoA'
CHAPTER XXI
Mamma, mamma, wake upl John
is here! hear his voice!"
Mrs. Hall awoke with start to find
Addie standing by her bedside, shaking
her and making that preposterous state
ment in suppressed but excited voice
Nonsense, child. You've got a
nightmare. Go back to bed and lie
straight on your right side. j."
"No, mo- He is outside there this
minute paying hackman. +"
"Whatl''
The old lady scrambled out Of bed
with undignifed haste, reached the
window in two strides, peered out at
the edge Of the blind and gave vent to
her astonishment in the exclamation:
"For the lands sakep'
John was unquestionably there and
engaged as Addie had said The girls
quick ears had caught the sound of the
halting of the carriage before the door,
followed Immediately by the voice that
more readily than any other commanded
her recognition, and, upon the impulse
Of the moment leaping from her bed
she had crossed the little room at a
bound to her mothers side with that
startling announcement
"What on earth brings him here at a
time like this?' gasped Mrs Hall.
"a hack, mamma" " responded Addie,
with demure roguishness She was very
angry with John, but strangely happy
at seeing him.
"Don't be fool, Addie. if you are in
love"
"I amt"
They heard the hack rumbling away
and John opening the gate. Just as he
raised his hand to the small brass knock
or on the door a window above his head,
almost within reach, was lifted an inch
or two and he heard the widow saying:
"Wait; I'll be down in a minute "
And he had not much longer to wait.
A lady who is confessedly past middle
age can on occasion dress very quickly
to receive a gentleman upon whom she
has no matrimonial designs She may
even dispense with a mirror in the prcc-
ess If her curiosity is much excited
Mrs Hall simply put on warm wrap
per, threw thick shawl over her head
and, with very little more preparation.
descended to the hall door. Of course
Add;o ,,,i i~l,k ;uof NO x,yo11 horo oyopo la or
to bed, for she did not intend to see
John or permit him to see her. She had
said so emphatically. Nevertheless she
dressed herself and in doing so took ex-
treme care that she should look her best.
The mirror could not have been spared
from that toilet
II am quite aware, Mrs Hall, )" said
John milingly, "that the hour is rather
late for an evening call and somewhat
early for morning visit, but l hope my
errand will be my excuse"
$50 should suppose, Mr.. Latham, /"
replied the widow, leading the way into
the little parlor and opening the damp
ers Of the stove, "but can tell better
when I hear it You certainly have sur
prised me most nightly"
"Ipresume, said John in an interrog-
ative tone when they were comfortably
seated, "that you are informed Of thu
sudden death Of Mr.. Willmarth?"
eyes saw it announced in the
newspaper"
"The man Of whose treachery and
dishonesty you have cherished 80 keen
a remembrance these many years?"
She looked at him with surprise, but
replied simply:
Eyes I do not know how you found
it out, but he was the man"
With her hands crossed in her lap
and her eyes fixed on the reddening
mica in the stove door, she went on,
speaking in a meditative way:
"It isn't what ! hoped for, and, I
suppose, puts an end definitely to the
hopes had entertained so long. But it
winds the affair up somehow, and that g
some consolation. There's nothing l
despise more than being kept in sus-
pense for 18 years And I can take vome
satisfaction from that man having got
his just deserts after all-eyen though
in way that brought no good to me
or mine. I hope there is nothing wrong
in approving the judgments of the Most
High and taking what satisfaction a
person can out Of them No doubt the
elected instrument was some poor crea,
ture Richard Willmarth had wronged.
and do hope they won't catch him. "
"Do you know where he was going
when he met his death?'
why, no! How should I?''
1t was published in the evening pa
pers."
II never see them"
"He was going by appointment to
see Michael McCaffrey."
She uttered an exclamation of aston
ishment, and after little pause asked
in an awestruck tone:
did Michael kill him?"
"No," laughed John. 1.-The retribu-
tion was not quite so perfect as that, I
think"
II knew Michael was in the city, be-
cause I got letter from him."
(Which you answered by a personal
advertisement.
How did you know that?'
"He told me So.
The climax of the old lady's amaze.
ment had been reached John had
thought it would be best to break his
great news to her gradually, or at least
to bring her by degrees to a state in
which it would not shock her too severe
", as he had an indefinite but strong
impression that women, when greatly
excited, were apt to 60 into Mysteries, of
which he had q horror. But now he