Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-20

Guard, boyl On your life, take care till
I come back.
She had got half across the orchard
when the dogs deep baying recalled
her. She turned and hurried toward the
house, noting, in spite Of her heavy
heart, the cool, delicious shadow about
it, the orioles flashing in and out of the
leaves, the sitting sunshine falling in
golden decks upon the twisted grass
and the untidy stretch of gravel before
the front door.
A ruf1ing wind blew from the Or
chard full Of ripe, fruity scents and the
tang of hedgerow flowers. Rob barred
her brow to it and insensibly let it COM
fort her.. As she looked anxiously down
the road she said under her breath: 81
wonder what else can be coming. If it
is any fresh trouble, I think must run
away, or pappy will surely find me
out"
'It must be somebody wanting land, |"
she thought, still peering anxiously
down the roadway. It was the time OF
year when would be tenants pestered
them most, men who wanted to begin
following for next years wheat. She
could not keep them from her father-it
was his province to say them yea or
nay-yet they kept her on tenter hooks,
fearing that by some inoautious word
they would topple down the beliefs she
took such pains to establish and keep
fast.
1T is odd, little daughter, but very
kind people will try to profit by neigh
boris trouble" Mr.. McGregor said Of
ten when be had put their offers aside.
''They say you are too much burdened;
that the place of mistress is too hard for
you. But depend on it, dear child, such
hardship is education, and so long as
you yourself do not complain I will
have nobody coming between us and
our land. We love it. and it loves us.
Eh, little girl? Besides, with our own
people doing so we'll, why should we
changer"
So Rob had been nerved to persist in
her brave and loving untruth. Today
her heart misgave her strongly. Love,
faith, everything, seemed slipping away
from her. Yet she had wild inclina-
tion to laugh, to shout aloud. And she
did laugh consumedly when, as she
reached the rough stone steps before the
porch, she saw little Peter Smith get
ting down from a tall, sleek mule. he
was black and impish looking, with
bushy hair wrapped in q hundred little
tails that stood out about his head and
gave his face the look of being framed
in caterpillars. His ragged straw, hat
made a halo back of the tails, and his
thin black neck was lost in the collar
of man, shirt, very stiff and dazzling
ly white. Trousers that almost matched
the shirt in size were gallumsed quite
under the armpits and had been patched
to the degree of high art In spite of
drawing up there was Zig roll of them
above each ankle. The left foot was
bare, except for broken spur tied on
with twine. The right had been thrust
into woman g ragged shoe.
He came toward her as though he
were a hundred years old, dropped his
hat upon the ground, pushed back his
enormous surplus Of sleeve and held out
to her a note in cream laid envelope
with q red and gold B upon the flap Of
it.
"How you does, Miss Rob, an how g
de ole marster?" he asked mournfully.
"Please, marm, tell Marse Ben amt
fergot ter ak you dat, ease he say ef I
does fergit he gwine whup me, an ef I
don't he gwine gimme er feeshin hook. ="
"I'll see to it you get that fishing
hook, Peter" Rob said, twirling the
missive between thumb and finger. She
had no thought that it related to aught
save the result of the inquiries Mr.. Top
mark had volunteered to make Far
from taking his visit to herself, she had
set it to compunotion for past neglect
awakened by present sorrow. Now her
mind said: "Mr. Topmark is recover
ing from his grief. 1 dare say this fine
stationery will very shortly be in use
for other things than friendly business |"
So she was a trife startled when little
Peter broke in, miss Rob, please,
marin, write ar answer ter dat dar
note, ease he-Marse Ben-say eff I
don't fetch one back he gwine tan me
erlive."
"Oh, reckon he was only joking
about that" Rob said, unfolding the
missive. Next minute her hand fell.
She was laughing aloud in real and un-
controlled merriment.
$50 he wants the pleasure Of my COM
pany for the whole big meeting" " she
said, eying the sheet with disdainful
amusement "What monopolist he
must think ami And, oh, what joke
on Mrs. Winfold it is that he has asked
me! I have great mind to go with
him, once, just to see how green she
will turn"
A quick thought shot through her and
brought the red to her face. Something
whispered that thus she could show
Jack how little she cared for his treach-
cry. 1t was treachery Of the blacklist
sort. Alice Winfold was truthful. She
would never have come to Rob with her