Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-24

AS ordered by DR.. Govan. Reuben
was night nurse and Olivia tended the
sick man during the day. Said the
gentle old doctor:
"Reuben can stand loss Of sleep bet
ter than you can. my dear. and 1t
would distress your father to see you
ABOUT him when you should be getting
your proper rest"
But Ollie had her doubts about Reu-
ben's superior powers Of endurance.
and after stealing into the dimly light
ed sickroom twice in one night to find
patient and nurse both In a profound
slumber she aroused Reuben and drew
him cautiously out into the hall.
1T is nearly midnight, Reuben, and
I have been sleeping nicely ever since
s o'clock. You 60 now and rest until
daybreak. You say he does not get
restless before then. Come back at
first peep of day. and he will never
have missed you"
This suggestion fell In so comfort
ably with Reubens own desires that
she did not have to urge 1t very strenu-
ously. With yawning thanks he shut
fed out Of sight.
Olivia stole noiselessly into the sick
room to take his place. The sick man
was In profound sleep. She lowered
the lamp on the hearth a trife and
moved the screen so that the shadows
cast by it on the ceiling above the bed
should take on fewer fantastic shapes.
She shook the water pitcher softly to
make sure Of the presence Of Ice In 1t.
She examined the tumblers Of physic
to be quite sure Of the next dose In
case she had to administer 1t before
Reuben's return.
Gratlfied to find the patient remain
unconscious of all this subdued actlv-
ity, she curled herself up in the great
armchair on the side of the bed next
to the wall, where she would be COM
pletely hidden should her father open
his eyes, but need no attention. Then
she administered small dose Of COM
fort to her own anxious heart.
"He Is better. He must be better.
DR.. Govan said If he could only sleep
better all would be we'll, and now he Is
sleeping splendidly."
With folded arms and closed eyes
she fell to. picturing things as they
would shape themselves as soon as her
father should leave his sick bed. She
would tell him how Clarence was
pleading for an immediate marriage so
as to help her take care Of him In his
declining years. 1t was lovely to have
her lover so fond Of her father. but
then everybody looked up to and rever-
enced her father. 1t would be terrible
to have q father whom all the world
could not look up to. And thus COM
forting herself after the manner Of all
things young and innocent she settled
herself to keep vigil. In five minutes
she was sound asleep. Not for very
long. She fell a-dreaming, an unpleas-
ant, startling dream. She fancied some
terrible, wild thing was standing over
her fathers sick bed with flame In Its
eyes and venom on it's tongue. She
writhed as one does In the conscious
effort to shake Off Il nightmare and
opened her eyes. only to cover them
with her trembling hands as she smoth-
cred the impulse to cry out.
Standing close by the pillows of the
sick man was the tall, white robed
figure. never to be forgotten, that had
once before deprived her Of the power
Of reasoning. High over tumbled
mass Of snowy white hair 1t held the
small bedroom lamp that had been
burning low on the hearth.
The Broxton ghost stood revealed in
Mother" Spillman! In that one
frightened glance Olivia had made that
discovery But how was she to get
this determined old woman, this avow-
ed lunatic. away from her fathers bed
side quietly? Petritied by fear help
lessly casting about for a plan of ac-
ton that would not react upon her be-
loved patient. the girl shlvered with
renewed terror as Mother" Spillman.
in a low voice. made intense by the
concentrated passion Of purpose. en-
tered upon her awful arraignment:
"You are i'll. Horace Matthews. Ill
unto death perhaps. have been bid
Ing my time. Before another night
passes over your head you may stand
in the presence Of your Maker and
your Judge. What will you answer
when he asks you how the orphan has
Jared at your hands, how the son of
the man who loved and trusted you far
beyond your deserts had been treated?
Why has Rufus BroXton's son waxed
poor and you rich. Horace Matthew'S?
"You know me. Oh. | see that you
do. for all you are staring at me as If
you saw a specter You've looked at
me many a time that way. Horace.
when I've caught you at some Of your
vicious boy tricks long ago. And |
know you through and through. |
laughed when l heard Of your books
and papers being burnt up. That was
one Of your old tricks. You burnt up
q composition book when you were n
boy when your theft Of an essay was
threatened with discovery. You burnt
up your philosophy to escape an extra
hard task. 1t has been a silly but
vicious practice Of yours ever since
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