Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-21


rest while 1 get your supper ready"
Immediately fish and pan Of po-
tatoes were frying on the hot Goals
and a pot of bubbling coffee perfumed
the ROOM Peg said nothing till she had
ministered to my bodily wants, then she
began:
why do you start and turn pale al
every sound, girl? Is any one pursuing
you?"
Il do not know" I shuddered.
Tell me the whole story"
Vincent Hawkstone spread a net
and l fell into it,"
Tell me ALL"
| told her. in a dull, unmoved voice
as though l was relating the woes OF
another instead Of my own.
Peg took her pipe from the mantel
and lighted it at the fire.
II wish to the Lord that l had never
interfered 'twixt you and Basil Hawk
stone, if this is the outcome of it," she
growled. Better that you should have
married the master, in spite of the cir
cus-woman, than this devil-may- care
Vincent! No doubt your brother got
away from the island as soon as he
came to his senses-there are always
boats at the landing-place. Well, you
shall stay with me till the master
comes back. and I'll defy even Vincent
Hawkstone to take you from this house
against your will"
She pulled gloomily at the pipe for a
few moments, then continued:
God only knows what that young
scoundrel may do if his cousin doesn't
appear soon! The islanders have lived
so long under HawkstOne that they
seem afraid to lift hand or voice against
one of the name. Besides. Vincent is
the heir. You see, Miss Ravenel, this
Tempest is little world in itself, and
in a measure, out Of reach Of help; for
fearful things might go on here, and
no one on the mainland be the wiser
so long as boats were kept away from
Whithaven. Did you see what was
doing when you found me out in the
woods tonight?"
Digging a gravel" l said.
"Yes-come, and will show you who
is to fill it,"
Peg took up the lamp, and we went
down the passage to the room of
Hawkstone's mad mother. There, on q
low couch, I saw something lying, like
spotless Parian-the whitest, most un-
earthly thing my eyes ever rested on
Phillip HawkstOne's murderess. Her
eyes were closed, her moonlight hands
lay peacefully on her breast. A long
garment, white as hoar-frost, covered
her slender body, and her wonderful
hair, like raveled white silk, had been
carefully arranged in massive braids.
1t needed but one glance to show me
that she lay there. not in sleep, but in
the pathetic majesty of death. l start
ed back and looked at Peg. Her eyes
were full of tears.
Yes. she is dead" she said, simply.
Last night l missed her. and about
the time Vincent Hawkstone was fore
ing you into marriage, l found her ly-
ing by the rock of the Old Woman
lying with a smile on her lips, and her
hands full of sea-shells, and the tide
foaming up at her feet. AS you look
at her now, Miss Ravenel, you must
forget what she did long years ago.
| ha owl a
evil in her on that one deed, for she's
been like an angel ever since. For
more than a quarter of a century I've
tended her faithfully in this room; but
There she lies-the poor. wronged mad
wife of the man once loved!"
And you We're digging that grave
for herr" l asked, wondering.
II fancy she would not rest in the
aawkstOne tomb. They did not want
her in life-they shall not have her in
death l have made her ready with my
own hands. have dug her grave with
my own hands. l shall bury her my
self: she would not like to have other
service than mine, I'm sure, because
mine is a service of love-"
| Amazed at the tenderness in the hard
brown woman's voice, l could only say:
And her SON."
| Il am keeping her like this till he
comes" answered Peg. He will let me
do as l like-he will not deny that she
can sleep better under the tree by the
creek than up yOnder with the dead
HawkstOnes."
Peg bent and smoothed the great
plaits of pale hair then covered the
dead face with reverent touch, and We
went silently back to the living-rOom.
When Mr. Basil comes we will bury
her secretly" said Peg; "as secretly as
she has lived for the last eight-and,
twenty years. Now I'll put up the shut
terS. Miss Ravenel. and you'd better &C
to bed. for you look clean beat out
Sleep while you can, for Vincent
Hawkstone won't leave you unmolestet
many hours"
knew this only too we'll. Peg open
ed an adjoining bedroom, and bade me
lie down there. threw myself, still
dressed on the bed, and presently the
brown woman stretched her muscular
body. like some big watchdog, on ma
by the door. She was soon asleep, bu
lay with wide-open eyes and sense:
all alert. listening to strange noises out
side the hOuSe-the wind sOughing il
the autumn wood. the stealthy move
ment of wild things in the frosty brake
the distant bark of fox, the far boon
of the sea, breaking on a sunken reef.
CHAPTER xxx.
Peg at the Hall.
About the middle of the night a maj