Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-12-09


household to which she belonged. the
earnestness and passion which he had
discovered in even so short and re-
stricted an acquaintance, all helped to
make an impression upon him to which
her personal beauty helped to give
both power and charm.
There had come to be a strange sort
Of freemasonry between these two.
expressed in an exchange Of looks
when he came in or out, Of confidence
OH the one hand. Of sympathy on the
other.
Whatever there might be amiss In
the household-and that something
was wrong somewhere Mason could
not doubt-this one figure Of the hand
some, open faced girl stood aloof from
it, shone out the brighter for her rath-
er dubious surroundings. He was not
without a suspicion, too. that this in
sistence Of hers upon his constant pres
ence in the sickroom was measure Of
precaution for his personal safety and
that the watching at night. upon which
she continued to insist. was maneu-
yer by means Of which she could still
play the part Of guardian angel during
the hours which she judged to be the
most perilous to him.
However that might be, for the next
four days, during which the doctor as
sured her that her progress toward re-
covery was steady. while she insisted
that it was slow. Gwyn proved her.
self q most obstinate and refractory
convalescent, refusing to sit up or to
rise on the plea Of weakness and de-
manding constant attention by day and
the watching Of her grandmother and
the doctor at night.
As Mason continued to help with
the work of snow clearing by day and
thus got no proper rest he had become
on the fourth successive night Of his
forced and unnecessary watch so ut
terry worn out by fatigue that he fell
into Il deep, dead sleep rs soon as he
had settled himself in his armchair.
He was awakened after q short. wild
nightmare OF a dream that he was
drowning. sufrocating. crying for help,
to find himself bound. gagged. blinded
and gasping for air. He was being
lifted by the shoulders and by the
heels when he awoke. Helpless as he
was. he kicked. he struggled. he turn
ed over only to fall out Of the hands
which had got him in their grip and to
fall with dull thud upon the floor.
At the same time. just as the hands
were seizing him again, he managed
to utter q gurgling sound and to kick
out at some one or at something, which
fell with another dull noise.
Then he heard a sharp cry. 1t was
Gwyn's voice.
There was q moments awful still
ness, and for that moment he found
that the hands had released him. The
next they closed upon him again, and
the cry was repeated. Again he strug-
gled. He tried to speak, but again ho
was helpless. for his hands were bound
to his sides. Again he succeeded only
in giving voice to a gurgling, stifed
sound.
Then hands touched him again. tear
ing at the gag which was suffocating
him. With strange thrill Of wild JOY
and relief he felt that the hands were
Gwyn's. He heard a long, sobbing
breath. He felt her body trembling as
1t leaned over him.
Leave him alone! Leave him alone"
cried she.
Again there was silence, mysteri-
Gus, awful silence. And suddenly Mas
son felt that the girl was being drag
ged away and that she was fighting,
struggling in her turn.
Writhing. painting. striving to free
himself. Mason turned himself so that
the cloth which had been thrown over
his head got looSer and looser. In an
other minute he would be able at least
to see.
But at the very moment that he had
all but succeeded a rough hand pinned
him down again. And still he heard
no betrayins voice. His assailants
were as silent as the dead.
Then he heard strange whisper
close to his ear and to the ear Of the
man whose hands were ut his throat.
1t was Gwyn who was speaking: