Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-11-29

darkness, waiting for him, dreaming
of him; he should see her in mo-
ment.
The thought lent him wings, he for
got the dizzy depths below him, the
unsceled heights above him, he forgot
his imminent deadly peril, he forgot
himself, in fact. However, he relaxed
none of his precaution, as he. pain
fully wormed himself up the face Of
the tower. With each step he was
drawing nearer to Anne, that was the
burden of his thoughts.
Presently his head struck the pro-
lection at the foot Of the balcony sur
rounding the oriel window. Here was
the most difficult part Of the ascent;
but he was full of confidence now. A
/ few more cautious efforts and his
hands clasped the coping Of the bal.
cony. Slowly, painfully, he. drew him
self up, swung his feet over the wall,
and dropped softly down to the slone
floor.
He was trembling under the strain
he had undergone; and until that mo-
ment he had not realized what 1t had
been; cold perspiration had broken out
on his forehead, his hands were bleed
ing, but he had achieved the feat. An
undertaking, by the way, had he but
known 1t, which the unfortunate
Baron de Croisic had only compassed
because he had been aided by a rope
dropped by the hands Of the fair Je-
hane. Grafton's ascent, therefore,
had been unparalleled.
He waited a few moments until he
had recovered himself, and then, al
though he was consumed by an eager
desire, without looking at the shut
tered window, which happened to have
the curtains drawn before 1t as well,
he rose slowly to his feet; he took
the coil of rope from his neck dropped
1t down to the foot of the tower, waited
few moments until he felt slight
tug upon 1t, and then hauled up the
rope, to the end Of which was fas-
tened one of the heavy graphing irons,
or grapnels, from the ship. He hooked
It securely over the coping, coiled the
signal halliards up at his feet with
sailor-like care. and thus having Sc
cured his retreat turned toward the
window.
Barred shutters fastened inside pre-
vented him from reaching the glass
Of the window or the hangings there
in. He could see nothing. Here was
an unforeseen obstacle. After all that
he had gone through. was he to be
stopped by shutter?
He stood q moment thinking deeply
and yet seeing no way. Suddenly he
remembered that there were other
windows. on the other sides Of the
oriel. He stepped quickly around to
the other face, and by happy chance
found one open. The. guiding light
had come from It The curtains hang
ing before it were fluttering in the
air. He drew them aside little and
cautiously looked in.
The room presented an entirely diff
ferent appearance from his remem.
brance of it the night in which he had
held Anne in his arms there. Then
1t had been bare, unfurnished, empty;
now, thick luxurious rugs were
stretched across the floor, inviting
couches and chairs, and several gilded
tables were scattered around the apart
ment. Rich hangings depended from
the wall. On one table by vase Of
roses an elaborate candelabra displayed
many lights. A spinet stood against
the wall of the room, a piece Of music
lying upon its rack. The, whole
roon, was filled with signs Of wom-
ans occupancy. What woman?
There was q shawl over q chair, a
shawl he had seen Anne wear; q work
basket sat upon q low table. and In
front Of 1t lay a careless little slipper.
He knew its jeweled buckle. He
longsd to get to it. There was no other
foot in .France-in the. world, even
for that dainty slipper but hers. he
thought fatuously. In an instant he
OWNED that Anne had indeed com'
bas41 and, had. chosen to make this
room. her boudoir. His heart gave p
great leap as he thought Of that as
sociation of ideas by which she had
been led to establish, herself in this
spot sacred to both Of them.
He would see her in moment per
haps. She might be in the adjoining
room yonder. His heart beat louder
than 1t had on the tower wall. To en-
ter. the room seemed almost q sac
rilege. Still, there was no other way.
Just as he was about to climb over
the sill he heard a footstep in the cor
ridor outside the room. For an in
slant he thought 1t might be hers, but
second thought undeceived him. He
| drew back, let the curtain fall, and
waited with his eye comprehending
the room through the corner Of the
drapery. The door opened, tn" hang
ings before 1t were lifted, and the
sturdy figure Of Josette appeared in
the doorway.
"Well!" calculated the maid, as she
stepped into the room and stood look
ing about her with her arms akimbo,
that's done, at any rate. Mon Dieu!
How beautiful Mademoiselle Anne
looked tonight! But how sad her
heart! 'Helas, Josette,' she said, as
/ was dressing her, I care not how
beautiful I am now And yet Mon
sieur lie Comte Is gallant gentleman,
noble and rich. God send me such
lover some day. Poor Monsieur de
Vitre, how sad he looks, too; and as
for that English knight, Sir Grafton
we'll, 'tis he that mademoiselle loves;
yes, for him she breaks her heart.
Twas for him she always looked back,
back, back, on that hateful ship. Me,
l like not the sea. I'm glad it's not
who have so many lovers. One will
suit me, If I may choose. That poor
Englishman. Dame, If had been he
I had stolen her away willy-nilly. She
would have forgiven him, know;
love like hers forgives all. But now
she will never see him again"
Don't be too sure of that, Josette,"
whispered Grafton in her ear.