Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-26

age home. Each talked freely-eXcept
on one subject; Sem was not yet
ready to speak of the certainty in MS
mind regarding Miss Bannottie's guilty
knowledge of the murder of Mrs. Craig
by Elsie Barron; Prier spoke some
times of Mrs. Senn's companion -
because he knew her by no other name
felt no need for definite name for
her, and had not thought Of the ques-
ton as to whether Sem knew her
name as being one in which he had any
interest whatever; Sem also spoke
of Mrs. Senns cOmpanion"-becaus
Prier did. because the designation was
convenient, and because Of one reason
which involves curious psycholoslcal
fact. The strange truth in mentai
science, to which / have referred, is
this: When one person is concealing'
from a second, some fact or suspicion
regarding a third one, he is often un-
willing to speak the name OF that thlro
person, and will frequently resort 10
much ingenious circumlocution rather
than pronounce it. l dare say that
most of my readers will readily recall
incidents of that sort which have fall
en- under their own observation.
For the rest of the curious train or
circumstances which kept the name
of Miss Bannottie from Mr.. Prier Tor
so long a time, have only two things
to say: Strange as they were, they
were probably not unprecedented IN
strangeness; and, if they were-my
duty as a truthful chronicler would
compel me to record them just as they
occurred.
The Oceans Own arrived at New
York in due time. Mr.. Prier paid her
owners. her officers, and her crew.
He gave Patsy Gullens all he had
promised him-and more-sending that
gentleman home to Jahnway station
pleased with himself and the rest OF
the world, and so full of the remarka-
BILE adventures which he had to re-
late again and again to admiring
friends that it was doubtful II ne
would remember the reputation he had
once had as a fighter and bully, and
so live and demean himself as to keep
il.
Mr. Prier and Mr.. Sem returned to
Boomvile Both were weary enough
mentally as well as physically-to De
glad of at least the semblance of rest.
Each wished a chance to think; both
desired to plan; neither one had any
idea OF their having need to hurry in
what they were about to do.
Sem had settled it in his own mind,
and fully to his own satisfaction, that
his wife was guilty. He felt that a
half-hour's conversation with her
would prove that fact-after which,
Prier's promise binding that gentleman
to perpetual silence and inactivity, she
would be safe, Aldrich would be SAFE
and the honor of the Sem name $50
far as popular opinion had left it any
would be safe So he had readily Civ
en- his consent to visit to Naples, and
a call upon Mrs. Sem in company with
Mr. Prier
Prier was confident Mrs. Sem was
innocent. He knew the Strangeness OF
circumstantial evidence how likely
the conclusions to which it points are
to be false More than all, he wanted
TO prove her innocent: he was going to
keep his word to Sem, no matter how
much it cost him, but his hopes still
looked in the direction of hanging
some one" Mr.. Prier then, in going
to Naples, did not look forward to find
ing a woman with guilty confess
sion hidden in her heart: he expected
to find an innocent woman as pure
and innocent as he felt Elsie Sem
must be-but possessed Of infOrma-
tion which was of vital value TO him.
And he meant to make her tell what
she knew.
Prier and Sem had not been In
Boomville many days, and had not yet
completed their plans regarding the
intended trip abroad, when something
happened which entirely destroyed
what plans had been made, and rem
dered it necessary to begin all over
again. This was the receipt Of a ca
blegram by the BOomville News-Ex-
nress. No one knew who sent it. No
one knew why. The News Express
had never had a cablegram before. and
the editor certainly never expected To
have one again. 1t was brief. and OF
so little Importance to the general pub
lic-to the editor of the Boomvllie
News Express. for instance-that any
Of the gentlemen or ladies you nave
met in these pages might reasonably
have been interested in asking by
whom it was sent. and for what rea-
son-unless some one Of them happen
ed to know. This was the message:
Mrs. Sem and her companion VIII
reside in Naples no longer"
That was all And
Shall help you little, dear reader:
Delays are dangerous says the
proverb. but did you ever think of the
other side of it? Is it not true that
delay means safety, too? Safety and
freedom? Run with the hare once, in
stead of riding behind the hounds, and
see. And the message caused delay
ON the part of Prier and Sem. They
waited-w -waited-waited. They waited
until it was certain that Mrs. Sem and
her companion were as unlikely to
reside in BoOmville as in Naples;
waited until after other news of which
I shall inform you after little had
been received. discussed. and made IA
miliar; waited until they Gelt that they
could i'll afford longer delay, and sc
looked each other in the face with the
crv. Have we been duped?" Has she
escaped uS?"
Mrs. Sem and her cOmpanion--
Surely the one who sent such mes
sage should have known how low down
Mrs. Senn's misfortune had plunged
her, and how high good fortune haC
raised her friend. We ought not tc
have to write ignorance or inadVert-
ence of one who sends messages under
the sea, for publication in so estima-
ble a journal as the BoOmville News
EynreSS Shall we Say-MOdeStyE Ol