Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-23
9ffff]G f ffH LADY
Of f. YNN.
BY SIR WALTER BESANT.

"Molly. IL you won't come down,
shall force my way up"
Still she kept silence.
He took two steps up the ladder and
lifted the boards, showing the fingers
of his left hand. Molly applied her
knife gently, but dcxterously; but 1t
touched the bone and taught him what
to expect. He drew back with cry OF
rage
"Come down." he said, cor 1t will
be worse for you. Come down, say"
He had not reckoned on knife and
on the girls courage In using 1t.
"You have no food up there" he
went on. "Your window is only light
In the roof looking away from the road
No one from Lynn will come this way
If they do, they will see nothing. You
had better come down. Molly, I shall
wait here for a month. l shall starve
you out. Do you hear? I will set fire
to the thatch and burn you out! You
shall come down.
So he raved and ragged. Meantime
the two chairmen. who were his own
servants, stood pole in hand, one In
front Of the house and one behind, to
prevent an escape. but this was I'M
possible, because the room. as you have
i heard, had no other window than q
small, square opening in the roof, IN
which was fitted a piece Of coarse,
common glass.
"Jack," she told me, when he talk
ed of setting fire to the thatch, l con-
fess trem5led. because, you see, my
knife would not help me there, and,
indeed, l think he would have done 1t,
because he was like one that has gone
mad with rage. He was like a mad
bull. He stormed: he ragged; he cursed
and swore: he called me all the names
you ever heard of, such names as the
sailors call their sweethearts when
they are in q rage with them. and then
he called me all the endearing names,
such as lovellest Of my sex. fairest
nymph. tenderest beauty. What a
man! What q mani!
Meantime she made no answer what
ever, and the darkness and the silence
and the obs;inacy Of the girl were driv-
Ing the unfortunate lover to kind Of
madness, and | know not what would
have happened.
"Alolly." he said, willy nilly, down
you come. I shall tear down the
thatch. I would burn you out, but I
would not spoil your beauty. shall
tear down the thatch, and my men
shall carry you down"
Then Molly made answer.
81 have knife in my possession. DO
not think that am afraid to use It.
The first man who lays hands on me 1
will kill, whether it Is you or your
servants"
That We shall see. Look you. Molly,
you are only q merchants daughter,
and l am a gentleman. Do you think
I value that compared with marrying
you? Not one whit. When we are
married, l will buy more land. I will
be the greatest landowner Of the whole
county. Sir Robert will make me sher-
If. will 60 into parliament. Molly,
he will make me peer. Come down,
say"
But she spoke no more.
Then he lost control of himself and
for awhile stamped and swore, threat
encd and cursed. "You will have it,
then? Here. John, 60 and look for a
ladder. There's always a ladder In
the back yard. Put 1t up against the
thatch. Tear 1t down. Make q hole in
the roof. Tear off the whole roof"
Tie man propped his chair pole
against the door and went round to
look for the ladder and to obey orders.
so" Molly told me, 81 was besieged.
Mr.. Rising was below, but had my
knife. and lie was afraid to venture up
the steps heard the men clumping
about outside. l heard them plant the
ladder and climb up. Now, country
man who understands a thatch Is able
to tear it off very quickly, either to
! make or mend a hole or to tear down
the roof altogether. and feared that
must use my knife seriously. Was ever
woman more barbarously abused!
Well. l waited. BY the quick tearing
away Of the straw I saw that the fell
low on the ladder knew how to thatch
| q rick or cottage. In few minutes
there would be hole big enough fot
half a dozen men to enter. Jack" her
| cheek flushed and her eye frightened,
| "God forgive me, but / made up my
mind the moment that man stepped
within the room to plunge my knife
into his heart"
However, this last act Of defense was
not necessary.
MASTER" cried the postboy, who was
waiting with the chalse-"master, here
be men OH horseback, galloping.
doubt they are coming after the lady"
Tom Rising stepped to the door and
looked down the road. The day was
already beginning to break. He saw
in the dim light q company of horse
men galloping along the road. 1t was
q bad read. and there had been rain, SO
that the horses went heavily. They
were very near. In few moments
they would be upon him. He looked at
the chaise. He made one more effort.
Molly" he said. "come down quick
There is just time. Let US have no
more fooling."
Again she made no reply. Knife IN
hand. with crimson cheek and set lips
she watched the hole In the thatch and