Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-09-16
c.o,,;.bt. 1905, b, HARPER a BROTHERS
and he closed the conversation by 60.

and he closed the conversation Dy 60
Ing to work.
BY nightfall his task was finished,
and he could have caught train for
barley. but he felt strange, half
morbid disinclination to leave. He re-
paired to his hotel, changed his cloth
ing and went down to the crowded
dining room, but the very gayety OIL
every hand irritated him. he had no
appetite for what was before him. All
around him, at private tables, were gay
parties Of young people in evening
dress. The music of fine orchestra
came in from the rotunda. The air wn>
filled with the perfume Of flowers.
Never had the burden Of his birth felt
so heavy, never had he so keenly long
cd for the unattainable. He was In
the lowest dregs of despair; he had be-
gun to pity himself. Everybody else
was having a holiday: no holiday
could come to him while his own ia
ther was bearing the scourge Of the
law, while the only things he craved
were eluding his grasp.
A little warmth came to his cold
heart over the, thought that Lydia
Cranston cared for him, but it was
swept away by the icy fear that, de-
spite her regard for him. she was even
then striving philosophically to put him
out Of her life. That striving had be-
gun with the acceptance Of the recep-
ton in her honor. The next step would
be the formal announcement Of her en-
gagement to the governor, and then
she would begin to look upon Telfare
as her future husband. George stifed
a groan and rose and left the room.
The thought was like the pangs Of
death. He went out into the streets
and walked on and on, going he cared
not whittier. trying to kill the despair
within him. Dark thoughts pursued
him, but he threw them aside. He was
a soldier fighting black adversely, and
he would dght-hght to the end. he
had been walking half an hour when
he came to the spacious grounds Of the
Dunleigh home. A carriage stood at
the door. 1t was waiting for her-her!
In short while she would emerge
dressed for the reception. Could he
not wait there on the street and see
her? No, for it was closed carriage,
and she would be shut off from his
view. But could he not, without be-
ing seen, get nearer the door through
which she would have to pass? The
grounds were unlighted, and there
were many clusters and hedges Of
shrubbery. The gate Of the drive was
open. He stole in and found q rustic
seat behind hedge Of rosebushes,
where he could remain unseen. He
had not long to wait. Mrs. Dunleigh
and Mrs. Cranston came out and then
Miss Cosby and Lydia. The two girls
paused for moment under the great
swinging lamp that hung from the
ceiling of the veranda. Buckley held
bis breath as he looked upon her. He
had never seen her in complete even
ing dress before. and her rare beauty
was q revelation to him. She seemed
to be at once the girl he knew and
adored and yet another who was quite
a stranger to him.
The coachman was holding the car
riage door open for her, and she swept
down the steps and the door closed
upon her. The hoofs Of the mettle-
some horses ground into the pebbled
drive as they whirled her away. Gone
from his sight into that Of his despised
rival! Buckley sank back on to the
bench and clasped his cold hands. He
remained there an hour and then slow
ly retraced his steps down the beauti-
full street. Soon the Illumination at
the executive mansion rose before him.
The hum Of many voices fell on his
ear blended with martial music. The
trees on the lawn were hung with Chi
nese lanterns; from balcony overhead
attendants were setting off costly fire.
works. On the very sky Telfare SEEM
ed to be recording his triumph over his
conquered foe. George walked on past
the mansion into the reveling mass Of
humanity that swarmed about the prin-
cipal hotels.