Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-28

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Olivia"
Olivia was standing, with meekly
folded hands, looking down upon the
dead woman. How strange it all was!
Less than IL hours ago that quiet
form had quivered with passion as II
lowered over her fathers sickbed, and
those sealed lips had hurled terrible
accusations at him almost with their
last activity. Now, If she should offer
up her own vigorous young life in ex-
change for a single word she could not
purchase 1t.
"Yes," she said slowly, "she looks as
IL she had found rest. I would give
my life, though, to bring her back to
answer me one question. There would
be no guesswork about it now. She
knows, and, o dear Lord, / want to
know! Just one question l want to
ask"
With q touch Of exhausted patience
Miss Malvina asked, "And the ques-
tion?
"Where are those papers"
"How should she know, child? What
would she be doing with papers that
belonged to your father or to Thomas
Broxton? She spent her whole waking
time In that big chair. I never will be
able to look at it without bringing her
back. How could she have found any
papers? And, If she had, she would
have turned them over to the person
they belonged to. Mother was too hon
est to trick her worst enemy. If /
sound peevish and cross, child, bear in
mind, that 1. too. have gone through
an ordeal"
Olivia drew in her breath with q
quick gasp of excitement. She was too
absorbed In the terrible mystery she
was trying to unravel to take any note
Of the tired look on the plain face she
was searching.
"Ah, something else comes back to
me! feel like some one who has had
a clew put into his hands. but 1t Is so
frail and delicate he Is afraid to strain
1t for fear Of losing 1t forever. 1t
comes back to me when you speak of
that chair. | remember one day-it
was long before my garden party
came here to see you about something.
You were not here. and was afraid of
her. have been afraid Of her ever
since l was little child. ! drew back
when l saw you were not In the room
and waited on the porch for you.
Mother Spillman was down on her
knees before that big chair acting so
queerly. | thought at first she might
be praying"
(Which l don't doubt she was" said
Miss Malvina coldly. "She was very
devout. Mother prayed a great deal.
expect you disturbed her at her morn
ing devotions."
81 don't think | disturbed her." said
Ollie humbly. 81 stole right away very
quietly and left her patting the chair
all orer with her hands outstretched."
"Patting the chair! Mother some
times got very fervent il prayer"
"Oh, now I can see you are getting
angry with me! Think Of it, Miss NAL
vina-my father may soon be as your
mother is now. When they meet up
yohder, she will know him as he Is.
All mistakes, all doubts, will be set to
rest forever for them. But for mech,
hel.. me to find those papers before he
leaves me! must have them!
Sobs shook the tired young frame,
and Miss Malvina's rising resentment
was swept away on the tide of return
ing pity. She got up and put loving
arms about the weeping girl.
"Olivia, don't you think, for my sake
and yours, too, all this wild talk about
a few lost papers may be dropped for
the time being? 1t don't seem quite
respectful to her, lying there so still
and helpless, with US questioning her
meanings and criticising her acts. am
only asking you to wait a little While.
"Forgive me-"
She slipped out Of Miss Malvina's
clasp and dropped on her knees by the
bed. Malvina left her there. 1t would
do her good to wrestle with herself
alone. She passed into the desolate
little sitting room and paused by the
table with it's burden Of rarely used
books. Ollie joined her there presently.
81 have asked her to forgive Inc.
have told her that forgive her. OF
course she did not know what she was
saying"
"Thank you, my dear. for trying to
be just to her."
Suddenly the girls eyes widened.
"And that is the very chair. Promise
me, Miss Malvina, promise me-" she
went on, with growing excitement,
"that when it Is all over-I mean when
there Is nothing more to do for her
you will let me come back here and
"In be only too glad to have you
come whenever you can spare a mo-
ment from your own dear invalid"
"You don't understand me-" Her
eyes were burning feverishly. 81 mean
may 1 come back and examine that
chairT"
1t was on Miss Malvina's sorely tried
heart to ask. "Are you, too. going daft
over Thomas Broxton's affairs?" but
the girls hot cheeks and shining eyes
aroused her grave apprehensions. What
IL she should break down under the
strain, with a greater ordeal ahead OF
her?
So she said soothingly: "You can dc
Just whatever you choose with any
thing that Is mine, Ollie. The old
chair has served its purpose. don't
care If you pull 1t all to pieces. Mother
am sure, would be the first one to say
'Humor her. Now 60 home. my dear
h. o.