Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-11-14
THE MYSTERY OF
AGATHA WEBB.
Bv ANNA KATHARINE GREENE,
Leavenworth Case "Lost Man Lane, f1ano
and Ring" Etc. Etc
DOWNRIGHT 1900. by Anna Katharine Green.
CHAPTER I.
"MURDER!"

"MURDERw
-HE dance was over. From thu
great house OH the hill the
guests had all departed, and
only the musicians remained
AS they filed out through the ample
doorway, with their instruments under
their arms, the first faint streak OF
early dawn became visible in the east
One of them, a lank. plain featured
young man of ungainly aspect, but
penetrating eye, called the attention OF
the others to 1t.
"Lookw said he. ''There is the day
light! This has been gay night fol
Sutherlandtown."
"Too gay" muttered another, start
Ing aside as the slight figure Of q young
man coming from the house behind
them rushed hastily by. "Why, who's
thatT"
AS they one and all had recognized
the person thus alluded to, no one an
swered till he had dashed out Of the
gate and disappeared in the woods on
the other side of the road. Then they
all spoke at once.
Its Mr.. Frederick!
"He seems In a desperate hurry.
"He trod on my toes"
"pid you hear the words he was
muttering as he went by?"
As only the last question was calcu'
lated to rouse an interest, it alone re-
ceived attention.
"No; what were they? l heard him
say something. but I did not catch the
words"
"He wasn't talking to you or me.
either, but have ears that can hear an
eve wink. He said. Thank God. this
terrible night Is overr Think Of that!
After such q dance and such spread,
he calls this night terrible and thanks
God that it is over. l thought he was
one to enjoy this kind Of thing more
than most folks"
$50 did l."
"And so did l."
The five musicians exchanged looks.
then huddled in group at the gate.
"He has quarreled with his sweet
heart" suggested one.
Pm not surprised at that" declared
another. 81 never thought it would be
q match"
shame If it were" muttered the
ungainly youth who had spoken first.
AS the subject of this comment was
the son Of the gentleman whose house
they were just leaving they necessarily
spoke low, but their tones were rife
with curiosity and it was evident that
the topic deeply interested them. One
Of the five who had not previously
spoken now put in word.
81 saw him when he first led ont
Miss Page to dance, and | saw him
again when he stood up opposite her
in the last quadrille. and tell you,
BOYS. there was q mighty deal Of diff.
ference in the way he looked at her
the last time from what he did the
first. You wouldn't have thought hin,
the same man. Reckless young fel.
lows like him are not to be caught by
dimples only. They want cash."
"Or family. at least. and she hasn't
either. But what pretty girl she Is!
Some fellow US rich as he and as we'll
connected would be satisfied with her
good looks alone"
Good looks" High scorn was OBJ
servable In this exclamation. which
was made by the young man who
have before characterized as ungainly.
81 refuse to acknowledge that she has
any good looks. On the contrary,
consider her plain"
"Oh. ohw burst In protest from more
than one mouth. And why does she
have every fellow in the room dangling
after her. then" asked the player on
the yellow f1ageolet.
"But she hasn't regular feature"
what difference does that make
when it isn't her features you notice
but herself"
II don't like her"
A laugh followed this.
"That won't trouble her. Sweetwater,
Sutherland does, If you don't, and
that's much more to the point And
he'll marry her yet He can't help It
Why. she'd witch the devil into lead
ing her to the altar If she took a no
tion to have him for her bridegroom"
There would be consistency In
that" muttered the fellow just ad'
dressed. "But. Mr.. Frederick
"Hush! There's some one on the
doorstep. Why, it's she"
They all glanced back. The grace.
full figure of a young girl dressed in
white was to be seen leaning toward
them from the open doorway. Behind
her shone blaze of light-the candles
not having been yet extinguished in the
hall-and against this brilliant back,
ground her slight form. with all its be,
witching outlines. stood out in plain
relief. There was an anxious bend
to it. however. which none Of them had
ever observed in 1t before.
"Who was that?" she began In a
high. almost strident voice. totally out
Of keeping with the sensuous curves of
her strange. sweet face. But the ques
tion remained incomplete. as well as
unanswered. for at that moment hel
attention. as we'll as that Of the mer
lingering at the gate. was attracted
by the sound Of hurrying feet and con
fused cries coming up the hill.
Murder. MURDER was the wore
painted out by more than one harsh
voice. and In another instant dozer