Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-01-02

81 had rather NEVER have lived TO see
this day than be the cause Of shame or
suffering to you. Tell me what to do
Shall be deaf. dumb
Here Mr.. Sutherland found voice.
"You make TOP; much of what you
saw" said he my boy has faults and
has lived anything but satisfactory
life, but he Is not'as bad as your fears
would show. he could never have
taken life. That would be incredible.
monstrous. In one brought up as he has
been. Besides. II he were so far gone
in evil as to be willing to attempt
crime, he had no motive to do so;
Sweetvater, he had no motive. A few
hundred dollars! But these be could
have got from me, and did. but
Why did the ;wretched fathes stop?
Did be recall the circumstances ander
which Frederick, had obtained thsse
last hundreds from him? They wers
not ordinary circumstances, and Fred.
erick had been IN no ordinary strait.
Mr.. Sutherland could not but acknowl-
edge to himself that there was some
thing In that whole matter which con.
tradicted the very plea he was making.
and not being able to establish the con.
viction Of his sons innocence in his
own mind he was too honorable to try
to establish 1t ID another. His next
words showed the struggle he was
laboring under.
1T Is that girl who has ruined him.
Sweetwater. He loves her, but be
doubts her, as who could help doing
after the story she told us day before
yesterday. Indeed he has doubted her
ever since that fatal night, and 1t is
this which has broken his heart and
not-not"- Again the old gentleman
paused; again BIZ recovered himself,
this time with touch of his usual dig
nifty and self command. Leave mel"
he cried. "Leavefus! Nothing that you
have seen has escaped me. but our in
terpretations of It may differ. will
watch over my son from this hour, and
you may trust to- my vigilance"
Sweetwater bowed.
"You have right to command me"
said he. You may have forgotten, but
l have not, that ! owe my life to you.
Years ago-perhaps you can recall 1t; 1t
was at the Black pond-l was going
down for the third time, and my moth
er was screamingsin terror on the bank.
when you-you plunged In and Well,
sir, such things sare never forgotten,
and. as said before, you have only to
command me-" he turned to 60. but
suddenly came back. There were signs
of mental confiictsln his face and voice
also. Mr. Sutherland, am not
talkative man. II trust your vigi-
lance, you may trust my discretion.
Only | must have your word that you
will convey no warning to your son;
that you will not even let him see he
lies under any suspicion, least Of all
your own" 49,
a.fT-sutshrrfuudr rnade an2lndoaaablo-
gesture, and Sweetwater again disap-
peared, this time not to return. AS for
Mr.. Sutherland, be remained standing
before Mr. Halliday's door. What had
the young man meant by this emphatic
repetition of his former suggestion?
That he would be quiet also and not
speak Of what he had that night seen?
Why, then But to the hope thus Civ
en- this honest hearted gentleman would
yield no quarter, and, seeing duty be-
fore him, duty he dare not shirk, he
brought his emotions, violent as they
were, into complete and absolute sub
lection and, opening Mr.. Halliday's
door, entered the house. They were
old neighbors, and ceremony was ig-
nored between item.
Finding the hal empty and the par
lor door open, he walked Immediately
into the latter rom. The sight that
met his eyes neer left his memory.
Agnes, his little agnes. whom he had
always loved and whom he had vainly
longed to call by he endearing name
Of daughter. sat with her face toward
him, looking up d Frederick. That
young gentleman lad just spoken to
her, or she had justreceived something
from his hand, for her own was held
out, and her eXpnssion was one Of
gratitude and Acceptance. She was
not a beautiful gil, but she had a
beautiful look. andlt this moment 1t
was exalted by telling the old gen.
tleman had once longed. but now
dreaded inexpressily. to see there.
What could it mea? Why did she
show interest. dertion. passion al
most, at this especil moment Of her
life, when in all th years that had
gone by. and when was the dearest
wish Of his heart see these two
united. she had nevt betrayed in all
their intercourse anything but distrust.
If not an uneasy disGe? 1t was one
of the contradictions our mysterious
human nature. and at lis crisis and In
this moment Of secre heartbreak and |
miserable doubt it nlae the old gentle.
man shrink. with hi. .frst feeling Of
actual despair
The next moment gnes had risen. |
and they were both feing him.
"Good evening. Agn,."
Mr.. Sutherland fo!ed himself to |
speak lightly.
"Ah. Frederick, do lind you here?"
The latter question h more Of con.
straint in 1t.
Frederick, with light flush suf-
fusing his cheek. with had been only
too pale until now. acknowledged his
fathers greeting with smile In which
that father was sur.iseu to see a
faint shade of relief ifot of Joy. Then
bo hacked toward the ,or