Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-01-26
II M II II n u q n IN VI n i

man than harness can disguise the
graces of a gazelle. Nothing could
conceal her intense, exquisite woman
hood. With our looks Of astonishment
and admiration Mary's bushes deep
ened.
what Is the matter7 Is anything
wrongT she asked.
Nothing Is wrong" answered Bran
don. smiling In spite Of himself. Moth
ing or earth Is wrong with you. you
may be sure. You are perfect-that Ia.
for a woman-and one who thinks there
is anything wrong about q perfect
woman Is hard to please. But II you
fatter yourself that you in any way
resemble q man or that your dress In
the faintest degree conceals your sex
you are mistaken. 1t makes it only
more apparent:
How can that be" asked Mary In
comica tribulation. "Is not this .
mans doublet and hose, and this hat
Ia it not q mans hat? They are all for
man. Then why do / not look like
one, I ask? Tell me what Is wrong.
Oh, l thought looked just like man.
| thought the disguise was perfect"
"Well," returned Brandon, III you
will permit me to say so, you are en-
tirely too symmetrical and shapely
ever to pass for a man."
The flaming color was in her cheeks
as Brandon went on: "Your feet are
too small. even for boys feet. l
don't think you could be made to look
like q man II you worked from now
till doomsday."
Brandon spoke in troubled tone,
for he was beginning to see In Mary's
perfect and irrepressible womanhood
an lnsurmountable difficulty right
across his path.
"As to your feet, you might find
larger shoes. or. better still. jack boots.
and. as to your hose, you might wear
longer trunks. but what to do about
tue doublet am sure I do not know"
Mary looked up helpless and forlorn.
and the hot face went into her bended
elbow as a realization of the situation
seemed to dawn upon her.
ooh, I wish I had not come! But
wanted to grow accustomed, so that !
could wear them before others: be-
lieve ] could bear it more easily with
any one else. did not think of 1t In
that way" And she snatched her
cloak from where it had fallen on the
floor and threw it around her.
What way. Mary" asked Brandon
gently and receiving no answer. "But
you will have to bear my looking at
you allthe time If you 60 with me-"
II don't believe can do It,"
NO, no." answered he. bravely at
tempting cheerfulness; 1--WE may as
we'll give it up. l have had no hope
from the first. knew it could not be
done. and it should not. l was both
insane and criminal to think Of per-
mitting you to try It,"
Brandon's forced cheerfulness died
out with his words. and he sank Into q
chair, with his elbows on his knees and
bis face in his hands. Mary ran to him
at once. There had been little mo-
ment of falterlng. but there was no
real surrender in her.
Dropping on her knee beside him, she
said coaXingly: Don't give up. You
are 81 man: you must not surrender
and let me. u girl, prove the stronger.
Shame upon you when l look up to
you 80 much and expect you to help me
be brarel will go. I will arrange
myself in some way. Oh. why am l
not different? | wish were as straight
as the queen" And for that first time
In her life she bewailed her beauty be-
cause it stood between her and Bran
don.
She soon coaXed him out of his de-
spondency. and we began again to plan
the matter In detail.
The girls sat on Brandon's cloak and
he and on the camp stool and box.
AIary's time was we'll occupied In
vain attempts to keep herself covered
with the cloak, which seemed to have
q right good will toward Brandon and
me. but she kept track of our plans.
which, in brief. were as follows: As
to her costume, we would substitute
long trunks and jack boots for shoes
and hose. and. as to doublet, Mary
laughed and blushingly said she had
plan which she would secretly impart
to Jane, but would not tell US. She
whispered 1t to Jane, who, as serious
as the lord chancellor. gave judgment
ard thought it would do" We hoped
So. hut were full Of doubts.
This is all tame enough to write and
read about. but I can tell you It was
SUM ciently exciting at the time. Three
Of us at least were playing with that
comical fellow. Death, and he gave tho
game interest and point to our hearts
content.
AZ to the elopcment, 1t was deter
minad that Brandon should leave Lon
don the following day for Bristol and
make all arrangements along the line.
He would carry with him two bundles,
his own and Mary's clothing, and leave
them to be taken up when they should
20 a-shipboard. Eight horses would
be procured. four to be left as relay
at an inn between Berkeley castle and
Bristol and four to be kept at the rem
devious some two leagues the other
side of Berkeley for the use Of Bran
don, Mary and the two men from Brls-
tol who were to act as an escort on the
eventful night. There was one dis
agreeable little feature that we could
not provide against nor entirely elm
mate. It was the fact that Jane and
| should be suspected as accomplices