Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-21
"Enlighten me further"

i
ship. The lord Of creation Is after all
very inferior animal-nearer the
brute creation weaker in infancy, shor-
ter lived, more imperfectly developer.
given to fighting, and addicted to idi-
ocy. I never saw female idiot In my
life-did you" -,
Come to think Of 1t, never did"
acknowledged Ben with comic gravity.
What else?" -.f .
Isn't that enough% T.
It's nothing. I agree with every
thing you say but it IS irrelevant I'm
studying law you know. /,
'T have a personality Of my own.
You and your kind assume the right to
absorb all lesser lights" ?
Certainly; I'm a man."
II don't care. to be absorbed py
mere man." ~ :
Don't wish to be protected shelter
eI. and cared for?" e., .
"I dream of a life that shall be larg-
er than the four walls Of home.
have never gone into Mysteries over
the idea of becoming a cook and house,
keeper without wages, and snuf1ng my
life out while another grows, expands,
and claims the lordshio Of the world.
can sing. My voice Is to me what
eloquence is to man. Ny ideal Is an
intellectual companion who will inspire
and lead me to develop all that feel
within to its highest reach" ~
She paused a moment and looked de;
family into Ben's brown eyes about
which q smile was constantly playing.
He loked away, and again the river
echoed with his contagious laughter.
She had to join in spite Of herself. he
laughed with boyish gaiety. 1t danced
in his eyes. and gave spring to every
movement Of his slender wiry body.
She felt Its contagion infold her.
family Ben's brown eyes, about 'whicha
smile was constantly playing. He looked
away, and again the river echoed with
his contagious laughter. She had 70
join in spite of herself. He laughed
with boyish gaiety. 1t danced In MS
eyes. and gave spring to every move
ment of his slender wiry body. She
fel. it's contagion infold her.
His laughter melted into a song. In
a voice vibrant with Joy he sang. "If
you get there before do, tell 'em I'm
comm tool"
AS Elsie listened, her anger grew rs
she recalled the amazing folly that
had induced her to tell the secret feel
ings Of her inmost soul to this man al
most a stranger. Whence came this
miracle Of influence about him, this
gift of intimacy? She felt a shock as
If she had been immodest. She was In
an agony of doubt as to what he was
thinking Of her, and dreaded to meet
his gaze. p5
And yet, when he turned toward her.
of dark southern blood and bone and
fire, at the sound Of his voice all doubt
ard questioning melted.
do you know" he said earnestly,
that you are the funniest, most
charming girl I ever metz"
Thanks. I've heard your experience
has been large for one Of your age"
Ben's eyes danced. A.
Perhaps yes. You appeal to things
in me that didn't know were there
to all the senses Of body and soul at
once. Your strength Of mind. with. Its
conceits, and your quick little temper
seems so odd and out Of place clothed
in the gentleness Of your beauty"
IT was never more serious In my life.
There are other things more personal
about you that do not like"
What"
Your cavalier habits" -
Cavalier fiddlesticks. There are no
Cavaliers in my country. We are all
Covenanter and Huguenot folks. The
idea that southern boys are lazy loaf
ing dreamers is a myth. was raised
on the catechism."
"You love to fish and hunt and frolic
YOU. firt with every girl you meet,
and you drink sometimes. / often feel
that you are cruel and that / do not
know you"
Ben's face grew serious, and the red
scar IN the edge of his hair suddenly
became livid with the rush Of blood.
Perhaps I don't mean that you shall
know all yet" he said, slowly. my
ideal of man Is one that leads.
charms, dominates. and yet eludes. l
confess that I'm close kin to an angel
and a devil. and that I await q wom-
ans hand to lead me into the ways OF
neace and life"
The spiritual earnes:ness Of the girl
was quick to catch the subtle appeal
of his words. His broad, high fore
head. straight. mastery nose with It's
mobile nostrils. seemed to her very
manly at just that moment and very
appealing. A soft answer was on her
Inns.
He saw it, and leaned toward her
in impulsive tenderness. A timid look
on her face caused him to sink back
In silence.
They had now drifted near the city.
The sun was slowly sinking In
smother Of fiery splendor that mir
rored is changing hues in the still wa
ter. The hush Of the harvest fulness
of autumn life was over all nature.
They passed a camp Of soldiers and then
big hospital on the banks above. A
gun flashed from the hill, and the flag
dropped from its staff.
The girls eyes fingered on the flower
in his coat a moment and then on the
scar in the edge of his dark hair. and
somehow the difference between. them
seemed 20 melt into the falling twi-
light. Only his nearness was real.
again strange JOY held her.
He threw her look Of tenderness:
and she began to tremble. A sea-guiI
poised a moment above them and
Bending nearer, he gently took her
hand. and said:
81 love you!"
A sob caught her breath and she
buried her face on her arm.
'T am for you. and you are for me.
WHY beat YOUR wings against the thlng
that Is and must be? What else mat
ters? With all my sins and faults my
lad Is yours-a land Of sunshine. eter-
nal harvests and everlasting song. Old
fashioned and provincial perhaps. out
kind and hospitable. Around its num-
hlest cottage song-birds live and mate
and nest and never leave. The winged
ones Of your own cold fields have heard
their call. and the sky tonight Will
echo with their chatter as they hurry
southwark. Elsie. my own. I too nave
called-comn: love you!"
She lifted her face to him full or
tender spiritual charm, her eyes burn
inc their passionate answer.
He bent and kissed her
"Sav 1t! Saw it," he whispered.
"I love you!" she sighed.
TO RE CONTINUED.