Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-03-02
If the SIGNS of q true and deep love


were against her to swear away her
faith and truth and love for him.
He would find her and bring her
back. That be vowed to himself, and
the thought that ne could do it COM
forted and cheered him and lifted him
in a measure above the choking flood Of
misery and regret. He would hold to
that resolve-to that and to his un-
dimmed love for her.
When be reached Mrs. Villyers'
house, all was in darkness 1t was late,
and the household bad gone to bed.
Till that moment he had had faint,
Pickering hope that he should find Lola
there.
But the darkened house quenched the
hope. II she had been there, there
would have been some signs Of an nm
usual stir in the place instead of the
unpromising darkness.
He reused the household, and when
the servants came shivering and irrita-
BILE to know who it was and what was
wanted be learned that Mrs. Villyers
was from home and had been away for
two or three weeks Asked where she
was, they gave him an address in North
Devonshire, and that was all the in
formation he gained by the long night
ride.
Then be turned his horses head
homeward, choosing the road which
would take him past Leycester Court Oh
his way. He was half minded to 90 and
rouse Beryl and find out whether Lola
had, after all, gone there or whether
she could help him in deciding in what
direction to begin his search
When he reached the Court, however,
be found the place in darkness as COM
plete as that at Mrs Villyers', save
only for light from the windows Of
the sick mans room, and, feeling that
be could do no good by rousing Beryl
merely to put question to her and to
receive an answer which he knew only
too we'll would be that Lola had not
been near the place, Sir Jaffray turned
his horses head again and rode straight
for the manor.
As he neared home al incident &C.
CURED which excited him almost be.
yond control
He had ridden very hard and fast
during the greater part of the distance,
ending relief in the violent exercise,
and quite unlike his usual habit, with
out thought for the horse that carried
him, but when he had reached nearly
home he noticed that his horse was
very much distressed, and he drew rein
to ease it, allowing it to walk. Then
he found it had gone lame, and, dis
he felt in the. hoofs and
found a stone.
Before be remounted he stood min.
ute or two Oh the turf by the side OF the
road to let the laboring, painting beast
get its breath. Then, himself feeling
stiff, he walked along a short distance
on the turf, glad of the change from
the saddle.
He reached in this way the outskirts
of the Ash Tree wood, the boundary
line of his estates in that direction, and
there was surprised to hear what sound
ed like the rustling Of light footsteps in
the wood. 1t was late, near midnight
or past, and no one had right to be
abroad at such an hour.
Probably some rascal was out poach-
ing, he thought, and at another time he
would have welcomed the idea Of tus.
sle, but now he was too full Of real
trouble to be worried by any such
trifing incident as the theft of head
or two Of game.
He stopped, however, and listened
intently, and as the moon was shining
brightly at the moment he drew eau
tiously under the branches of dark
yew tree whose shade was wide enough
to conceal both himself and his horse.
He was OH the opposite side of the
road from the wood, and he did not like
to cross it lest the sound Of the horses
hoofs on the hard ground or the glare
of the moonlight should reveal his
presence.
As he listened he distinguished that
the footsteps were short and quick,
while it seemed to him that the rustllng
of the leaves as the person walked was
continuous, as though caused by a wo-
mans dress. but it was very difficult
to detect any little signs of the kind.
Itwas clear, however, that the person
was walking in his direction, and then
be remembered that just at the SPOT
there was very rarely used footpath,
leading to the road from an untenanted
cottage which was now falling into de-
cay.
A minute later bis speculations were
set at rest
The slight gap in the hedge where
the path emerged was nearly filled up
by the rank lrxuriance of the hedge
growth, and Sir Jaffray saw the briers
and branches thrust cautiously aside
and q womans Eocded figure fill the
gap. She paused an instant, as though
in doubt.
The face was hidden completely in
the shade of the hood which covered the
head, but the figure was perfectly we'll
known to the man who was now watch.
ing with breathless interest.
1t was his wifel
At that instant his horse, very high
spirited and nervous animal, took fright
at the woman's figure and with snort
Of fear commenced to plunge and stam-
pede, and, the baronet's hands being en-
tangled with the bride, his efforts to
quiet the animal impeded him com.
pletely, and, to his infinite annoyance,
be could not free himself from the
plunging, excited horse for some consid-