Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-07-12
CHAPTER XIV.
Lispenard's Skeleton.

Maud LOTUS, and the blonde Canadian
embraced her friend and promised ut
ter silence until such time as Gill
bert wye should be heard from. And
that same day there was a high tea al
Abel Lispenard's great house across
the river.
The two girls ~-rc TO go. ATTENDED
only by Aunt Elinor. Philip wye ana
his son were in town. In the absence
of her husband the mistress OF RooK-
wood always frightened up remarxa-
bly,. While a mulatto maid was max
ing her toilet in her handsome dress
ing room, previous to the departure OF
the trio, Mrs. wye suddenly began 10
talk to the girls about Lspenard.
His father was a born aristocrat,
she said; "a man Of great wealth and
unbounded pride. There were but TWO
children-a daughter of fabulous beau
ty-yes, really the loveliest creature
ever beheld, and this deformed boy
ten years or more the junior OF his
sister. 1t is said that she was her
brothers idol-indeed, she was the
idol Of everybody who knew her"
"Oh, dear Mrs. Vye," pleaded Maud
LOTUS, eagerly, pray tell us about
that skeleton in Lispenard's closet. 1t
will add new zest to the high tea at
the tower today"
shadow fell on Aunt Elinor's pale,
meek face.
"Ah. / do not know about that, my
dear; but 1t is very old story now'
and is often alluded to openly by LIS
penard's friends. There can be no
harm in relating it to you. At some
fashionable boarding school Lillian
Lispenard met and became enamored
of a foreign adventurer-a French
teacher, 1 believe, and oh, my dears,
he was a married man. Imagine the
shame and horror Of 1t! She eloped
with him, and was disowned and dis
inherited by her angry father"
60 on. pray go on!" urged Mignon,
breathlessly, as Aunt Elinor paused.
well, Abel Lispenard was mere
boy, travelling abroad with his private
tutor when the disgraceful event hap
pened. OF course, 1t was a terrible
blow to the over-weening pride Of the
family. Six months after his daugh-
ter's loss, the father died, bequeathing
all his great wealth to his deformed
son. The latter hurried home from
Europe, and, young as he was, began
straightway to search everywhere for
his unhappy sister. Rewards were Of
fered, advertisements inserted In all
the newspapers Of the day; but poor
Lillian Lispenard did not come back to
accept her half Of the family fortune,
which her brother swore she should
receive, in spite Of their fathers will.
"She had been missing three long
years. Lispenard lived on, summer
and winter, at the Dale, with few
old family servants, waiting for her
return. And one terrible December
night, when the snow was falling, and
the wind roaring, she crawled, like the
in rags, to the threshold of the great
house, and fell there, senseless.
What do you think Lispenard did?
Took her up in his own arms, noble
heart! and carried her into the home
which she had disgraced and made
desolate, and covered her with caress-
es But already she was tearing her
long hair in a paroxysm Of madness.
She never recognized him-never
knew that she had reached the haven
OF his house and heart. From that
hour till the day Of her death, ten long
years after, Lillian Lispenard was a
maniac. She was very violent and
dangerous at times, but her brother
would not suffer her to be sent from
him. He kept her there in the tower
with private attendants, and watched
over her himself. His devotion was
something wonderful. She died few
years ago, raving of a child which had
been born of her miserable passion
a child of whose fate Abel Lispenard
valnly sought in many ways to gain
some reliable information-and the
devoted brother closed the great house
after her death, and went abroad,
heart-broken.
What became of the French adven-
turer?" queried Maud LOTUS.
~ do not know, my dear-nobody
knows. OF course, poor Lillian in her
madness could tell nothing concerning
him, neither could she relate the story
Of her wanderings and sufferings. LIS
penard swore, long ago, to kill the man
at sight; and as he is crack shot and
a person of prodigious strength in
spite of his deformity, it will scarcely
be safe for that wretched deceiver to
ever encounter the injured brother
Abel Lispenard has been a reserv-
ed and lonely being since that sad
time, devoted to books and music,
grand and generous in his charities,
foremost in all works that lead to the
advancement of his race, but still a
lonely, loveless man. 1t is supposed
that he will never marry"
Il should think not" said Mignon,
with emphasis.
my DEAR" replied Aunt Elinor, Jug
lier men than he have found wives
His face, certainly is grand, and. from
what / have told you, you can judge
of his qualities of heart. His friends
believe that he will make Victor Shir-
law, that gay, dashing soldier, his heir
though, as LispenaId himself cannot
be much more than thirty, 1t seems
rather premature to be talking now OF
such a thing. Without doubt, he Is
very fond of Shirlaw, who is kins-
man, somewhat remote. Now, my
dears, l am sure have given you
plenty to think about when you sit
drinking tea with Abel Lispenard to-
day."
She had, indeed. Both girls were
meditating upon the tragic story as
they crossed the river to the great
house with the octagUnal tower.
They drank their tea, favored with
lemon and sugar. from a Russian
Samovar of magnificent workmanship