Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-11-25
Copyright, 1899, by Florence Warden.
CHAPTER VIII.

Reginal Mason stood beside the fire
when Tregaron had left him, with his
brain alert. but his heart sore with
miSg;vings.
This Coch Tai. Merrick or whatever
he called himself could tell him all
that he wanted to know about Gran
ville's fate. that was certain. What
was equally certain was that he had
strong reasons for holding his tongue.
By what means could this man be
brought to book? How could the guilt
which seemed to be undoubtedly his be
brought home to him?
MaSson'S first fear was tnat Coch
Tai would take the farmers questions
as q warning and that he would at
once find means to escape. And at this
thought he ran toward the door Of the
outhouse. eager to follow Tregaron and
to stop the fugitive. But although he
was able to stumble across the rough,
incumbered floor and to open the outer
door by which the farmer had passed
out, he saw at once that without Ian
lSIu uG COulu uOl dllCihpS W hAN sAAS
traces Of his hosts footsteps.
The snow was still falling thickly,
in small. hard flakes that stung the
flesh, while the wind. which seemed to
play round the ruins from every side.
roaring round the stout walls and
whistling between the stone shafts Of
the broken windows. whirled little
clouds Of dry. powdery. snowlike
showers Of spray against the sides of
the farmhouse and blinded him so
completely that his eyes could perceive
nothing more definite than big, blurred,
dark masses of what he knew to be
walls on every side.
AS he turned back. forced into re-
treat, and rejecting as be did so that
even Coch Tai. hardy mountaineer that
he was. would hardly dare to venture
forth on such a night, gust Of wind
bore mems voices to- his ears. He
could distinguish no words, but he
fancied that the tones he heard were
those Of fierce reproach and of answer
ing sullen stolidity.
In another minute, the voices having
In the meantime died down or been
borne away by the wind. two figures
came suddenly upon him. and Mr. Ire
garon's voice urged him to go in.
Mason and the two others got back
across the floor of the clubhouse and
stood, in a few seconds time, within
the kitchen. There Mason saw. to his
great disappointment. that the farm
ers companion was not Coch Tai, but
the lad Tom, whose face wore sulleD.
forbidding frown.
"He has gone away" exclaimed Mas
son at once, with excitement
"Who? Merrick? No, no." answer
ed the farmer, with q decided shake of
the head. HE knows better than to
leave the shelter Of sound roof on
night like this"
"Take ME to him. I want to see
him now-at once" said Mason.
Again the farmer shook his head.
81 won't do that" said he. Give the
DOOR fellow a chance to collect his wits.
He was awful upset by what said to
him" Mason frowned. "Oh. don't
be afraid. sir! He has no thought OF
getting away. You shall see him in
the morning. There's my daughter to
think about now. If you're going to
watch, sir, you had better go up. or
would you like sleep tirst!"
"Sleep? No! l couldn't close an eye
tonight" said Mason quickly. Il will
60 up stairs"
Recalled thus abruptly from his fe-
verish anxiety about his brothers fate
to the case he had in hand, the young
doctor ascended the stairs at once to
take up his self imposed duty Of
watching in the sickroom.
In a chair by the bedroom fire he
found the old woman, wrapped to the
eyes in a couple Of dark check woolen
shcwls, staring with unblinking black
eyes at the red Goals. At his entrance
she transferred her gaze, as before,
from the fire to his face and follow
ed his every movement, moving her
eyes without turning her head as he
looked at his patient and then took
chair in the corner Of the room, whence
he could watch the slightest change in
her appearance or position.
The girl looked at him fixedly for
moment and then closed her eyes with
a slight, uneasy frown.
"You can go to rest now," said Mas
son to the old woman. Il will watch
and call you if 1 want you"
She stared at him while he spoke,
but made no sign and uttered no word
in reply. The farmer, who was still
standing near the door, explained:
"She doesn't understand word you
say, sir. She talks nothing but
Welsh"
And he turned to her and uttered a
few cultural sounds, which, however.
elected no other reply from the old
woman than the slightest possible con-
traction of her rugged eyebrows.
"She will sleep where she Is, sir, In
that chair. And If you want her or II
YOU wish her to take her turn in watch
ing she will wake at the least touch,' y
said the farmer as he held out his
hand and took that Of his guest in
warm. hearty, fervent pressure, which