Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-11-29

eSpied sail making swiftly Ior the
wharf
1T is SIMPSONS catboat," she cried
"and there are two men in 1t. Yes, he
is coming. Mrs. Hawkstone-he is
coming. at last!"
Thank God" .murmured the sick
woman, falling back in the arms of
her nurse.
Jetta Ravenel remained at the win
dow, 1.-the, girlish shape, full of
leopard-like grace, and saw the cat
boat approach the landing and its two
occupants leap ashore. One proceeded
to secure the little craft, the other
hurried up the green slope to the Hall.
He carried himself with a grand air.
The title of Prince Lucifer seemed not
altogether inappropriate to this lordly
American. Jetta Ravenel watched him
in strange fascination. 1t was her first
glimpse Of the man who was fated to
work such havoc In her own young
life
He gained the porch. Before he could
touch the brass knocker some watcher
from within had admitted him. With
tremendous strides he ascended the
stair. The door of the Cedar Chamber
flew back and Basil Hawkstone stood
again in the presence of his stepmoth-
ler.
He staggered to the bed and fell on
his knees beside it. Mrs. Hawkstone
made a gesture to the nurse and the
physician.
Leave us together" she said.
They vanished.
You must go also, Jetta.'
The girl cast one look at Basil
Hawkstone PROSTATE in his splendid
strength, and darted out in the wake
of the others. The widow and son Of
Philip Hawkstone were thus left alone
in the Cedar Chamber
"Basil!"
"Mother!"
"Oh, my darling, you went away for
one year and you have remained
three!"
He shuddered.
yes, was detained by many things.
Oh, don't reproach me, mother-I new
er dreamed that you were so ILL.,"
She turned his handsome face to the
light.
How worn and haggard you look,
Basil! how changed! You have grown
old Observation-Disclosures"
He WINGED
"Old?-changed? Well that Is not
strange. mother. After all, three years
is long while. and of late I have been
anxious and unhappy about you"
She saw that he was evading her.
You are keeping something from
me, Basil!" she cried. But wait! I
must speak first'-catching her breath
painfully. "Do you not see that must
make haste?-I have so little time. In
the last few months-yes. ever since /
knew that was stricken with a NOR
tai disease-I have thought only of
you, planned only for you. In the cor
ner yonder stands a cabinet" He look
ed and nodded 1T holds my private
papers. Here is the key" forcing the
same into his hand. THE topmost
document is for you to read as soon as
1 die-let no eye but your own see it
it was written for you only, and from
Il you will learn something of what /
have suffered since I came to this is
land"
The light began to die in the cham
Der; it seemed as though the voice OF
the island lady failed with it.
Lift me a little, BASIL" she said:
there is such a sense Of suffocation
here" pressing her hand to her breast.
She looked him straight in the eyes.
DO you remember your father"
"Imperfectly"
You know how he died?"
Yes"
1T was in this very room-you and l
have never talked of the matter before.
| wanted to die here, also. You have
heard Of Gabriel Ravenel?"
He was the man suspected Of my
fathers murder"
YES. He was likewise my lover in
the days before l met Philip Hawk
stone. You have heard the story of
his arrest-of how he lay in Whithav-
en- Jail for weeks, accused of foul
crime, and / did not-I could not open
my lips to declare his innocence,
though I knew it only too we'll, and
though he was the son of a guardian
to whom l owed everything in the
past"
Mother"
You may well look at me in hor-
ror. After Gabriel was released he re-
turned to the south. There he made a
loveless marriage, and was soon left
widower with al. infant son. Then
came the war. He took the field with
the forces of his native state-he
sought and won the bubble reputation
at the cannon's mouth and, when the
struggle was over, sank quickly, like
many others, into obscurity-a Grip
pied, ruined, impoverished man. A
few months ago he sent me a letter
which wrung my heart. 1t was the
first news that had heard of him for
many years. He was dying in poverty
and wretchedness attended only by his
little daughter Jetta, the fruit of
second marriage, which seems to have
been as unhappy as the first. To my
care he committed the child. l started
south immediately found his grave
i also found Jetta and brought her
back with me, determined to make res
titution to the father through the
daughter-to atone for the wrong | had
done him, for the misery and shame
that he had suffered because of me
| by rearing his child as my own, and
lavishing upon her every good gift
that mother can bestow. Oh, Basil.
she is so young. so friendless. and
must 90 and leave her when she needs