Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-19

when is this thing to be done?''
he demanded, when the temperamental
gods were appeased little.
Hildreth shrugged.
T have told you all I could, and
rather more than I had any right to.
Open the door behind you, won't you?
The air Is positively sulphurous.
Kent opened the door, entirely miss
ing the point Of sarcasm in his heat.
But you must have some idea," he
insisted.
"T haven't; any more than the gen.
eral one that they won't let grass
grow under their feet"
mo. God blast the whole-I wish
I could swear in Sanscrit. The mother
tongue doesn't begin to do justice to
It. Now ! know what Bucks meant
when he told me to take my railroad,
II ! could get II. He had the whole
thing coopered up in barrel at that
minute"
Il take 1t you have no alternative
to this" said the editor, tapping the
pile Of affldavits.
mot a cursed shred Of an idea!
And, Hildreth-" he broke of short
because once again the subject sud-
denly grew too large for coherent
speech.
Hildreth dIsentangled himself from
the legs of his chair and stotd up to
put his hands on Kent's shoulders.
"You are up against 1t hard, Da-
vid," he said. and he repeated: I'D
give all my old shoes to be able to
help you out"
81 know It," said Kent; and then he
turned abruptly and went away.
Between nine and ten o'clock the
same evening Kent was walking the
floor Of his room. trying vainly to
persuade himself that virtue was its
own reward. and wondering II a small
dose of chloral hydrate would be de-
fensible under the cruel necessity for
sleep. He had about decided in favor
of the drug when a tap at the door
announced the coming Of a bell-boy
with a note. It was a message from
Portia.
"If you have thrown away your
chance definitely, and are willing tc
take a still more desperate one. come
to see me-" she wrote; and he went
mechanically, as drowning man
catches at a straw. knowing 1t will not
save him.
The house in Alameda Square was
dark when he went up the walk; and
while he was feeling for the bell-push
his summoner called to him out of the
electric stencilings Of leaf shadows
under the broad veranda.
1T is too fine q night to stay In
DOORS" she said. Come and sit In the
hammock while I scold you as you de-
serve" And when he had taken the
hammock: Now give an account OF
yourself. Where have you been for the
past age or two?"
"Wallowing around In the lower
depths Of the place that Dante visited"
he admitted.
Don't you think you deserve man
handling"
81 suppose so; and II you have 1t In
mind, shall probably get it. But I
may say I'm not especially anxious for
a tongue-lashing tonight"
Poor boy!" she murmured, in mock
sympathy. Does 1t hurt to be truly
good?"
"Try 1t some time when you have
little leisure, and see for yourself" he
retorted.
She laughed.
mo; III leave that for the Miss
Brentwoods. BY the way, did you go to
tell the household goodby? Penelope
was wondering audibly what had be-
come Of you"
81 didn't know they were gone. ]
have been nowhere since the night you
drove me out with contumely and op-
probrium."
She laughed again.
You must have dived deep. They
went week ago Tuesday, and you lost
your ghostly adviser and your political
stage manager at one fell swoop. But
It isn't wonderful that you haven't
missed Mr.. Ormsby. Having elected
Miss Brentwood your conscience-keep-
erin chief, you have no further use for
the P. s. NJ"
And you have no further use for
me, apparently" he complained. did
you send for me so that you might
abuse me in the second edition?"
mo; wanted to give you bit OF
news, and to repeat an old question OF
mine. Do you know what they are
going to do next with your railroad?"
Eyes; Hildreth told me this after
noon"
well, what are you going to do?"
Nothing. There is nothing to be
done. They have held to the form
Of legal procedure thus far. but they
won't do it any more. They will take
MacFarlane off in a corner somewhere,
have him make Guilford permanent
receiver, and the lease to the Over
land will be consummated on the spot
I sha'n't be in it."
Probably not; certainly not II you
don't try to get in 1t. And that brings
me back to the old question. Are you
big enough, David?"
"If you think haven't been big
enough to live up to my opportunities
thus far, I'm afraid may disappoint
you again." he said doubtfully.
You have disappointed me-" she
admitted. THAT is why I am asking:
I'd like to be reasonably sure your
Jonathan Edwardsy notions are not 60
ing to trip US again"
"Portia, If l thought you really
meant that. "A constituencies. man