Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-09-03
CHAPTER Z.
THE EXPECTED BLOW.

OUT VIC
EGE captain sitting In the
E@@9 summer house alone
- without the usual SOL
ace of his tobacco and bis October.
"Jack," he said, with gloomy sigh,
81 am now the happiest Of men be-
cause my Molly Is the most fortunate
of women. | have attained the utmost
! could hope or ask. The most virtuous
of men-I should say noblemen-has
asked the hand OF our girl. Molly Will
be a countess! Rejoice with mer
| stood outside on the grass. having
no words to say.
"She will marry him Immediately.
Nothing could be more happy or more
fortunate. Such rank. such q position
as places her on q level with the high.
eat ladies of the land. though the
daughter Of plain folk. with q ship
owner for a father and a sailors
daughter for q mother-there is pro-
motion for you. JackF'
"She will 60 away. then. and leave
usr'
AYE. she will leave US, Jack. She
will leave us. His lordship-you do not
ask who 1t Is"
who can it be. captain. but Lord
FylingdaleY'
"The best Of men. BE will carry her
of to bis country house. where they
will live retired for awhile. yet In such
state as belongs to her rank. We shall
lose her. of course. That. however. we
always expected. The country house
Ia In Gloucester. on the other side OF
England Perhaps she may get to see
US. but | am Is or perhaps more, and
Jennifer. her mother, is not far from
30 cannot look to set eyes on her
again. What matter" be hemmed
bravely and sat uprlght-"what mat
ter. ! say. SO that the girl is happyl
Her mother may perhaps set eyes Oh
her once more. but she will be changed,
because. you see. our Molly must now
become fine lady"
YES" l groaned; "she must become
fine lady"
:'Jack, sometimes | am sorry that
she has so much money. Yet what
was to do? Could waste and dissi-
pate her money? Could l give away
her ships? Could give her. with the
fortune of princess. to a plain and
simple skipper? No. Providence. Prov
idence. Jack. hath so ordered things.
| cOuld not helm mySelf"
"No. captain. you could not help
things. YETI broke off.
well. Jack. why don't you rejoice
with me-? Why the devil don't you
laugh and sing? All you want is to
see her happy. Yet there you stand
as glum and dumb as a mute at a fu-
neral"
81 wish her happiness. sir. with all
my heart"
"Sam Semple came here this after
noon by order Of my lord. Sam gives
himself airs now that he Is secretary
and companion. He came and demand
ed conversation with me. 1t was quite
private. he said. and Of the utmost i'm,
portance. So we sat in the parlor, and
with bottle Of wine between us we
talked over the business. First he told
me that his patron, as he calls him,
meaning his master, had been greatly
taken with the innocence and the
beauty of Molly. replied that unless
he was a stock or u stone or an ice
berg expected nothing less. He went
on to say that. although noble earl
with a long pedigree and a great es.
tate. his patron was willing to contract
marriage with girl who was not even
of gentle birth and had nothing but
her beauty and her innocence. told
him that she had, in addition. q very
large fortune. He said that his pa
tron scorned the thought Of money.
being already as rich as most noble
men Of his exalted rank; that he was
willing also to pass over any defects
In manners, conversation and carriage,
which would be remedied by q little
acquaintance with the polite world.
In a word. his lordship offered his
hand. his name. his title. his rank and
himself to my ward"
His condescension." said. ''is be-
yond all praise"
IL think so, too; beyond all praise.
ask his advice touching a husband
for my girl. He promises his assist
ance In the matter, and he then offers
himself. Jack. could anything be more
fortunate?"
II hope it may turn out so. What
does Molly say?"
"You may so In and ask her yourself
She will tell you more than she will tell
anybody else. The matter Is to be kept
for the present a profound secret be-
tween his lordship and ourselves. But
since Sam Semple knows 1t. and Jen'
infer knows it. and you are one Of our
selves. therefore you may as we'll know
1t too. But don't talk about It,"
"Why should it be kept secret
Why should 1t not be proclaimed every
where?"
"My lord says that the place Is a hot
bed Of scandal; that he would not have
Molly's name passed about In the pump
room. to be the object Of common gos
SIP and inventions made up Of envy
and malice. He would spare Molly
this. When she Is once married ant
-. ~l,e klN4ry IN z