Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-14
CHAPTER VIII.
AN ACCIDENT.

Fixing q coldly rebuking eye upon
the moody young face opposite him,
Mr.. Matthews tapped the library table
impatiently with paper cutter.
81 am afraid. Thomas, you are not
giving me your undivided attention"
And Tom. blushing guiltily. said he
was afraid he was not. He tried to
make amends by staring stolidly at the
map Of Europe which lay spread out on
the table between him and his guard
Ian. The ivory paper cutter once
more resumed its peregrinations.
He could command his eyes and his
ears even If his heart had gone astray.
By planting his elbows on the table
and firmly clamping his jaws between
both hands he secured the attention of
those useful organs and put them en-
tirely at his guardians service. But
his heart and brains were another mat
ter. Both played truant and absolutely
refused to be drawn into consideration
Of this proposed tour Of foreign parts.
His day was proving distinctly disap-
pointing, but he need not advertise that
fact to all the world. With dull ears
he heard his guardians voice.
"Now, when your dear father and
projected this Identical tour our inten-
tion was to 60 directly to Paris'-the
paper cutter halted directly over the
black spot standing for that fascinat-
Ing metropolis-"and from there
With rebellion in his heart Tom was
summing up his grievances. Olivia
had not emerged promptly on his ar
rival. Her long delay had the effect Of
making him feel crudely premature
and not eagerly welcome. All the
sparkle had been blown off the day by
her tarrying. Her father excused her
on the score Of headache, superin-
duced by loss of rest. When she did
appear, however, cool and fresh In her
crisp, pretty house gown. with shining
eyes and red ripe lips. 1t was impossi-
BILE to accept that fiction Of headache.
1--WE planned to remain In Paris six
weeks on our first visit. combining our
selves principally to the art galleries
and the places Of historic interest. You
See that was or would have been just
after the days Of the commune"
Toms ears reported his guardians
words, and when Olivia did come his
heart complained. He had gone for
ward eagerly to meet her, almost ar
dently. She must have read all his
adoring thoughts In his burning eyes
and flushing cheeks. His telltale cheeks
had gone flaming hot at sight Of her.
She had smiled at him as indulgently
as II he had been young spaniel frisk-
ing at her heels. and for the brief space
or time lapsing between his coming
and the summons to dinner she had
patronized him so openly that she had
successfully imposed upon him an un-
comfortable sense Of extreme juvenil-
ity. He gnawed his budding mustache
in impotent rage.
"Poor, dear Rufusr' his guardian
droned. "He had the making Of a fine
artist in him. Doubtless that six weeks
In Paris would have been most profit
ably spent by us. From Paris we
meant to 60 by easy stages"-here the
paper cutter ambled erratically over
the map, descriptive Of the easy stages
until we reached Florence - Flor
ence, the home Of classic art. the
scene Of immortal Savonarola's unap-
preciated efforts and martyrdom."
What a finished young lady the pret-
ty little thing had blossomed Into on
the strength of debut! He had tried
to talk to her Of the future. giving 1t
tinge of common interest-hers, his.
theirs. She had persisted In question
ing him. with matronly air Of supe-
rior age. about his studies and his
wardrobe and his physical condition.
He had alluded to his guardians wish
that he should travel and intimated
that half dozen words from her ad-
verse to the project would settle his
mind permanently. No power on earth
could make him put the sea between
her and him II she would bid him stay.
Instead she had wrinkled her pretty
brows sagely and said: Yes: papa and
I talked all that over before you came
home. Tom, dear. 1t is really the right
thing for you to do. 4 man Is so
crude, so Incomplete. you know, until