Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-31

plduleu Ou lue tdDte, SOhSChIoeS
every faculty Of her brain upon 1t.
Finally. with a deep sigh Of relaxed
attention, she leaned back In her chair.
"This, then, is what poor mother
meant when she said that Broxton
Hall could not be sold; that she was
going to put Tom in the way Of get
ting it back. Why. Mr.. Westover's title
Is not worth O shoe button. | see-I
see it all now. She kept her secret
from me for fear would carry the
papers straight to Mr.. Matthews.
which Is just what l should do now,
only
A sudden knock on her front door
brought her to her feet with a start.
She opened the big family Bible on
the table and swept the papers into 1t
for concealment. "It was nobody but
Mrs. Deb and Lefty come back in
spite of her." She opened the door
with an unwelcoming smile.
Clarence Westover stood outside.
Her first thought was Of the lawyer.
"Why, Mr.. Clarence. is he gomez"
T have come to take Olivia home"
"Olivia! Why, she isn't here"
"Not here? Then where?"
He stepped inside with the words.
He was a young man who cordially
resented being taken rnawares.
"Oh, it Is all right. presume she
went home by the lane. and I missed
her by coming around the long way.
1 suppose she has shut herself up in
her own room. The old man still re-
fuses to admit her to his room. and
it made her restless. Reuben said-she
told him she was going to bring you
some flowers. am awfully sorry for
you, Miss Malvina."
"Thank you. Mother was full Of
years, and she was ready to CO."
ayes, exactly-perfect Christian and
all that sort Of thing. suppose"
81 am sorry you were not watchful
enough to keep her from annoying Mr..
Matthews the other night. I'm dread
fully sorry. as much on Ollie's account
as anybody else's."
"Well. you see. 1t was this way: Ev-
erything was so peaceful and quiet the
first part Of the night that fell into a
sound sleep. When I walked up, the
first words caught made me hesitate
to 60 in. was afraid Of making mat
ters worse and supposed she would go
away without any harm coming Of 1t.
I was afraid Of adding to Mr.. Mat
thcws' excitement by revealing my
presence at that hour Of the night
Things were considerably mixed up.
you see."
Eyes. dreadfully mixed up. I know
It,"
He added an incongruous feature to
Miss Malvina's decorous little sitting
room with his high bred face and fash
ionable garb. AS long as Olivia was
not there to be fetched home he had
better be going. He offered some more
ready made condolences and turned to-
ward the door, Malvina stopped him
with pleading look.
Don't go yet. please. Mr.. Clarence.
1t looks as If Providence had sent you
here on purpose tonight. have IA
vor 10 ask Of YOU"
Certainly. anything | can do." be
said, politely enough. but he looked
trifle bored He was not devoid OF
kindly feelings. but really the queer
old party who had just shuffied off this
mortal coil and the unbeautiful spin
ster upon whom he had intruded In
search Of Olivia" had never appealed
very strongly to the aesthetic side Of
him.
Miss Malvina stood with her hands
resting reverently on the big Bible. He
hoped she was not going to ask him to
read u portion Of Scripture with her.
That would be too much for his nerves.
AS If direct contact with the book had
brought strength to her. Miss Malvina
suddenly lost all that tlmid nervous
ness which possessed her whenever
she came in contact with this elegant.
rather naughty young fellow. who
made her feel like milkmaid for
clumsiness." This man as Olivias atti-
anced husband and the owner Of BroI-
ton Hall had a much better right than
she had to know about that particular
paper. She entered abruptly upon the
task she had set herself.
81 don't know that you ever heard Of
it, Mr.. C4drence, but my poor mother
had mania"
Spare yourself, Miss Spil]man. [
heard every word she said to Mr.. Mat
thews last night"
"About-about-some papers and
things?"
"Yes, poor old lady! She was really
unsparing. dreadfully caustic. But Of
course it went for nothing. We all
knew. don't you know"
Miss Malvina flung back the lid Of
the big Bible and revealed the papers.
"There are the papers my mother
spoke about"
In life she had helped the world to
cast discredit upon her mother. TO
shield Horace Matthews she had put at
naught her mothers words. In death
shn uoull mako rpDora tiOu so far as