Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-10
CHAPTER XVII.
Matilda Webb and Mr.. Jahnway.


tie from the surprise and emotion caus-
ed by his letter from Mr.. Jahnway ana
the astounding discovery which had
followed it.
1t was easy enough to find out. Miss
Webb had sprung into sudden prom
inence because of her connection with
Mrs. Constance Craig in the days that
were gone. Whatever might have been
the difficulty of tracing her, after the
lapse of the more than ten years when
had interviewed between the dea'h "l
her once mistress and the trial OF Gll-
bert Sem. there was no snch .difhcnltE
now, Almost any one in BoomVllle
could have directed You to the nome
Of the gentleman in whose household
Matilda Webb was employed.
"Twentv miles due west" said the
keeper of the livery stable to whom
Mr.. Prier went that afternoon.
And you can send a good driVer-a
fast team-and insure me quick time?
Certainly. You will start in the
morning."
No; tonight
The owner of the livery stable look
ed curiously at Mr.. Prier.
This isn't going to be night for
Measure" he said; "the cold will be
intense; the wind will cut like knife;
the"
"The occasion is one of necessity"
interrupted Prier. Can you have the
team at the hotel Immediately after
tea?"
certainly"
do So then, without any delay or
failure"
The night was a glorious one-to one
who enjoyed Nature in her Winter
garb and did not dread the cold The
snow was deep. but the road was well
hacked and smooth. The cold was in
tense: the wind was keen and search
ing. but Prier and the driver were well
protected from the wintry blasts, and
had the vigor and courage to enjoy
it all.
Sometimes the road lay along high
ridge with slopes of virgin white
reaching down into the valleys on eth
er hand-down to the CLASSY surface
of a frozen river on the left-aWay 10
the dark forest of evergreen on the
right.
Sometimes they swept through mar
row valleys huge drifts of snow
frowning down upon them with a
weird and spectral menace in their
white shapelessness and vague un-
reality.
Sometimes their way lay through the
heart of pine forests, and the trees
tossing and groaning in the wintry
blast. threw down their burdens Of
powdered snow upon the hurrying
traveller.
And before them. ever before Them
thrown down by the full moon which
rode i'm beauty and majesty in the blue
sky far. far away to the east. stretch
ed the shadows they themselves cast
the shadows they carried with them.
Shadows on Prier's path! EmblemS
Of the shadow which has lain before
him for ten long years! In every life
which does not face the light, they
must fall But as the moon mounts
higher, as the night grows deeper and
darker and more silent as the day
that is gone drops further and further
into memory, and the glorieS of the
day to be begin to whisper to hope the
shadows shorten shorten shorten!
LET uS thank God for that
Five miles Prier is anxious and
nervous. He has never been in so
great hurry before. He could not
tell why.
Some calamity seemed impending.
He could not tell what
Perhaps he had allowed the events
of the last few days-and more espe-
cially of the last few hours-to shake
his powers-his cOnvctiOns-his faith
Ten miles!
Hurry" whispered Prier.
The driver bowed. He did not un-
dcrstand the need of hurry, though he
did not doubt that Prier did He
knew that they were on their way to
see Matilda Webb. He knew that she
had testified at the trial Of Gilbert
Sem. He knew that ]. r. Prier was
y detective-the great detective he
had heard him admiringly Called-and
/. probably never entered his brain tC
attribute such a commonplace quality
as doubt to him. His mind had not
conceived it possible that God had en-
than a mysterious and uneXplainable
infalibility. So he bowed his head
and they hurried.
Fifteen miles. Prier drew out his
watch. He nodded his head approv-
ingly.
you've done we'll in the last five
miles" he said: Il have five dollars fol
YOU if YOU do the next five in less
time
The horses We're beginning to show
becoming rougher. Clouds were dark,
ening the sky.
But the driver bowed again. He
spoke cheerfuliy. but commandingly
to his wer-trained team. The speed
increased.
For Prier had closed his drivers
mouth with the one final and unan'
Swcrable argument which has survived
all the forgotten nations Of antiquity
and is spoken in all the language!
which have existed since Babel. The
argument which gives energy to wear
iness-the argument which makes thu
rough Smooth-the argument Whici
lightenS darkness-the argument by
which ugliness conquers beauty ambi
tinn ovcrcomeS right, and craft coerce!
honor-the argument of Money!
ON and on and on. Swifter ant
swifter though the road grew rough
er and the night darker. On, until
They dashed round a curve in th'
road and up a hill from out the vale!