Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-19

Mildred, up to this period, had been al
lowed by Lindsay to pass without
comment; 1t was regarded but as the
customary and commonplace civility
Of polite society. Mildred's parents had
no sympathy in her lovers sentiments,
and consequently no especial admira-
tion of his character and they had not
yet doubted their daughters loyalty to
be made of less stern materials than
their own. Her mother was the first
to perceive that the modest maiden
awaited the coming of the young SOL
dier with a more anxious forethought
than betokened an occupied heart.
How painfully did this perception
break upon her! 1t opened upon her
view a foresight Of that unhappy Sc
quence of events that attends the Sc
cret struggle between parental author
ity and filial inclination, when the alb
sorbing interests Of true love are con-
cerned: a struggle that so frequently
darkens the fate of the noblest ma
lures. and whose history supplies the
charm of so many a melancholy and
thrilling page. Mrs. Lindsay had an
invincible objection to the contem-
plated alliance, and Immediately awak-
ened the attention Of her husband to
the subject From this moment But
lers reception at the Dove Cote was
cold and formal, and Mr.. Lindsay did
not delay to express to his daughter
marked aversion to her intimacy with
a man so uncongenial to his own taste.
l need not dwell upon the succession
of incidents that followed; are they not
written in every book that tells OF
young hearts loving in despite Of au-
thority? Let it suffice to say that
Butler, many a time and Oft" hied
steathily and with a lovers haste to
the Dove Cote, where, under the shade
Of melancholy boughs," or sometimes
of good Mistress Dimock's roof, he
found means to meet and exchange
vows of constarcy with the lady Of
his love.
Thus passed the first year Of the
war. The death Of Mrs. Lindsay, 20
which l have before adverted, now oc-
Cured. The year Of mourning was
doubly affective to Mildred. Her faith
ers grief hung as heavily upon her as
her own, and to this was added total
separation from Butler. He had Joined
his regiment and was sharing the per-
lis of the northern campaigns, and
subsequently Of those which ended In
the subjugation of Carolina and Geor-
gia. During all this period he was en-
abled to keep up an uncertain and ir-
regular correspondence with Mildred,
and he had once met her in secret, for
few hours only, at Mistress Dimocks
during the autumn Immediately pre-
ceding the date Of the opening Of my
story.
Mrs. Lindsay. upon her death-bed,
had spoken to her husband in the most
emphatic terms of admonition against
Mildred's possible alliance with But
ler, and conjured him to prevent 1t by
whatever means might be in his power.
Besides this, she made will directing
the distribution of a large jointure es-
tate in England between her two chill
dren, coupling. with the bequest, a
condition of forfeiture. If Mildred mar
ried without her fathers appreciation.
I have now to relate an incident In
the life of Philip Lindsay. which
throws a sombre coloring over most OF
the future fortunes Of Mildred and Ar
thur, as they are hereafter to be de-
veloped in my story.
The lapse of years, Lindsay suppos-
ed, would wear out the first favorable
impression made by Arthur Butler up
on his daughter. Years had now pass
ed; he knew nothing of the secret cor
respondence between the parties, ana
he had hoped that all was forgotten.
He could not help, however, perceiv-
ing that Mildred had grown reserved,
and that her department seemed to be
controlled by some secret care that sat
upon her heart. She was anxious, So
fictitious, ond more inclined. than be-
came her 1outh, to be alone. Her
household affections took a softer tone,
like one in grief. These things did not
escape her fathers eyes.
1t was on a night in June little
more than a year before the visit OF
Butler and Robinson which 1 have mar
rated in a former chapter, that the
father and daughter had a free COM
munion together, in which it was his
purpose to penetrate into the causes OF
her disturbed spirit. The conference
was managed with an affectionate and
skilful address on the part Of the faith
er, and sadly borne" by Mildred. IL
is sufficient to say that it revealed to
him a truth Of which he was previous
" but little aware, namely, that neither
the family Affections nor the flight OF
two years had rooted out the fond pre-
dilection of Mildred for Arthur Butler.
When this interview ended Mildred re-
tired weeping to her chamber, and
Lindsay sat in his study absorbed In
meQltaIlOIl. lie ODJeSl Ill ilS hSoA Wv
to his heart was the happiness OF his
daughter: and for the accomplishment
of this what sacrifice would he not
make? He minutely recalled to men,
ory all the passages of her life. What
error of education had he committed
that she thus, at womanhood, was
found wandering along path to when
he had never lead her, which indeed,
he had ever taught her to avoid? what
accident of fortune had brought her
into this, as he must consider 1t, un-
happy relation? How careful have l
been" he said, "to shut out all the In
ducements that mghti give a complex
ion to her tastes and principles differ
ent from my own! How sedulously
have waited upon her footsteps from
infancy onward to shield her from the
influence that might mislead her plant
mind! And yet in this, the most de-
terminate act of her life. that which
Is to give the hue to the whole Of her
coming fortune. the only truly mo-
mentous event in her history-how
strangely has 1t befallen!"
4 4 I. NI.ntt hi