Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-29

outer buildings. in the rear Of one OF
which he carefully secured his horse.
The moon, obscured during the early
part Of the evening. and dim through
out the night, had now sunk westerfng
so far, that 1t failed to touch entirely
the close and sheltered court In front
of the house. AS he drew nigh, NOV
ing along in the deeper shadow OF the
fence to the rear Of the dwelling, for
which he had key, he started. Was
1t footstep that reached his ear?
He squatted to the ground and listen
ed He was not deceived. The indis-
tinct outline of a man close under the
piazza, was apparent He seemed
busted in some labor which he pursued
cautiously. and in perfect silence.
Humphries could see that he stopped
to the ground. and that in the next
moment his arms were extended. A
few seconds after and the person Of
the man seemed to rise in air. The
watcher could no longer be mistaken
Already had the nightstalker taken
two steps upon the ladder which he
] had placed against the house, when
Humphries bounded forward from his
place of watch. His soul was on fire,
for he saw that the object Of the
stranger was the chamber Of his Sis
ter, the windows of which looked out
upon the piazza, and were all open, as
was usual In the summer nights.
The look Of the old hag, her strange
words uttered as a threat. grew strong
In his mind, and he now seemed to
understand them. Drawing his dirk
from his bosom. the only weapon he
had ventured to bring with him from
the stable, In the fodder of which he
had hidden his sabre and pistols, he
rushed furiously towards the burglar.
But his movement had been too pre-
cipitate for success; and with the first
sound of his feet. the marauder had
dropped from the ladder, and taken
to his heels. The start In his favor
being considerable, gave him a vast
advantage over his pursuer, for, though
swift Of foot, active. and spurred on
by the fiercest feelings, Humphries
failed to come up with him. A mo-
ment after the fugitive had leaped the
fence, the dirk Of the former was
driven into that part Of 1t over which
his body had passed. The villain had
escaped.
Gloomy and disappointed, the brother
returned to the spot, and calmly in
spected the premises. Painfully and
deeply apprehensive were his thoughts,
as he surveyed the ladder, and the
oren windows above. But for his
timely arrival there would have been
little or no difficulty in effecting an
entrance. Did the wretch seek to rob?
| That was the hope Of Humphries.
Could It be possible that his sister had
fallen? was she a victim, privy to the
design of the felon? or did he only now,
for the first time, seek her dishonor?
He knew that she was weak and
childish, but he also believed her In
nocent. Could she have looked for
the coming Of a paramour? The un-
obstructed windows, the unbroken ST.
lence, the confident proceeding of the
man .himseh-all would seem to
strengthen the damning idea which
now possessed his mind; and when
his perpetually recurring thought
brought to him the picture Of the old
hag, her hellish glare upon him, and
her mysterious threat-a threat which
now seemed no longer mysterious-the
dreadful apprehensions almost grew
into certainty, There was but one,
and that a partial mode. Of ascertain
ing how far the girl was guilty OF
participation In the design OF the
stranger: and. with the thought, Hum
phries at once ascended the ladder
which he threw down after him. From
the piazza he made his way to the
girls chamber.
A light was burning in the fireplace,
dimly. and with no power to serve him
where 1t stood. He seized 1t, almost
convulsively. in one hand, while the
uplifted dagger, was bare in the other;
and thus he approached the couch
above, so that it's glare touched not
her eyes, and he looked down into her
face. She lay sleeping, soundly,
sweetly, with gentle respiration like
sigh swelling equally her bosom.
| There was no tremor. no start. Her
round, fair face wore a soft. smiling
expression, showing that the con-
sciousness within was not one OF guilt.
One of her arms hung over the pill
low, her cheek resting upon It.; the
naturally as IL there had been throb-
bing and deeply feeling heart under
| it. The brother looked. and as he
| looked he grew satisfied. He could
not doubt that sleep: it was the sleep
of innocence. weight Of nameless,
of measureless terror, had been TAX
en- from his soul in that survey, and
| nature claimed relief in a flood or
| tears. The drops fell on the cheek Of
the sleeper and she started. With
the movement. he put aside the dag
ger not however, before her eyes had
beheld 1t.
| "Oh, william! brother, dear BROTH
er, is it you? and-the knife?"
She had caught his hand in her ter
ror. and amaze and bewilderment
overspread Ter features.
Sleep on Bell. sleep on: you are a
good girl, and needn't fear"
| He kissed her as he spoke, and, with
the fondness Of a sister, and the
thoughtlessness of girl, she began
to prattle to him: but he bade her be
quiet. and taking the light with him.
| descended to the lower apartment, ad-
Joining the bar-rOOm, where his faith
er usually slept. To his surprise he
was not there. but a gleam through
the door led the son to the place
where the old man usually served his
customers. The picture that met his
eye was an amusing one. There, at
length upon the floor, the landlord lay.