Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-03-24

account not or your gallantry, DuG or
your we'll known shrewdness. am Of
fering you for S., 600 what I know you
want very much and otherwise would
not get at ALL. "
"You mean jest Roscoe, I s'pose, /"
Mr.. Topmark said. grinning. II do
want it, Miss Rob, but, Lord, not half,
not er hundredth part, as bad as want
you. Now, don't you try ter stop me.
You sent fer me, remember. I got er
right ter speak. know you don't keer
nothin in the world erbout me, an I'm
or fool ter keep on arter you like do. I
amt DO handsome young sprig ter take
your fancy. Neither I amt or p'ison
snake. So you jest say you'll eben con-
slider me, an pledge you my word you
shan't have no mo- trouble with this
yere rascally gang
"Thank you, but that is wholly i'm
possible" Rob said, deep scarlet stain
ing her pallid face, $50 impossible, I"
she went on, I'VE will forget what you
have said"
"What makes it impossible?" Top
mark asked doggedly.
Rob shivered family, then drew back,
saying, "The fact that am myself and
you yourself. "
you're the only woman round yere
I couldn't have fer the askin," Mr.. Top
mark began in his most aggrieved voice.
In spite Of her deep trouble, Rob broke
into laugh aud answered gayly: II
have not the least doubt of it. Dear Mr..
Topmark, do go and take one of them.
You don't know how guilty shall feel
if think myself the occasion Of 30 ex-
cellent husband going to waste. "
Her laughing provoked Mr.. Topmark
beyond words, more than even her stead
fast refusal of himself. She could thus
whistle him and his money down the
wind with ruin staring her in the face.
1t must be she did not realize what she
was about. He had spoken fair words.
Now ne must try what virtue lay in
rough ones.
"You say you love your ole father"
he began "Thar won't be many ter be-
lieve that when they see him in the
poorhouse an know you could er kept
him cut er it."
"Porhaps," Rob said, though she got
white to the lips. "But it seems to me,
Mr.. Topmark, we had better say no
more. We are not likely to agree, and it
Is utterly foolish to quarrel. "
"We must agree on somethin er else
it'll be the wust days work was ever
done fer you an him." Mr.. Topmark al
most shouted. "You think, I reckon,
other help will come. I tell you it
won't, it shan't. can give you er
name as will shet every door in the
county in your face. Now, take your
choice-be my wife, have all that life
kin give er else the road an the world
lookin at you as the dust under its feet!
Choose quick too. You've tried me long
enough"
"Choioe is impossible" Rob said, her
face white and scornful, "since nothing
else on earth could be to me so hard, so
degrading, so entirely unbearable, as
even the contemplation for one minute
Of being your wife"
Mr.. Topmark swung upon his heel
and came face to face with Aunt Phemy,
who had been standing just outside the
grape arbor throughout the interview.
The old woman was still speechless.
Otherwise she showed no sign Of the
cowardly midnight attack. Rob had al
most forced her to come and share Nam
Liza's house in a corner of the yard.
She had been shelling peas in the arbor
while Rob talked with the lawyer that
morning. Now she stood looking at Mr..
Topmark with the eye Of basilisk.
Thrice she nodded at him, then raised
her hand and pointed him away.
"Cut er my way, you ole witchP he
shouted, rushing past her. Rob had
sunk, shaken and breathless, upon the
turf seat within. The old woman went
to her and softly stroked her head, then
took the girls face between her two
hands and looked into the eyes as though
she tried to comfort her.
A Sall shadow fell across the sunny
door. Jack Talbot came through it and
sat down beside Rob, saying:
"My mysterious passenger sent you
message, Rob-a message more mysteri-
GUS than even himself. He bade me say
to you, Darkness is coming, with light
behind. What do you make Of that?
Do you think he was crazy?"
81 hope not," Rob said, trying to
speak steadily. "The darkness has come,
Jack, quickly enough. Let us hope the
light will follow
Before Jack could answer Aunt Phe-
my caught Rob's hand and kissed it,
with smiles all over her deeply wrinkled
face.
Fate sometimes disposes Of her might
lest men by means of trifes light us air.
Not that Miss Winfield was a trifle.
Perish the insinuation! But if Lawyer
Howell had not chosen to ride abroad
Just when and where he did, no would
certainly not have encountered her and
aud But let the event be duly
chronicled.
The lawyer rode, soliloquizing, half
aloud: George, but Topmark is a jolly
fooll He thinks he can tame that pretty
piece of pride. Confound It'll I wish I
had not seen her. / want to throw up
the case when think of her eyes. Of
course shall not do it. But who with
out seeing her would ever understand
Topmark's infatuation? The wonder is
that, having seen her, I no longer won
der over it. She might be dangerous to
me, only she sees too far into me- Then
there is that stubborn fact-Jack Tai
bot. Only fool would overlook him.
But the other one, Topmark's niece
she's almost as astonishing, considering