Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-16
DAUGHTERS OF CHIN
By ETA w. PIERCE
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Miqnon's Refuge.

Boston streets. Sleel CONSISu 'hC pow
ments: gray wintry clouds hung low
over the tossing harbor and the city
steeples. A biting east wind blew IN
from sea.
Through one Of the meanest of North
End streets, in a region of dance-cel-
lars and low groggeries and all un-
cleanness, a handsome private carriage
drawn by blooded horses and driven
by a coachman in livery moved slowly
in the rapidly gathering darkness. The
driver was gazing attentively about
as IL in search of something. At last
he drew up his horses before the din
gy sunken entrance of a miserable
tenement house, leaped down from the
box and opened the carriage door
This is the number, sir" he said'
and Abel Lispenard. muffied in a cloak
of magnificent sealskin, stepped out or
the vehicle.
Some ragged street Arabs squatting
on the pavements raised derisive
whoop at the sight OF the ugly dwarfed
shape, with the short legs and i'm
mense, square shoulders, but Lispen-
ard paid no heed. He never noticed
such insults.
Remain here" he said to his SER
want.
Then he stepped into the dark, dirty
hallway of the house, and came face
to face with an unkempt, blear- eyed
hohv
'Is there a man named Laurent liv-
ing in this house?" asked Lispenard.
The woman stared with lively curl
osity. Even the baby shut its tooth
less jaws and stared, too. In spite of
his strange proportions, Lispenard was
alway impressive.
"Oh, you mean the sick fiddler sir"
answered the woman, respectfully.
Ye'll find him in the garret. Go up till
ye tech the roof"
Lispenard ascended the stairs, sick
ening at the foul odors, the dirt, the
ribald laughter, the drunken choruses
that met him on the different landings.
Up and up he went, until he reached
a tottering garret door. Here a hol-
low cough saluted his ears. He listen
ed, then raped loudly.
Come in," weak voice responded.
Lispenard pushed back the door and
entered
1t was the poorest Of attic rooms
bare, fireless. A bit of guttering can
die burned on the broken backed chair,
and lighted the abject poverty and
want Of the place. In a sheltered cor
ner an old mattress was spread, and
on it lay the wasted figure Of the sick
hddler with a ragged coverlet gather
ed about him for warmth. Against
the wall by his side leaned violin.
Abel Lispenard cast one comprehensive
glance around the room, then went up
to the miserable pallet.
"I am the brother Of Lillian Lispen-
ard" he announced, sterny. "Why
did you send for me?"
The sick man lifted a spectre-like
face, with dark hair matted about the
sunken temples, and hollow eyes burn
ing with fever. He tried to rise but
could not for bodily weakness.
"Lilian's brother!" he groaned. "Oh,
my God! Yes, see. l sent for you
because 1 am dying, and there are
things that you ought to know"
He spoke feebly, and with a slight
foreign accent.
1T was a bold thing for you to do,
ard. 81 swore years ago to kill you
at sight-swore that the hour of our
meeting should be the hour Of your
DEATH"
THAT trife would not have restrain
ed me from writing to you." sighed the
sick man, for have long been
weary of life"
Lispenard set his teeth.
DO not count too much upon my
forbearance," he said, in a smothered
voice You and 1 cannot safely
breathe the same air-we are mortal
foes. What you have to say, say
quickly"
Gustave Laurent raised himself on
his elbow. A cough that seemed to
rend his vitals shook him for a mo-
ment, then he gasped:
There is murder in your eyes, as
you look at me, Lispenard. But softly!
You are laboring under a mistake.
Your sister was my lawful wife-mar-
ried to me, it is true, in great haste.
Yes, while the wife that l detested, and
from whom had long been separated,
lay in her coffin, unburied, but married
legally. Here-here"-grOping in his
breast for an old wallet. which he
opened with trembling fingers, here
are her marriage lines: she gave them
to me long ago to keep. l knew-we
both knew-the evil things that her
people believed of her, so l sent for
you tonight to show you this"
Lispenard seized the bit of torn pa
per which the other held out to him,
read the faded words written upon it,
and. overcome by a great and sudden
joy. staggered back against the wall.
Lillian Lispenard had been Laurent's
lawful wife! 1t was the first ray OF
light that had ever shone on the trage-
dy of his sisters life.
IF you married her, Laurent" he
groaned why did you desert her?"
My God! 1 did not" cried the sick
man, wildly; "who said that? We
went to Paris. We loved each other,
but we were very poor. Lilian's kim
dred had cast her off, and my people
were hostile and repellent, for my first
wife. the woman that had hated, was,
by birth, my cousin. So her near rel
atives and mine frowned upon my sec
ond marriage, openly insulted Lillian,
and would give us no help.
I'VE struggled together for awhile,
then my darling began to drOOp. She
was a hothouse flower-she could not
thrive in want and anxiety. l was
forced, at last, to go to my uncle, the
father OF my first wife, and beg for
aid. What did he do? Overwhelmed