Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-08-25

Her unlucky meeting with Hume
had shaken her out of all fancied Sc
curity. Should her engagement reach
his ears he would expose her at once.
Her safety depended now upon secrecy
and flight. She was walking on VOL
canic crust, but it was too late to
pause or turn back. She must press
on, and trust to the lucky star which
had led her thus far. The Ellicott
money she might never secure-indeed,
her audacious venture had been DOOM
ed to failure from the beginning, but
there was something better than wealth
to which her hopes clung desperately.
Il will resign the fortune" she
sobbed, with her face buried in her
downy pillow, for it belongs to Bess;
but not the love-that is mine-I won
il myself fairly, and can never-nev-
er give it up!"
Meanwhile, in another chamber,
Mrs. Ellicott, assisted by Susan Tay-
lor, was also preparing for slumber.
II am an unfortunate woman, Su-
san," she sighed, II can keep nothing
precious. 1t is my sad fate always to
find myself left alone"
What has happened now, ma'am?"
replied the waiting woman.
You are not to mention the mat
ter, Susan-it must be kept a family
secret for the present-but am about
to lose my little Mignon."
Susan drew the pins carefully from
her mistress's gray hair.
Lose her-how, ma'am, if 1 may
make bold to ask"
"Mr. Fassel proposed tonight, and
she accepted him. They will be mar
ried at once. Because you are privi-
legged servant tell you this; but you
must not breathe a word to any one.
Strict privacy is to be maintained In
the whole affair All, it is most de-
sirable match, Susan; but-do you
not see?-Mr. Fassel will take Mignon
to other countries, and I shall again
be alone"
"Shes made good use of her time!"
muttered Susan.
"Why, as to that, Mr.. Fassel has been
in love with her for year Learned
men frequently select women Of that
soft childish type-it is the charm Of
contrast, I suppose. Well, might
have known that could not keep
Mignon."
You managed to live without her
for a good many years, ma'am; trust
you can do the same ag'in. For my
own part, I'd rather have Mr. Lepers
shadder in this house-yes, his ghost
than any number OF Mignons!"
Mrs. Ellicott started nervously.
Mr.. Lepel's ghost!-how can you
say such dreadful things, Susan?"
Lord knows he has reason to walk
here in these days, ma'am. Often
feel creepy and queer, as though he
was making after me through the
house."
Nonsense! 1 wonder at you, Su-
san! Go to bed. Both you and I are
growing too old for balls"
Susan Taylor went up to her own
room at the top Of the house. Dawn
was in the sky; but she had no desire
for sleep. Her stubborn enmity
against the so-called Elizabeth Hill
yer was how blazing up afresh.
More men than Paget Fassel had
loved that pink-and-whit doll! Had
not Lepel Ellicott met his death while
flying, forgetful of truth and honor to
meet her? What secret part had the
girl played in his destruction? Susan
burned to know; but who could an
swer the question! She was a plain,
dull woman, unused to indirect meth
ods. She turned the subject in her
mind for a space, and finally brought
out pen and paper, and in the gray
light of morning sat down to her ta-
BILE, and wrote as follows:
ITO the Postmaster Of Cape Desolation,
maine Coast:
It's like that strangers sometimes
apply to you for Information, SIR as
you ought to know Everybody in your
own place, and everything that hap
pens there.
I'm a stranger, and I'm After in
formation. l hope you'll take the trou-
BILE to give it to me at once.
Three years or So ago, yacht
owned by Mr.. Lepel EllicOtt, Of Bos-
ton. stopped. as l suspicion, at cape
desolation. Mr.. Ellicott went ashore
and made acquaintances. I aske you
if a girl named Elizabeth Hillyer, a
native, was mixed up with his visit
Maybe the two was sweethearts-for
reasons best known to myself, I'd go
so far as to take my oath on it. But
want your written word, sir. That's
Proof Anything you can tell about
Elizabeth Hillyer will be thankfully
enthusiastically how she decoyed
Mr.. Ellicott and brought him to
Death. Yours to command.
Susan Taylor"
In a postscript the Cape Desolation
magnate was instructed to send an an
swer to the Boston pOstoffice; then, to
insure prompt attention. Susan folded
Ia bank note carefully in her letter.
and sealed all with grim precision.
That ought to fetch him!" she
murmured, hopefully.