Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-11-25
THE FARM in THE HILLS.
A TALE OF MYSTERY.
Bv FLORENCE WARDEN.

Then Tregaron retired, and Mason,
from his corner, looked alternately at
his patient and at the old woman.
Wake her. Would she ever sleep:
This was what Mason asked himself
as he remained fascinated under the
piercing gaze Of the unblinking black
ewes, which seemed to penetrate the
darkness Of the corner where he sat as
easily as q cats would have done.
The girl on the sickbed was lying
very still; only her short, labored
breathing betrayed the fact that she
was i'll. Presently, however, she began
to grow restless; she opened her eyes;
she stared at the doctor as be ap'
preached the bed, In half stupid. half
wondering manner; she began to NUT
ter indistinct words, in which the
name Of Merrick was the one most
easily distinguished.
81 never liked him." she said at last
quite distinctly, looking up steadily al
the DOCTOR 81 never liked Merrick.
He knows it. l told him so. | told
him so. Whatever he says. remember
that-I told him so"
Then suddenly her brain grew clear
er, and her eyes took the expression
Of fear and mistrust which had filled
them on her first sight Of the DOCTOR
He offered her some beef tea. which
she took submissively. but with look
OF something like suspicion in her
dark eyes as she glanced first at her
grandmother and then at him.
And suddenly. as he was feeding her,
her eyes fell upon the amethyst ring.
In a moment her face became con
yulsed with a spasm of horror. But
before he could say word to soothe
her she became calm as rapidly as she
had become excited and, closing her
eyes, lay back on her pillow without q
word or exclamation.
He went back to his seat very much
disturbed by these things. and for
some time nothing happened to divert
his thoughts The wind howled and
whistled outside; the old woman kept
her witchlike eyes fixed upon his ccr-
ner; the girl on the bed lay quiet and
seemed to sleep.
Mason sat back in his chair and
pondered the strange events Of the day
and the singular situation in which
they had placed him. There was mat
ter for thought. indeed. in the develop
ments Of the past two hours. and his
mind ran quickly over the points at is-
sue. considering. selecting. devising,
plans for the mornings procedure.
For the moment he was lost In his
reflections. when he was abruptly re-
called to the life around him by a
weird and uncanny incident.
He heard sort Of hiss from the bed.
and. glancing quickly at his patient, he
saw thai she was sitting up. with her
eyes fixed ca her grandmother. beck
oning to him sileD :ly.
He rose quietly. .nstinctively keeping
his own eyes upon the old woman as
he moved toward the bed.
The witch was asleep. or At any rate
the unblinking black eyes were closed.
AS he drew near the bed the girl.
never once withdrawing her gaze from
her grandmother's withered face, rails
ed her head as an Indication to him
to bend his toward her. by a gesture
he directed her to lie down again and,
bending over her. listened to her whis-
pered question.
why are you wearing my fathers
ring?"
Faint as was the whisper it was im'
perious. not to be trified with. AS he
hesitated to answer her she spoke
again:
"Who do you remind me Of? Why
have you come here?"
There was no putting her off, and
Mason answered simply. without fur
ther delay:
81 came to look for my brother. who
was lost on the mountains six weeks