Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-02-26
And tonight. here in Plattville. he

one that his tickle memory told him he
had never heard before. But. listening.
he knew better-he had heard It long
ago. though when and how be did not
know. as rich and true and ineffably
tender az now. He threw q sop to his
common sense. Miss Sherwood Is
little thing" the Image was so surely
tall. with bumpy forehead and spec
tacIes." he said to himself. ''or else
provincial young lady with big eyes to
pose at you" Then he felt the ridicl
lousness of looking after his common
sense on a moonlight night in June;
also. he knew that he lied.
The song had ceased, but the musician
fingered, and the keys were touched to
plaintive harmonies new to him. lie
aad come to Plattville before "Caval-
;eria Rusticana" Won the prize at Rome.
and now, entranced. he heard the In
termezzo" for the first time. Listening
to this. he feared 10 move lest he should
wake from u summer nights dream.
A ragged little shadow fitted down
the path behind him. and frem soli-
tary apple tree standing like lone
" ghost in the middle OF the field
came the "N'oow Of a screech owl twice.
1t was answered-twice-fro q clump
Of elder bushes that grew in fence
corner fifty yards west Of the pasture
bars. Then the barrel Of a squirrel rifle
issued. lifted out of the white elder BIOS
SONS. and lay along the fence. The
music in the house across the way ceas-
ed, and Harkless saw two white dresses
come out through the long parlor win
dows on to the veranda. 1T will be
cooler out here" came the voice of the
singer clearly through the quiet. what
q night"
John vaulted the bars and started to
cross the road. They saw him from
the veranda, and Miss Briscoe called
to him in welcome. AS his tall figure
stood out plainly in the bright light
against the white dust streak OF lire
leaped from the elder blossoms. and
there rang out the sharp report OF a
rifle. There were two screams from
the veranda. One white figure ran into
the house. The other, little one with
q gauzy wrap streaming behind. came
flying out into the moonlight straight
to Harkless. There was second re-
port. The rifle shot was answered by
a revolver. William Todd had risen
up, apparently from nowhere, and.
kneeling by the pasture bars, fired at
the fash of the rife.
Jump fer the shadder, Mr.. Hark-
lessw he shouted. He's In them ell
ders. Fer Gods sake. come back"
Empty handed as he was, the editor
dashed for the treacherous elder bush
as fast as his long legs could carry
him, but before he had taken six
strides hand clutched his sleeve and
girls voice quavered from close be-
hind him: Don't run like that, Mr..
Harkless! can't keep up"
He wheeled about and confronted a
vision, dainty little figure about five
feet high. a flushed and lovely face.
hair and draperies disarranged and
flying. He stamped his foot with rage.
"Get back in the house" he cried.
"You mustn't 60" she painted. Its
the only way to stop you."
$50 back to the house" he shouted
savagely.
"Will you Gomez"
"Fer Gods sake" cried William
Todd, "come back! Keep out Of the
road" He was emptying bis revolver
at the clulnp Of bushes. the uproar of
his firing blasting the night. Some one
screamed from the house:
"Helen, Helen!
John seized the girls wrists. Her
gray eyes flashed into his defiantly.
"Will you go?" he roared.
"No"
He dropped her wrists, caught her up
in his arms as If she had been kit
ten and leaped into the shadow Of the
trees that leaned over the road from
the yard. The rife rang out again.
and the little ball whistled venomous.
ly overhead. Harkless ran along the
fence and turned in at the gate. A
loose strand Of the girls hair blew
across his cheek. and in the moon her
head shone with gold. She had light