Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-03-03
Bv CLARENCE OUTELLE.

down low. He thrust his gloVed nanus
deep down into the outer pockets of his
, overcoat, and commenced his weary
vigil.
TO walk-to watch-to wait; to wait
Ito walk-to watch. That was what
the steady tramp of his feet seemed to
say to his heart and brain as he moved
up and dOwn-up and down-up and
Idown-in front of the house of Donald
Barron, and in front of the grounds be-
, longing to it.
ITO walk-to watch--to watt"
Why?
J. B. Prier, Esq, the great detective,
couldn't have told YOU himself; he
didn't know. He only knew that he felt
like doing that, and J. b. Prier was a
man who was in the habit Of letting
his impulses help him. In fact. there
were certain principles regarding his
business which he always followed, but
never talked about. Follow your in
stincts, when in doubt" and Let your
reason explain later, if it needs more
ltime," were two of them. We may call
Mr.. Prier wise or unwise and his pr1n-
lciples sound or faulty, according to the
lclearness with which we understand
land appreciate the delicacy of the con-
nection between body and mind and the
mysterious mutual influences of minds
upon each other.
Mr.. Prier felt like walking and
watching. He did it. Any one, of
course. could have done the same. But
most men would have gone in and gone
to bed.
Why didn't Prier go and walk near
the bank? l don't know. Prier didn't
know. Reason told him that there
wouldn't be any necessity for his walk
ing there and watching there; but rea-
son told him he was a fool for staying
out such a terribly cold night at all.
Impulse led him toward the bank; i'm
pulse led him toward Gilbert Senn's
lodgings: Impulse invited him to re-
main near the Barron residence. Among
such variety of conflicting impress
sions it was surely delicately adjusted
mind which appreciated fully their rel
ative power and value, and giant
will which held him to what he did.
The air grew colder and colder. The
wind became stronger and fiercer. The
snow was swept in eddying whirls
about his feet or hurled into his cold
face But he walked up and down all
night long, forgetting that he needed
sleep. forgetting WEAKNESS and cold,
forgetting everything except the one
event in the past which had baft1ed his
skill-the puzzle of the present-and
his faith and resolution for the future.
How bright the stars were. How
fast the world dipped its ever-falling
horizon toward the east; how fast new
stars sprang up there, like knots Of
storm tossed foam on the sea- beach.
| And one by one. constellation after
constellation, they fell away from his
watchful eyes, ,going-going-going go
ing to bless other nations and other
peoples falling into night beyond the
rising rim of the line which bounded
Boomvilles world.
Did Prier learn anything? Tell me
whether YOU ever came to new day
knowing only what YOU knew the day
before and will tell you.
Did he gain anything? Tell me how
much the tree which shades your door
grew last night, and l will answer.
Was his instinct or impulse or i'm
preston right? Is the instinct of the
plant which forces its black toes deep
er into the soil, and stretches its green
fingers higher and higher toward heav-
en-, right? Tell me. and l, in turn, will
tell you.
Truth to tell, he saw nothing, heard
nothing, found nothing. Not dog
lbarked. Not belated outcaSt cat
skulked along in shadow Of fence or
shrub-row. Not a window was raised
in the Barron mansion. Not an outer
door opened nor closed. No one went
in. No one came out,
The stars grew dim. They faded
out. The tardy sun rose reluctantly in
the frigid air. 1t was morning. 1t was
a new day. A better one? Who can
lsay?
MY vigil has amounted to nothing" "
he said, as he stretched his cold and
cramped limbs, and stamped vigorously
on the sidewalk in an attempt to get
more warmth into his chilled feet.
He looked up. The dim light which
had shone in one of the rooms all night
long. almost a mOckery to him with its
hints of warmth and comfort, burned
there still.
Had his vigil amounted to nothing
He wondered, vaguely, in whose room
that light burned. Did some one keep
watch within. as he outside? Who?
Why?
In the day when he knows, he will
not count this night lost one!
Il dare say" muttered this keen stu
dent of human nature, that Gilbert
Sem and Elsie Sem and Donald Bar
ron are all as far removed from my
wakeful and restless mood as 1t Is pos
sble for any one to be. To the doubt
ing. sleep Is COQuette.
Very likely.
Miss Lurllne BannOttie, her knees
upon the floor. her elbows upon the
sill. her face pressed close to the VIM
dow that she might peer through the
nearly closed blinds, had wakefully
watched the great detective all the
might.
: How thankful | should be for
strength; l can face the exigencieS and
perplexities of new day, and feel no
i'll effects from my loss Of sleep and
rest. Another. with equal or greater
need but with less physical power
might find natures demands too strong,
and wakeful work impossible" Thus
said the wise detective.
And doubtless, truly.
Her bowed head upon the window