Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-07-16

Aunt Deb smiled scornfully.
Maybe, Essie. maybe. 1 reckon
you're a right-down happy bride. eh!
81 am unspeakably happy" cried
, Esther, fiercely.
Up rose Aunt Deb, shifting wrath
. fully.
Look here, Esther Hart, you're
precious hypocrite, that's what yot
are! But you don't deceive me. car
read you without spectacles, and youi
hearts a-bustin' this very minute!
Oh, I wish to mercy your pa would
come home Have you heard from hin
lately?"
II IT received a letter today" acknowl-
edged Esther with pale lips. land de-
stroyed it unread"
Gracious goodness! why did you dc
that? There may have been news In
it,"
Perhaps. 1 do not know or care,
cried Esther, wildly. Tell me about
my father Aunt Deb. Is he a good
man? Does any cause exist for me
his daughter to be ashamed Of him
or for others to despise him? Why
did he go west? Had he ever-ever-
done anything wrong here?"
Aunt Deb stared.
Esther was leaning toward her with
pale, parted lips, and an air Of fever
ish eagerness.
Goodness mel" cried the old wom-
an; whatever put such notions In
your head? Jim went west to git
money, as most men go. He never
did anything wrong that I know Of
except to marry a silly chit Of sixteen
I-Drusie Runnel, your mother-and
at her death leave his young one for
granther and me to bring up. He
come of rich folks in Massachusetts,
did Jim. They didn't like his marriage
with Drusie, and there was trouble.
We never knew much about it. Jim
was mighty close-mouthed regarding
his folks; but he was well-born, and
he'd been to college. No, Esther Hart,
you've no reason to be ashamed OF
your pa. reckon he's worked hard out
there in the Colorado silver mines, for
he's sent us a good deal Of money,
first and last-Jim was always gener-
Gus with his money. I don't want to
hear anybody" and Aunt Deb bristled
like an indignant hen, talking against
Jim where I am"
| Strange, nameless fears had been
tugging, of late, at Esther's heart.
The relief which she experienced from
this speech of Aunt Deb's brought the
tears Of relief to her eyes.
"Oh, I'm glad-so glad" she gasp
ed. II thought somebody at Cinder-
vile had been slandering my father to
TO- But no matter. Now that
gran'ther Is dead, Aunt Deb, what will
you do?"
I'm going to live over on the main
land" answered Aunt Deb, with decis-
ion. II can't abide this Rock any
longer. Moreover, there'll be a new
appointment and shouldn't be allow
ed to stay, anyway. Gran'ther has left
a little property shall take charge
Of it until I hear from your pa.
was only stepdarter, but I ought to
have my share" whining. you see his
belonging Esther" waving her bony
hand ard the medley Of things
which she had collected in the kitchen
articles Of clothing. fish-nets, spy
glasses, foreign curiosities Of all kinds,
for Joe Runnel had been sailor In
his youth. "If you see anything here, y
said Aunt Deb, with great generosity
that you'd like to have for keepsake,
Esther-a remembrancer Of your poor,
drowned gran'ther, you may take IT,.
Esther looked around on the gar
ments once worn by the dead-onI odd
shells from tropic islands, lovely bits
of Chinese handiwork, ivory and CO.
rails. and silver filigree from India
What arch-fien stood behind her, ito
prompt the selection which she finally
made? There were the old glasses,
through which she had watched the
wild sea and the distant tints SO many
times, but she passed them BY, and
from the dead mans possession, took
up a small silver mounted revolver.
"Oh. lor'. you don't want THAT, Es-
ther!" cried Aunt Deb.
| Guy Fleetwood's wife put the wea-
pom quietly in her pocket.
"Yes. 1 do" she answered. 81 will
keep this to remember gran'ther by"
Maybe you mean to kill Yourself. II
the man you think you've married
don't come back to you," said Aunt
Deb, suspiciously. How long be you
going to stay over there at Cinder-
VILE tavern, waiting for him."
Esther blazed up again like a fire.
brand.
"A lifetime, If need be-"
Aunt Deb groaned.
You always was a headstrong
piece, Esther. Thank the Lord, no mar
ever came coaxing me to run away
with him afore I had known him
week Too much beauty is worse than
none. Now you may as well make up
your mind to the worst. He's surely
got another wife neutrality-suspicious.
two or three I writ to your pa the
very morning after you eloped with the
Canadian, and told him what you had
DONE"
II do not care" answered Esther
Fleetwood, wearily. II am no longer
under my fathers control-I belong
not to him, now-but to my husband
We will talk no more Of this matter
Aunt Deb-I cannot bear it," throw
ing out her hands with wild gesture
Aunt Deb wisely relapsed into ST.
lence.
Esther Fleetwood remained at the
Rock that day and the night follow
ing: then she returned to the inn al
Cinderville.
No message had arrived in her abb
sence-no letters. Sick at heart, she
ascended to her lonely chamber. The
sun was setting on the sea. A schoon-
er lay at the old wharf, bathed In a