Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-05

BE handed oper q sealed envelope t1lttle
speaking.
he vaguely indicated the direction In
which 1t was located. when you get
back. I'll look up some grub for you"
The messenger led his horse away,
and Craig stepped through the door
into a lighted room. He studied the
direction on the envelope moment or
two and then gingerly broke the seal.
Then. while he read the contents Of the
short message. his eyes opened wider
and wider, and at last he uttered q
long. low whistle.
The missive was written In Lisle's
hand upon stationery of the Palace ho-
tel, San Francisco, and was as fol-
lows:
Dear Craig-You will be surprised to learn that
left Crescent and Cross the day following your
departure and came directly here Since then ]
have been very much occupied. as you may sup.
pose I shall leave here tomorrow for She city OF
New York and will establish myself at the Hol.
land House, where I will await your coming, for
know that you will come. You muy travel at
your leisure as there Is no need for haste. Then
we will call together upon my fathers lawyer.
You will find me arrayed In feminine attire, but
! will offer no further explanations here.
Isle MAXWELL.
The look of perplexity upon Craig's
face deepened, but 1t was softened by
a tender smile. which somehow won
derfully transformed it.
"Grlt! Clear grit! he muttered.
"Sbes a rustler! Lisle, I'm proud OF
you! And all the time was jackass
enough to suppose that you were
a-moping all alone within 30 miles Of
where was a-sitting and awaiting for
you to yell 'Tally-ho-o-ov He turned
abruptly and strobe to the door just as
the messenger who had cared for his
horse was on the point Of entering it.
How far did you come with that let
terT he demanded.
"From San Francisco" was the quiet
reply.
"what! Did you bring it clear from
there"
Eyes. Those were my instructions.
I came by rail as far as Reno, and from
there I've made the trip on horseback,
by way Of Belmont "a roundabout
way, but the best travelling. was
born there and know the country thor
oughly. l used to know you when
was q boy"
"Shake! You're all right! Now I'll
find you something to eat"
One week later Craig Thompson ar
rived In New York. and it Is doubtful
If his familiars in Nevada would have
known him had any Of them Glanced
to encounter him on the street. All the
roughness had disappeared. His un-
kempt beard was gone. His mustache
had been trimmed and trained, his
hair was shorn. and his costume was
all that the most fastidious city bred
man could desire. But the strangeness
of it all was In the fact that the alter
ations seemed entirely familiar to him.
and he was as thoroughly at ease us
If he had lived all his life In the sphere
to which he had been born.
"Homew he said aloud as he stepped
from the train to the platform. Home
again after oil these years, after hav-
ing sworn that would never again put
my feet upon the pavements Of New
York! Twenty-Five years since | left
home and lost myself on the Nevada
plains and among the mines in the Sier-
ras! Eighteen years. or nearly that,
since l came back for that one flying
vislt-arrived in the evening aud left in
the early morning, bitterly sorry that !
came, more than ever determined nev-
er to return-and here | am"
He signaled to a cab, entered 1t and
was taken to the Holland House, where
he knew that he would find the object
Of his journey, and an hour later he
rose from the couch where he had
awaited the return Of the boy who had
taken his card to Miss Maxwell-rose
to meet a tall. faultlessly clad figure
that entered the room. figure which
rapidly approached him. which had
Lisle's face. which looked upon him
out Of LiSle's eyes. which spoke to him
In Lisle's voice Of rich contralto, but
which in no other way resembled the
young friend from whom he had parted
Oh the plains Of Nevada.
Craig" she said and hestated. Her
surprise was as great as his, for the
transformation In him was not less
marked than 1t was in her. But the
| hesitation was almost imperceptible,
| for with both hands she drew his head
down and kissed him upon his brow.
Have you been undergoing a course
Of instruction also" she asked, seat
ing herself beside him. ''The change
| In you Is as great as 1t Is In me. 1t Is