Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-09

"
| She turned suddenly.
tumbled curls as it's monotonous sough
mingled with the roar uf the waters be-
low.
The white steam from the stillhouse
whirled upward into invisibility against
the green background of spruce and fir
clinging to the cliffs. The tinkle Of q
cowbell foated down from unseen
heights bove; q large hawk hung lazi-
" in midair over the widest crags.
Surely beneath the wind and the rivers
roar there was Lethean glamour in the
air, harmonizing the savagery of nature
with the peaceful influences Of the
hour.
Was its charm working upon her
mind as she leaned upon the fence,
oblivious of her task. or had she really
given heed to Jim's admonition "to be
keerful' and rest? The sprightly deci-
sion of her face had given way to an ex-
preston of gentle and regretful sadness.
Once or twice she sighed; then her
thoughts seemed to find disconnected
utterance.
$50 good, so true, so watchful Of my
comfort. Why cannot love him as he
does me?"
The mountain dialect had disappear
ed from her lips; Its absence seemed to
render her conscious of the incongruity,
for in her next murmur it wac resumed.
"He's just as honest and as open as
daylight, while IL have erbleeged ter
be jest the other way" Then, as her
feelings again grew more intense, she
once more became natural. "God knows
don't want to be false, yet what will
not q poor woman do for home and
shelter-and love? He has given me all
these, but-what have I given him in
return?"
There was soft crushing Of gravel
behind her. She turned suddenly. A
medium sized, slender young man, hav-
ing crisp, brown hair, a tawny mus
tache and keen gray eyes, stood before
her. AS they saw each other his careless
ly polite salutation was merged in a
glare Of surprise and an after smile of
exultant pleasure. With quick excla-
nation she covered her face with one
hand and extended the other as though
to ward off his approach.
"Well, Meg" he said in a low, cal
culative tone, YOU'RE about the last
person expected to meet here"
As he eyed her the relentless COM
posure Of his smile seemed cruel in its
contrast to the agitation she exhibited
as she finally gasped:
"You-you here?"
"Well, yes, I'm here, and devilish
surprised to run up with you, Meg. But
what's your game now? Trying the vir.
tuous dodge, eh? Making this suscepti-
BILE elephant Of blacksmith your VIC
tim, 1 suppose. g."
She raised her face and confronted
him with blazing eyes at this innuendo.
"No thanks to you, Dick Bufford.
Think how you have served meme!
Think what I have endured because 1
was once weak enough to trust you'll
AS this confession slipped from her
lips they trembled under its influence,
despite the revulsive anger with which
his presence inspired her. His eye never
left her face, as, playing with his watch
chain, he replied:
"How many had shared your love be-
fore came along? There, there. Don't
get excited. You couldn't help getting
Jealous, and when 1 left you in Atlanta
I never thought we'd turn up together
again on this footstool. You wouldn't
let me so much as wink without quar-
rel, and l finally soured on it."
"Why are you here?"
She demanded this in quick, per-
emptory tone, flashing glance toward
the smithy, then fixing her eyes on his
handsome, impcrturbable face.
"I'm gaugiIg for the government.
Am to be here for week. May stay
longer, now I've seen you. Blame me,
Meg, but mountain life agrees with
you. You're prettier than ever"
In an easy yet imperative way, which
she seemed powerlcss to oppose, he took
her dimpled chin between thumb and
finger and looked at her with kin
ding light in his eyes, then released
her, saying:
II was fool to run away from you,
Meg, my girl. I'll have better sense
this time"
The cry Of all infant came to their
ears from the holly bush by tho spring.
The wretched mother, reused from the
spell which his manner and words had
thrown over her, in spite Of the re-
proaches she cast upon him, darted back
a step, with averted face, crying wildly:
go away from here. Dick Buffordl I
am wife and mother My husband
works in yonder shop. You have my
reputation in your power, but say be-
ware how you handle it. I'm desper-
ate woman, Dick. This is my home and
shelter. You left me none when you
forsook me three years ago. Oh, Dick,
for Gods sake spare me for-for the
sake of my husband and child, if not
for your own sake or minep'
The passionate anger with which she
began melted into pitcous appeal as she
started toward the child. He seized her
hand, whereat she stopped as though an
electric shock had pervaded her system,
while he said:
"D- it, Megl glory in your spunk.
Garry it out to suit yourself and don't
fear me- I'll never peach. I was fool
ever to leave you, and I'm your friend
now. Blame me, but you re the pluck
lest woman in the state, and Dick Buf-
: ford is your slave"