Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-04-18
CHAPTER VII.

and smiled.
CHAPTER VII.
Llama had returned from the country
with dark half circles under her eyes
and all her pretty color gone.
"Too many long walks, too much vio-
lent riding and that sort Of thing. I've
oyerdone It," she explained to Mrs.
Morris. But she added, seeing the look
of distress on that lady's face. "I'll
soon freshen up-you'l seer
She did. And when the season open
ed she became most popular; she was
here and there and everywhere. The
piquancy Of her foreign flavor gave her
an additional attractiveness. Her so
cial triumphs now for the first time
fully awakened the important De
Witte to her charms, and he wondered
at his former comparative apathy.
As to Llama. the awakening distress
ed her greatly. He was his mothers
idolized son; she, Llama, was her PEN
niless protegee. When her happiness
came to be weighed in the balance
against his it was no open question
which would tip the scales. And she
was beginning to feel something al.
most like repulsion for the man, i'm.
maculately groomed and tailored as he
was. His continual low whispers and
gazing eyes. the dulcet tete-a-tetes
when the family were out, the tanta-
lizing passages as he waylaid her on
the stairs Of an evening-all these
brought her trouble and unrest All.
were all men self seeking?
Margaret Maitland and Llama had
become fast friends. as their first meet
ing promised. The experiences OF the
summer had brought them closely to-
gether. 1t was the day after Anna
Abbott's wedding. at which both the
girls had been bridesmaids, and Mar
garet. who was not feeling well. was
lying down In her boudoir, propped up
with cushions. Llama had dropped In
for a few moments chat, but, finding
her friend indisposed. had taken on
her wraps and decided to pass the aft
ernoon with her.
ANNA looked every inch the bride,
didn't she?" said Margaret: pretty,
flushed and tremulous. l hope she'll
be a good little wife to Charles, he's 30
desperately fond Of her. And shes
such spoiled. petted creature"
Llama acquiesced In all these things,
playing idly with her big muff. which
lay on n chair beside her. Somehow
her heart was heavy today. 1t was
"Lohengrin's Wedding March" which
had fetched the heaviness. she said to
herself. Yesterday when the strains
had reached her ears In her usual
senseless fashion she had felt her lips
tremble. and a great, foolish sob nearly
had broken up from her throat.
But of this she said no word. She
began to talk instead of the guests
who had been at the wedding, Of the
stream of men and women, old and
young. people with great deal Of
manner and not much else. 1t amused
her to see the faultlessly dressed men
caressing their hats, grinning vacuous-
ly and clacking out set phrases and to
hear the women gossip turbulently
about such things as the shop windows
could bring to view any day, from
Alaskan seal garments at one end to
jeweled barbarities In buckles st the
other. with turquoise blue fantasies In
millinery coming somewhere in be.
tween.
They talked of these people for
awhile until Margaret, rising impetu-
ously and letting all unregarded cush-
ion fall to the floor beside her, said:
LLAMA, I'm sick of 1t all-this thing
they call society. It's only the click
clacking of a gristless mill, whose
noise more than anything else pro-
claims its own emptiness"
Zone must imagine to like it." put in
Llama, smiling archly. THAT is how
one learns. This Is how one could
wish things to be, and this Is how they
are" She crossed one slim finger over
another as she laid out the case. But
we must imagine to like them all.
No"
Margaret watched her silently. Then
she reached over to table at the head
of her couch and picked up an open
pamphlet. 1t was a little essay writ
ten in the preraphaelite vein and ar
gued against the prosaic outward fur
niture of modern life and the spread
ing of "the hideous town." She found
the place she wanted and read:
"Say what you will, we are lost chill
dren. and when alone and the dark
ness begins to gather we long for the
close relationship Of the brothers and
sisters we knew in our childhood and
cry for the gentle arms that once rock
ed us to sleep. We are homesick amid
this sad, mad rush for wealth and
place and power. The calm Of the
country invites, and we fain would do
with less things and 60 back to sim
plicity and rest
"Child of nature" cried Margaret,
suddenly turning on Llama, chow can
you be satisfied"
"Perhaps I am not" answered the
girl.
"WellT said Margaret.
"Well." echoed Llama. and the shad-