Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-01

certainly does not to me; I suppose i
did to her.
1T is noboby's business that I an
lhere," she said, as she drew the lounge
in front Of the fire. I suppose that wa:
true. though they were pouring dozer
streams of water into the hottest par
of the ruins of what had once beer
Barron's Boomville Bank.
1T isn't any of Mr.. Prier's business,
she said, as she took the pillow from
the bed and placed it on the lounge
NOR any Of Mrs. Senn's." l suppose
that was true, though Mr.. Prier was
at that moment wondering, as he rest
ed for little from his work in the
dead Lyman's behalf and watched the
unremitting labors of Rev. John Kane
| Just when and where the clergyman
| had met that she devil" as he called
her under his BREATH l suppose thai
was true, though Elsie Sem, lonely
in her beautiful Neapolitan home, was
weeping a little to think that she had
no word from her old friend and COM
painOn, Lurline Bannottie. I suppose
that was true, though think she would
scarcely have cared to meet Mrs. Ell,
sic Sem if she had known it, nor Mr.
Prier under any circumstances.
| IF Lyman told the truth" she said
as she laid her head upon the pillow
and stretched herself before the pleas
ant warmth: if he told the truth-as
/ hope he did; If they failed To save
him, because his plans were SO vel
laid, then l am safe, and as safe here
as anywhere" l suppose that was
true, too.
IF they saved Lyman-that is the
beginning of the end. They'll not look
here-at first. The snow has covered
nv sleigh tracks-and I'll have time
to rest here. But they'll find me, where
ever l go. They'll take me, wherever
hide The arm of the law will be
stretched half way round the world II
necessary. The earth is too small fol
safety-if he lived to tell his story;
too small for a bed for me to die on;
Just large enough for gallows for me
to hang on: too small for me to find a
place upon it-up in the sweet air ano
sunshine, among the flowers and the
songs of birds-but just large enough
to give me a grave beneath its surface
down with Deaths twin slaves, Decay
and Oblivion. And-what is, is; wha,
will be, will be-" All of which, | sup
pose, is true. And so she slept, hel
eyes falling into darkness under their
snowy lids at the same moment as
the earnest men in Boomville began to
lift, from the borders of the still hot
and smoking ruins the debris which
had shut Samuel Lyman from the light
Of this world for ever.
| And-I find I've had to write Truth
opposite to all she had said-this ter
rible woman-this fascinating woman
But it doesn't explain her actions tc
my satisfaction. Does it to yours?
1t was dark when Miss Bannottie
awoke. She arose at once. She bathe6
her face and hands. She arranged hel
beautiful hair. She rang the bell.
She ordered supper. She ate hear
tily. She dismissed the servant, send
| ing her away with a coin she never
spent and a smile she always remem-
bered. Fascination was an art with
Lurline Bannottie, and she never rar
the risk Of losing her powers through
the rust and decay Of inaction and dis
use
Miss Bannottie quickly prepared fol
bed. She retired as soon as possible
1t was not many minutes ere she slep,
again-slept soundly and quietly and
calmly-with no dream Of her stormy
home coming. nor Of the stormier scenes
through which she had passed since
She was. beyond all doubt, Il most re-
markable woman, a woman to whom
the end meant-the end.
Miss Bannottie rose late on Monday
morning. She had leiSurely break
fast. And then
| No. she didn't drive back to Blank
ford then. Would you have done so:
She did not forget that she had come
here from Blankford." on business!
She attended to business. She bought
one little thing here, another there;
she walked into each of the two news
paper offices and managed to ask q
half-dozen naturally selected questions
in each: she called on one or two law
yers, and found some excuse for max
| ing her presence seem quite proper
and appropriate. Risky? Certainly il
was risky. Her face was one that fe"
would readily forget. She did not wish
to have Mrs. Sem know that her jour
ney had taken her to America-and she
did not mean she ever should; she die
not wish to meet Prier-and she in
tended to avoid doing so. But-she
took these risks. For-the time might
come when it would be convenient tC
show that she had come here from
Blankford. And-she meant to be able
to prove it.
| It was late in the afternoon before
she had finished her business. So she
remained in town Monday night. Bu
on Tuesday she took an early start
found the roads opened since the storm
and had pleasant and uneventful ride
to Blankford.
She went at once to the hotel, no
far from the station. She had some
hours to wait before the arrival of the
train she wished to take. She sent {
polite note to the proprietor of the sta
BILE at which she had purchased hel
team. He came over to the hotel a
once.
Il wish you to look at this team
sleigh, harness and so forth. and tel
me what they are worth" she said
pleasantly.
| He appeared to enter into the spiri
Of her mood at once. Perhaps she hat
Impressed him-much as she had i'm
pressed other men. Possibly the mon
ey she had so scOrnfully refused to re-
ceive from him, when he had attempted
tC make her take back part of it, still
Ian opportunity to say 1t.