Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-07-05
CHAPTER XI.
A Strange Revelation.

again till a late hour. Then he wen
straight to his library, where he wa
sitting, absorbed in some important Law
papers, when the door opened, and nj
son and heir entered.
Cyril, you seem to have made a 700
of yourself in this matter of Mignon'
said the elder wye, irTitably.
Cyril lounged carelessly up to th'
table at which his father was seated
his glass screwed into his pale eye, hi:
manner cool and consequential.
"Mignon is enough to make fool o.
any man." he answered, dryly.
precipitation is always unwise. ever
in love affair. You should have CIV
en- her more time to study the perfec'
ton of your character" with q sarcas-
tic smile. Nov you find yourself re-
jected outright, and unpleasant rela'
tions established with Lispenard's
guest, not to mention the Increased an
tipathy of Mignon herself. And al
this because you had not the good sense
to await your opportunity"
Cyril wye gave his red mustache
nonchalant upward twist
my dear father, my opportunity Is
still to come. No man should ever pay
much regard to a woman's No Soon
er or later either of her own will ol
otherwise, Mignon will be mine. AND
as for that beggarly soldier, Shirlaw
my accounts with him are not yet set
tied"
Philip WYE shrugged his shoulders.
"Mignon is an exceedingly handsome
creature; but am not altogether con-
vinced, Cyril, that she is a desirable
wife for you. With your tastes and
habits, your fast ways and unlimited
extravaganza, you require, above al
things, a rich woman. AS you know
l am greatly. embarrassed by your
reckless expenditures. Were it not fol
my neighbor, Lispenard, who is as
generous as he is rich, should find II
impossible to keep my difficulties from
the knowledge of the world"
The younger wye stared blankly al
the elder.
What rot are you talking?" he
cried. isn't Mignon an heiress? Isn't
she the daughter of my Uncle Gilbert
rich ranchman, cattle king, Western
Midas, and all that?"
Undoubtedly she is Giibert's daugh-
ter: but 1 cannot, with the same as
surance, speak of her claim to the I'll
tie of heiress."
What! has my Uncle Gilbert lost
his fortune?"
"Sit down, Cyril. You may as vel
understand this matter or, at least, as
much of it as myself know. You need
not be told that Gilbert has always
sent abundant supplies for Mignon's
support and education, and that he has
talked largely in his letters of fiocks
and herds and ranches and all that
but these things are not sufficient tC
convince me that he is a rich man.
distrust my kind too much to take any
man upon his bare word only-in real
ity, what do l know of Gilbert? 1t is
eight years since saw him last. What
changes of character may not eigh,
years develop in a man? He was al
ways a wild, reckless sort Of a fellow
as some of his early escapades here In
the east will abundantly prove. When
/ found that your heart was set upon
Mignon, what do you think I did,"
Don't know, really, mon pere."
'I determined to send a person Sc
cretly to Gilbert's ranch on tour OF
investigation"
Sharp"
THAT clap trap fellow Martin was
under some obligations to me. / chose
him. He is shrewd and reliable"
We'll"
Philip WYE leaned forward on the ta-
BILE and fixed his intensely keen eye or
his son. A slight dilation of his pale
thin nostrils alone betrayed that he
was agitated.
He started upon his mission some
weeks ago. Yesterday he returned anC
made his report, and very strange
one it proves to be. The ranch II
Happy Valley, Colorado, Mignon'!
birthplace, was sold by Gilbert to al
English capitalist five years ago, a
which time my brother himself disap'
peared, and has never since been seer
or heard of in that region.
Father and son looked hard at eaci
other. The red mustache received an
other upward twist.
Hal" said Cyril Wye; what mor'
did Martin discover"
He learned from the EnglishmaI
that Gilbert had fallen into money diff
ficulties through such agencies as drini
and draw poker. His wife's deatf
here in the east and separation from
MignOn must have affected his morals
1t seems that he was obliged to sell th'
ranch. Some of the rancheros though
he had returned east; others declared
he had gone down New Mexico way IL
search Of a new range. and still thirC
lot pretended to believe that he ha(
crossed the Rockies into California"
THE deuce!"
Martin went down to New Mexico
and searched everywhere, but found NJ
Gilbert. He knew that my brother haC
not returned east or gone to California
so he telegraphed to me for further in
structions. l hunted up all the letter
that had received from Gilbert in tn
last five years. They bear no dates
strange to say but a variety of post
marks-towns in Colorado and Texas
in New Mexico and AriZOna-evidentl'
he is still a constant traveller, although
he has gone out of the cattle business.
Don't you know" drawled Cyri
they have a primitive postoffice o
their own out there-a box on pole
stuck up on the prairie, in which tn
'cow-punchers' deposit letters. Doubt
less my Uncle Gilbert found such re
ceptacles convenient on his travels
But how about the letters which yo,
and Mignon write to him? To wha
place do you direct them?"
There was never any postal com
,,,,,nicotinn with HaDpy Valley Ranch