Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-11-08
CHAPTER XIII.
GRAFTON COMES BACK TO THE
ROSE.

"nE t"o sei i'oo,
- to her orders, left her alone
with the wounded man. He
had not recovered conscious
ness, and save for few feeble means,
while they were working over his
more serious wounds, he had given no
evidence of life. She had not given
any thought to cleansing his face until
the bandaging and necessary work
had been done. But now she sat down
beside him, and dipping the cloth in
the water tenderly wiped the earth
stains from his cheek and the coagu-
lated blood from the slight wound in
his forehead.
AS his features were thus disclosed
to her In the dim light she suddenly
stopped and bent over him In great
surprise. Her heart almost stopped
beating. Was it he? Could 1t be?
She was not sure. 1t was so dark in
the alcove behind the draperies OF the
bed, and the hangings were not drawn
fIem before the window. Setting the
basin down, she ran to the window
and tore open the curtains.
The midday sunlight streamed into
the chamber and lighted the corner
where the bed stood. She turned and
threw back the hangings with a ner-
vous hand. The light fell full upon
his face. With a low cry she recog-
nized him. It was Grafton, Sir Philip,
her knight of old! Oh, thank God for
it! Come back to her after all these
years-yet in this way, In such a
plight! .... .....
She stood In silence after that first
exclamation and gazed upon him, her
heart, her soul in her eyes. At first
slle forgot the intervening years, she
forgot the uniform he wore, she for
got he was an enemy; she remembered
only that he had come back to her.
His memory had been in her heart
since those childish days. She had
thought Of him, dreamed Of him,
longed for him, ay! If the truth were
admitted-she had loved him.. Love!
But could she love the enemy Of
France! Could de Rohan mate with
one of the hated English! She must
put him out of her heart. Could
She
Merciful heavens, what idle thoughts
were these! He was dying before her
eyes. She leaned over him and called
him, softly, tenderly, passionately.
He did not stir, and he had told her
in oldeu times that she might sum-
mon him from the grave and he would
come at the sound Of her voice. She
spoke to him again and again, but he
did not heed.
There was a prie-dieu near the head
of the bed. She turned and sank to
her knees before 1t, prayed earnestly
for him with such fervor and intensity
as did not usually find place in her
maidenly petitions. Then she came
back to the bedside and stood looking
at him, despair in her heart lest he
should die, slip away, and make no
sign. But there was nothing she could
do, 80 she schooled herself to wait,
and while she waited she studied him.
Suddenly her thoughts took another
turn. The shirt in which Jean-Renaud
had dressed Grafton was left slightly
open at the neck on account OF the
bandage. The chain and the locket
had been pushed aside and the locket
lay ON the pillow by the side OF his
face nearest her. Whose face was in
the locket? her heart queried anxious
ly. Men did not usually wear lockets
unless they loved. All! she snatched
1t up eagerly. In any event, she would
not have been woman il she had
not earnestly desired to look in it,
but now-the possibilities consumed
her.
81 wonder who it may be?" she muir
INJURED to herself. "Tis e. pretty case" ;"
She peered impatiently, anxiously, jeal-
ously at it, turning 1t over and over in
her hand. It fascinated her; she would
have given worlds to look, and yet
she could not bring herself to open it.
"Well, it's none Of my affair, at any
rate" she said at last, dropping it upon
the pillow, but with great reluctance
"tis nothing to me, and he is moth
ing. He can never be anything but a
memory Of my childhood. Pity" she
went on, relentlessly striving to de-
ceive her heart by stimulating an in
difference to her feelings, that sc
gallant q man should be laid low by
such a mischance. Jean-Renaud says
the shot struck him in the back-ir
the back-I wonder-but no, l know
he is brave, and, besides, he is friend
of de Wires, and de Vitre is no cow
ard, nor would he choose his friend:
from such" She broke away again II
thought. 20 God, how quiet he lies
Will he ever awaken from that deadl!
stupor, wonder? would the doctor
were here! Poor Sir Philip, Il.
don't want you to die!"
She laid her hand softly on hi:
brow and he quivered under her touch
To her at that moment, she told her
self, he was only the friend of he
girlhood, her knight Of the old tower
a comrade, wounded, helpless, depend
ent, suffering. 1t was lie, she knew
and the Rohans never lied. What wa
the use of deceiving her; no matte
what was in the locket, no matte
whether he had forgotten her or nc
whether he was false or true, she love-
him!
81 love you! 1 love you!" she muir
INJURED.
1t was the truth at last The gate