Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-07-02
DAUeRFERS OF ehtN
BY ETA w. PIERCE


lGran'ther Joe hoped out Of his chai
at last, and began to hobble up an
ldown the room in a high state Of ex
citement.
Go to bed, girl" he growled t
Esther; "Tll watch the light myself 70
the rest Of the night, and Mr.. Fleet
wood and l will talk some more to
gether."
Fear nothing" whispered Fleet
wood, as Esther swept by him in tina
low -ceiled room; "all will be we'll"
She raised her great velvety eyes t
his own-that look sealed his fate
"All for love, and the world we'll lost!
Perish friends and honor" though
Fleetwood, recklessly; perish all my
promises to Maud! all the milk-and
water affection which 1 have felt fol
my cousin, Welcome reproach, dis
honor anything-everythin If only
7 can win this magnificent darling fol
my own!"
Esther, with her grand princess air
made a slight bow to her lover, ant
went off up the stair to the second sto-
ny Of the cottage. Close upon hel
heels, stealthy as a cat, followed Aun
Deb. and as the girl reached the ref
uge Of her own little room, that ad-
mirable spinster slammed the low
door, and fastened it quickly upon the
outside, thus making Esther, for this
night at least, a prisoner. Aftei
which. Aunt Deb skipped back to the
room below, to help gran'ther watch
the beacon.
Guy Fleetwood had further CONVEX
sation with the pair that night, but II
was of highly unsatisfactory charac-
ter. Aunt Deb was sharp and reiter-
ating; gran'ther ranted and swore, but
stuck fast to his mysterious hostility
concerning Esther's marriage.
"Ye sha'n't have Esther-whether ye
be rich or poor, high or low, ye sha'n't
have her!" he repeated, like a parrot
At last Fleetwood with an insouciant
smile on his lips, and dangerous flash
in his eyes, said, airily:
my dear sir, l am determined tC
marry Esther either with or without
your consent! Since you will not, tc
the satisfaction of any reasonable per-
son, explain your objection to our un-
ion, you cannot expect me to give them
respect or heed!"
There was no sleep for him thai
night. He sat moodily by the hearth
which had of a sudden grown so in
hospitable, and laid swift, reckless
plans for the future. About midnight
the storm began to subside, the vino
died away. Up in the high tower the
beacon burned on. shining across bare
Porgy Island, and out over the toss
ing, foaming sea till the pink dawr
blossomed in the sky.
There had been no outcry from Es-
ther Hart's chamber through the night
The girl understood the situation, ant
submitted in proud silence; but, like
her lover in the room below, she ha6
not slept. She was standing at hel
small window, waiting, with such pa
tience as she could command, for deliv-
erance, when she saw Rube Dexter's
beat, with Fleetwood in it, put off from
POrgy Island and dance away over the
rough waters toward Cinderville.
She waved her handkerchief. He saw
the signal and answered it with ar
| ho
had been kept by unfair means from
bidding him farewell. She watched the
boat till 1t became a mere speck ir
the distance, then, of a sudden. the
door of the chamber was thrown back
and on the threshold stood Aunt Deb
with her foxy face and cunning eyes
looking in on her niece.
He's gone, Esther!" she whined
ther didn't think it was best for yor
to see him again-drat him! If I'd a.
dreamed, the first time he came here
what game he was up to, I'd have flung
hot water on him. that 1 would"
Esther Harris big black eyes flashed
| lightnings on her relative.
II detest you, Aunt Deb" was all she
said. Then she swept downstairs t
bled in from the tower.
He looked at her sheepishly.
You wouldn't go to leave the is
land and your poor old gran'dad will
|
Essie." he coaxed who knows bu
what he's got a wife somewhere
a'ready? He has too many fine air.
to please me. | misdoubt that kind,
do. He's too suddint! Rube Dexter
now. wouldn't ask to marry girl tina
he hadn't seen but twice or thrice
would he?"
Oh, the scorn that blazed in he
splendid face!
"Rube Dexter!" she echoed, in ;
withering tone; what do l know o
care about Rube Dexter? Your pow
er over me is limited. gran'ther-don'
be so foolish as to abuse it. 1 an
eighteen years old-a fact that botl
YOU and Aunt Deb should remember
Do you know what she did last night
Locked me into my room. as though
was disobedient child. She will new
er do it again." with an ominous RIM
in her voice: "never!"
Old Joe knew his granddaughter
temper. He saw that it would be n
easy task to manage her in this mat
ter. A pathetic grin overspread hi
wrinkles.
Lord love ye, Essie; don't We know
yer Aunt Deb is a leetle cranky a
times? 1t makes her raging mad t
think Of losing ye. Then there's jim
nobody seems to have thought abou
jim at ALL" frightening up. "Yo
wouldn't go for TO take that youn
cock Of the-walk without writing t
Jim about it? 1t would raise his dan
der powerful to have you choose hus
band unbeknown to him. Let's res
upon it while, Essie. Mr.. Fleetwoo
may have been a-fooling yemen o
his sort do such things often enough
Ye'd better think no more about hin
for the present"