Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-12-13
CHAPTER XI.
The Casastrophe.

She was leaning over her husbands
table in the old library, the loose sleeves
Of her violet silk gown falling away
from her dimpled white arms, fever
ish light in her lovely eyes.
Ask on" answered Hawkstone.
81 want a thousand dollars, Basil"
He drew out his checkbook, wrote the
necessary words, and passed the paper
to her across the table. -
Are you not going to inquire what
l mean to do with it?" she laughed.
"All that have Is yours" he an
swered, simply. II do not care In the
least how you spend the money. Vera.
HawEstone was most generous with
his wife. Ever since their marriage
day, she had squandered his substance
recklessly~ and he had never uttered
protest or complaint. ..,
1T is now my turn to ask favor,
Vera" he said. gravely. you have not
been yourself for the last few days.
Something is troubling you. Tell me,
what is It? Have you been disturbed
in any way? Has anything unpleas-
ant happened?"
A red spot leaped into her cheek.
NO, no; certainly not, Basil. How
absurd of you to imagine such things!"
But / insist that you are strangely
upset Of late! Surely you are overdo-
ing this riding business, Vera. Iwish
you would leave Ali in his stall. Then,
too, you go out at all hours unattend-
ed. do not like that. A groom should
be with you always. The island has
swamps and morasses, in which a
stranger might easily come to grief"
She gave a short laugh. II do not
need an attendant. l am too thorough
ly at home in the saddle for that. All,
here comes the child for her morning
visit"
A nursemaid entered, bearing the lit
tie heiress Of Hawkstone. Vera re-
ceived her daughter in an absent way,
responded absently to the pressure OF
the wee baby arms. Where were her
thoughts at that moment? Not with
husband or child, surely! For some
moments Hawkstone, leaning on the
table, gazed in silent admiration at the
fair young mother clasping her little
one-that typical picture which has de-
lighted the world for centuries-then,
prompted by some evil spirit, he be-
gan, In a tender, coaxing voice:
Supplement your beauty, Vera, with
such accomplishments as the girl OF
the period is expected to possess. and
you will carry the fashionable world by
storm. Let me urge you, for my sake.
for little Bees sake, to consent to be
improved, dear! You hate seclusion.
Well then fit yourself for the society
into which you long to enter"
Nothing could have been more un-
fortunate than these words. Her blue
eyes flashed.
Still harping on that subject, Ba-
sill? Did 1 not say that you were
ashamed to present me to your friends?
that you keep me imprisoned here
because you are afraid of their CEN
sure?"
He colored.
"As my wife, you are sure to be crit
icised, Of course. Ashamed Of you /
am not, but want to arm you cap-a-
pie before you are called to face the
critics. Cannot you see that love alone
prompts me to do this?"
Her face whitened.
II am done with love!" she hlssed;
am done with you-with everything
here!" and she flung the child sudden
ly violently from her.
Hawkstone sprang, but too late. With
a shrek of pain and terror, little Bee
struck against the carved back of a
great antique chair, and then fell to
the floor, where she lay stunned and
motionless. Hawkstone snatched up
the limp little body.
Vera, you have killed her!" he cried,
in horror.
81 don't care-I don't care! am no
longer accountable for anything that
happens here" she answered, reck-
lessly.
The servants came rushing to the
scene. Mrs. Hawkstone was carried to
her room in violent Mysteries, and a
messenger dispatched to the mainland
for a doctor The man Of medicine
came, examined little Bee, and grew
very grave.
'I fear" he said to Hawkstone, that
your child has sustained some injury
to the spine-in fact, she may be per-
manently crippled by this unfortunate
accident"
Hawkstone staggered back against
the wall. Directly he left the nursery
where the child lay moaning in the
arms Of her nurse. and crossed the cor
ridor to his wife's chamber. Celende
the French maid, opened the door to
his knock.
Mon Dieu!" she cried; madame Is
too Ill to see monsieur. Her heart Is
broken The little one leaped and ma
dame could not hold her-that Is the
truth of the matter. Ciel! monsieur
cannot believe his wife would hurt her
own child, Ell? If mademoiselle be-
comes a cripple it will kill madame. A
bad back Is beyond remedy. No, mon
sieur, you cannot enter-madame for
bids-she is too ILL.,"
And the door was shut In his face.
In towering passion he went down
stairs. The mall had just arrived from
the mainland. Among its contents |as
a letter from Vincent Hawkstone, and
a formidable array Of unpaid bills.
you promised to cancel them, yor
know, Prince Lucifer"-wrote the
young scapegrace-"and it's but fall
that you should do so, for you are ricf
and l poor OF course. all fellows ir
college are guilty Of some pranks.
Young blood must have Its course
lad,
And every dog his day
You had your day you know, so b'
so good as to settle these little ac'
counts. and send me something gener'
Gus besides-it is hard to maintain the