Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-09

"Then Loreen should have been
here" said, with smile could not
restrain that slight rebuke, yet l liked
the girl, Notwithstanding everything I
had heard, and her own odd and unac-
countable behavior there was sweet
ness in her face when she chose to
smile that proved an irresistible attrac-
ton. And then, for all her absentmind-
edness and abstracted ways, she was
such lady Not even the plainest OF
dresses and the total absence Of any
thing like adornment to her person
could hide that fact. It was in every
line Of her thin but graceful form and
in every infection Of her musical but
constrained voice. Had I seen her in
my own parlor instead of between these
bare and moldering walls I should have
said the same thing. She is such lady !
But this only passed through my mind
at the time. was not studying her
personality, but trying to understand
why my presence in the house had so
visibly disturbed her Was it the en-
barrassment of poverty not knowing
how to meet the call made so suddenly
upon it? hardly thought So Fear
would not enter into sensation OF this
kind, and fear was what I had seen in
her face before the front door had closed
upon me- But that fear-was it dread of
me or Of something disconnected with
me and threatening her from another
portion of the house?
could not but think the latter. The
way her ear was turned, the slight
starts she gave as some sound-l could
not gather what-came from the farther
recesses of the house, convinced me that
her cause of dread lay elsewhere than
with myself and therefore was Of
character worthy of my deepest atten-
ton. Though I chatted and tried in
way to arouse her confidence and set
her at ease in regard to myself at least,
I could not help asking myself between
my sentences: Is it her sister? Would 1t
prove to be her brother? Was it anything
connected with the dreadful matter that
had been the first cause to draw me
here, or was it the sign Of some habitu-
al distemper which, misunderstood by
Mr.. Gryce, had given rise to the suspi-
cions which it was my possible mission
here to dispel?
Anxious to force things a little, I
said, with glance at the dismal branch
es that almost forced their way into the
open easements Of this side Of the house:
"What a scene for young eyes like
yours! Do you never get tired Of these
pine boughs and clustering shadows?
Would not a little cottage in the sum-
mer part Of the town be preferable to
all this dreary GRANDEUR"
She looked up with sudden wistful-
ness that made her smile piteous.
"Some of my happiest days have been
passed here and some of my saddest. l
do not think should like to leave it for
any sunny cottage. We were not made
for bonny homes" said she. "The
somberness of this old house suits us. "
"And of this road" ventured 1T
is the darkest and most picturesque l
ever entered. I thought was entering
wilderness
She for a moment forgot her cause Of
anxiety beyond. She looked at me quite
intently, and subtle shade Of doubt
passed slowly over her features
1T is a solitary one" said she;
quite solitary I do not wonder it
struck you as dismal. Have you heard
has any one ever told you that-that
it was not considered as being qults
safe?'
"Safe?" 1 repeated, with-God for
give mean expression Of mild wonder
in my eyes.
eyes, it has not the best of names.
Strange things have happened in il, or
have been thought to, which is just as
bad l thought that some one might
have been kind enough to tell you at
the station.
There was gentle sort Of sarcasm In
the tone; only that, or so l thought at
the time. I began to feel myself in
maze.
"Somebody-I suppose it was the sta
ton master-did say something to me
about boy lost somewhere in this por-
ton of the woods. Do you mean that
my dear?"
She nodded, glancing again over her
shoulder and partly rising as if moved
! by some instinct of flight.
"They are dark enough" observed
with another look toward the heavily
curtaired windows, "for more than one
person to be lost in their recesses. "
"Yes," she murmured, reseating her
self and eying me nervously while she
spoke. 1--WE are used to the terrors they
inspire in strangers, but if you'-she
leaped to her feet in maIifest eager
ness and her whole face changed in
way she little realized herself-"if you
have any fear Of sleeping amid such
gloomy surroundings, we can procure
you a room in the village where you
will be more comfortable and where we
we can visit you almost as well as
here Shall l do it? Shall l call"-
Ny face must have assumed very
grim look, for her words tripped at that
point and a flush, the first had seen
Oh her cheek, rose up to her forehead,
giving her an appearance of great dis
tress.
"Oh, | wish Loreen would comel l
am not at all happy in my suggestions, l"
she said, with deprecatory twitch Of
her lip that was one of her subtle
charms "Oh, there she isl Now may
co." said she, and without the least ap-
pearance of realizing that she had said
anything out Of place she rushed from
the room almost before her sister had