Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-04-07

Copyright, 1899, by Jeanette H. Walwo
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS INsTALLMENTs.
In order that new readers of THE EN-
oUIRER may begin with the following in
stallment of this story, and understand ii
lust the same as though they had read ii
all from the beginning, we here give a
synopsis of that portion of it which has
already been published:
Tom Broxton comes to Broxton Hall
from college, having been summoned to
his father, who is dying. Mr.. Matthews,
Toms guardian, passing smother" Spill
mans cottage, drops bag OF papers. The
next morning Matthews comes to look for
one of the papers which have been lost.
He does not find it. but Jimmy Martin, a
gardener, soon after brings it to Mother
Spillman, She pledges Martin to secrecy
and hides the paper in the back of an old
chair. Tom Broxton visits the room in
which his father lies, finds some flowers
on an easel and among them an untln-
ished letter from his father to himself.
Through ground glass doors he sees a f1g,,
ure tampering with the papers contained
i'm his fathers desk. Before he can enter
the room the figure disappears. Approach
ing his fathers body lying in his coffin,
Tom looks for seal ring worn on the fin
ger, but it is not there. Olivia Matthews
arranges with her father for garden par
ty at Broxton Hall on her eighteenth
birthday. Her father, riding past the
Hall, stops there and sees the mysterious
figure standing over Colonel Broxton's
desk. After the lawn party Tom Brox-
ton and his guardian sit at the Hall talking
about it, and Mr.. Matthews proposes that
Tom, after being graduated at college,
shall 90 abroad to study and declares that
the Hall must be sold, to both of which
propositions Tom demurs. Mother Spill
man cautions Tom against his guardian,
but fails to convince him. Olivia rldes
out with Clarence Westover OIL horseback.
Tom goes to the Hall, where he finds
Olivia, who has been thrown from her
horse, and carries her into the house. She
is not severely injured. The party remain
at the Hall. At midnight a scream is
heard. 1t has come from Olivia, who has
seen the mysterious figure standing over
Colonel Broxton's desk. Two years
elapse. Broxton Hall is sold to the West
overs. Tom Broxton is studying abroad.
He writes to Olivia declaring his love for
her. His guardian writes him that his
estate has been lost, and Olivia writes him
that she is engaged to Clarence Westover.
Mr. Matthews study is burned under
pers destroyed, including those pertain
ing to the Broxton estate. Tom Broxton
returns from abroad and settles in the
the west to practice his profession. Mr..
Matthews is taken i'll. Olivia visits the
room where her father lies. Half con-
scious, she sees "Mother" Spillman,
whom she recognizes as the figure she had
seen standing over Colonel Broxton's
desk. bending over her father and accus-
ing him of having stolen the Broxton es-
tate. Olivia visits the Spillman cottage,
where she finds that "Mother" Spillman
has just died. Olivia recognizes the chair
in which she had once seen Mother"
Spillman searching and asks permission
to come again and search for the papers
her father lost the night of Colonel Brox-
toms death. After she has gone Malvina
pulls out an unused drawer, and the
missing package falls out. 1t contains a
deed to the Broxton property, showing
that the property was entailed and could
not be sold. Clarence Westover comes in
and takes the deed away to copy. Mr..
Matthews demands that Olivia marry Tom
Broxton to cover up the freud.