Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-20
DAUGHTERS or cAtN
BY ETA w. PIERCE

your father, take my adVice-the ad-
vice Of one who has your safety close
at heart, and turn back without delay
turn back, before you either see Gill
bert WYE or hear Of him!"
He was laboring under a great dis
advantage, and he knew it. BY the
flash in her eyes, by the curl Of heI
lip. he saw that she resented his inter-
ference.
Don't be angry with me, Esther
Miss WYE" he entreated, humbly. land
do believe that l am not prying into
your affairs-that 1t Is not curiosity
which urges me to question you. You
are alone in strange place. You may
be rushing unconsciously into great
danger-be warned in time"
She smiled, ironically. Time had not
softened her heart toward Mignons
false lover.
You evidently are no friend Of my
father Perhaps your heartless deser-
ton Of Mignon put enmity betwixt you
two"
ut was better to desert Mignon
than to marry her without love" re-
piled Shirlaw, gloomily, evasively
How can l frame my fears in proper
and effective words, Esther? 1t Is not
safe for you to put yourself In your
fathers care-you cannot trust your
father! Don't look at me like that.
You see he is not here to. meet you to-
day-he dare not show himself In Dia-
mond City. Both you and M!gnon are
ignorant Of many. many things in Gill
bert Yves life. beg-I entreat you to
be careful what you do, Esther!"
81 cannot trust my father!" she
echoed, Indignantly. He dare not meet
me at Diamond City! These are
strange charges! Pray what has he
done?"
1T is quite impossible for me to tell
you!" groaned Shirlaw.
you are vague and incoherent!" she
sneered. Can l trust you'll think
not! have not come to seek a
home in the west but simply to accom-
plish a mission for another party.
When that is done, shall return to
Massachusetts-more than this, 1 de-
cline to say"
He looked relieved, but unsatisfied.
you repulse my attempts to win
your confidence" he sighed. You Will
not allow me to befriend you. l see
that you are implacable. You have
been cherishing anger against me since
that unhappy night at Rookwood."
"On the contrary" she answered,
with cold indifference, Il have not
given you a single thought"
He colored with pain and mortifica-
ton. They stood in that bare room,
she pale and disdainful. he flushed and
shaken; his cap in his hand, the wet
dripping off his military cloak, and
making tiny pools on the bare boards
on the floor. On his long ride through
sage-brush, and swirling
yellow streams, and the deep te-
nacious mud Of the wide trail, Victor
Shirlaw had little dreamed that he
was Fastening to meet again this wo-
man, whose fatal beauty still over
powered him like a delirium-this
woman whom he had never thought to
see more And the unexpected inter-
view seemed likely to be a most un-
pleasant one.
You have not given me thought?"
he repeated; "cruel words, Esther, for
your image, from the hour Of our
wretched parting, has never been alb
sent from my eyes, nor your memory
from my mind"
She made an impatient gesture.
Then it is time for you to cease
from such folly, Captain Shirlaw-it
offends me deeply; I have neither pity
nor respect for it,"
81 do not seek your pity, Esther! I
know beyond a doubt that you are not
for me: but" defiantly, "you cannot
hinder me from loving you till l die!
She leaned against the table, thrill
ing with despair and shame.
"Oh," she cried. this is an insult
greater than I can bear!"
"Is 1t an insult" he answered, in
dignantly, for a man to ask the love
of woman? to offer her all that is
best and noblest in himself? to love
her faithfully. and with all the strength
and power of his being?"
Yes" she answered, "the deadliest
Of insults, when the woman is already
married"
He staggered back, and stared
blankly.
You force me to tell you my Sc
cret." she cried. II am a wife-I was
a wife when 1 first saw you at Rook-
wood"
There was a moment of silence. She
would not look at him. She felt rath-
er, than saw, that his handsome face
had grown gray and strange.
And did you love your husband
them" he asked, at last.
Yes"
do you love him still?'
More than my own soul. Captain
Shirlaw!"
II see now why you were so cold.
he muttered; $50 insensible to all my
passion. l also Sc th2t your marriage
must have been a most unhappy one
She was silent but her face told him
that he had guessed well.
Married or single, it is the same, az
ter ALL" he continued sadly. You are
as far from me, in either case, as pole
from pole. A fact that might be an
insuperable barrier to happy love
cannot affect a passion that has grown
only in the atmosphere Of discourage
ment and despair"
Now that you know the truth, Cap
tain Shirlaw," said Esther Il beg you
will leave me, and come near me nc
more"
Leave you in this place-alone? ne
cried. There is a love that serves FOL
selfish reward-there is another thai
can serve for loves sake only; believe
me, mine is of the latter kind. May
not offer and can Won not accept, my