Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-03-22


she's bound to stay in spite of him and
the Sherwoods too. I've always thought
she was grand. ever since she took me
under her protection at school, when
r. Minnie was speaking sadly, me,
chanically, but suddenly she broke of
with q quick sob, turned to the win.
dow, then turned again to Briscoe and
cried: 81 don't believe it! He knew
how to take care Of himself too we'll
He'd have got away from them"
Her father shook his head. "Then
why hasn't he turned up? He'd have
gone home after the storm If something
bad wasn't the matter"
"But nothing-nothing that bad
could have happened. They haven't
found-any-anything."
"But why hasn't he come back,
child"
"Well, he's lying hurt somewhere,
that's ALL"
"Then why haven't they found him?'
II don't care" she cried and choked
with the words and tossed her dishev.
eled hair from her temples, ut isn't
true! Helen won't believe it. Why
should II It's only few hours since
he was right here in our yard talking
to us all. l won't believe 1t till they've
searched every stick and stone Of Six
Crossroads and found him."
1T wasn't the Crossroads" said
the old gentleman, pushing the table
away and relaxing his limbs on the
sofa. "They probably didn't have any
thing to do with it. We thought they
had at first, but everybody's about
come to beSere it was those two fel.
lows that he had arrested yesterday"
1T wasn't the Crossroads" echoed
Minnie. and she began to tremble vio-
lently. Haven't they been out there
YETI"
"What use? They are out Of II, and
they can thank God they are"
"'They are not" she cried, very much
agitated. "They did it. 1t was the
White Caps We saw them, Helen
and l."
The judge got upon his feet with an
oath. He had not sworn for years un-
ill that morning. whats this" he
said sharply.
81 ought to have told you before, but
we were so frightened, and-and you
went off in such a rush after Mr.. Wiley
was here. l never dreamed everybody
wouldn't know it was the Crossroads;
that they would think Of any one else.
And looked for the scarecrow as soon
as it was light, and it was away on
from where we saw them and wasn't
blown down at all; and Helen saw
them in the field besides; saw all of
them
He interrupted her. What do you
mean? Try to tell me about it quietly,
child" He laid his hand on her shoul-
der.
She told him breathlessly what she
and Helen had seen, and he grew more
and more visibly perturbed and un-
easy, biting his cigar to pieces and
groaning at intervals. When she had
finished he took a few quick turns
about the room, with his hands thrust
deep in his coat pockets, and then,
charging her to repent the story to no
one, left the house and, forgetting his
fatigue. rapidly crossed the fields to
the point where the bizarre figures OF
the night had shown themselves to the
two girls ut the window.
The soft ground had been trampled
by many feet. The boot prints pointed
to the northeast He traced them back
ward to the southwest through the
field and SAW where they had come
from near the road. going northeast;
then. returning, he climbed the fence
and followed them northward through
the next field. From there the next field
to :lr north. lying beyond the road that
was Il continuation Of Main street,
stretched to the railroad embankment.
rho track, ruggctlly defined in tram
plcd loam and muddy furrow. bent In
direction which Indicated that 1ts
terminus might be the switch where
the empty cars had stood last night
waiting for the O'clock freight. Though
the fields had been trulnpled in many
places by the searching parties. lie felt
sure of the direction taken by the
Crossroads men, and lie perceived that
the searchers had mistaken the tracks
be followed for those Of earlier parties
in the hunt. On the embankment he
saw a number of men walking west
and examining the ground on each side
and Il long line Of people following
them out from town. He stopped. He
held the fate Of Six Crossroads In his
hand. and lie knew it.
10 BE CONTINUED.