Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-24
ITO excite your jealousy, l suppose.

"Oh, you scoundrel! you coward!
you wretch! I will kill"
l think Samuel Lyman was in more
danger, for a moment, than he had
ever been in all his life before. !
think he knew Miss Bannottie we'll
enough to realize that fact as he inter-
rupted her.
Il wouldn't do it here in the public
highway, If l were you," he said, with
assumed coolness; Il have an idea that
silence and secrecy are too precious to
you to be thrown away recklessly. Put
up your revolver, my dear and listen
to common sense and reason.
II will never forgive YOU"
Il presume not You don't have to-
Il am sitting. Get done with what
you have to say to me. l cannot
breathe the same air as you do"
Il am sorry you stifle here; we will
go to a cooler climate, if you wish.
Here, let us turn back now; l think
it is time to attend to a little business
at Barron's Boomvile Bank. AS for
getting done with what / have to say
to you. I don't expect to finish the sto-
ry of my admiration and affection for
some years yet. and as for breathing
you'll have to get used TO that-if you
continue to breathe at all"
You may cease first" she muttered.
Eth? What's that?" he demanded.
You may cease breathing first"
The man smiled, in a lofty and su-
perior sort of way.
Possibly. But I shall watch you,
you tiger-cat and I'll fix it so that II
get a dose of poison or a half-foot
OF cold steel you'll be given a chance
to tell what you know about it."
will you? 1 shall never be near
enough to where you are-after to-
night-to make your punishment a
possible temptation to me?"
Indeed. Do you know that I think
you will?"
II don't understand you"
You will before 1 am done. Do
you see that gentleman on the other
side of the street? He's out rather
late, isn't he? He must have some
thing on his mind, mustn't he?'
Il see him; who is he?"
Il thought you might recognize him,
even in the dark He is a gentleman
from Boston who is spending little
time here in BOomville-fOr pleasure,
he says. His name is Prier, and
Why do you tremble, Miss Bannottie?
Is the night air too cold for you?'
Il am not cold" she replied, but she
shook as though in an ague fit
Il had letter once which l fancy
contained certain interesting informa-
ton Mr.. Prier would give a great deal
to possess"
Il know it, l am ready to give a
great deal for the return of that let
ter"
Il thought so. Why? Are you afraid
L will betray you?"
Not exactly. You are as guilty as
l, and"
That is just your mistake. That Is
lust the one weak point in your argu-
ment, and in all the assumptions you
have ever made. You were utterly
guilty; 1 plotted with you for much
less crime than that you committed;
any jury would believe that, and most
men would sympathiZe with my de-
sires, even though they could not quite
approve Of my way of gratifying them.
So. if punishment ever comes to us
through the agency Of the law-I say
through the agency of the law, because
| know what to expect from you, If
YOU dare. and shall watch you and
guard against YOU accordingly-you
will be loathed and despised, while l
am ptied and have excuses made for
me. 1t would be awkward and un-
pleasant for me to have the contents
of that letter made public. unless l
were beyond the reach of the law-but
to YOU it would be ruin"
Wen not argue the question. do
not agree with you. l think we are
equally guilty, and 1 think any twelve
men would think so too. But l will
not waste time in a vain dispute with
you What do you wish in return for
giving me back the letter."
II cannot give you back the letter"
WHAT"
81 say cannot return the letter.
Why"
Because l have lost it,"
A strange look came over Miss Ban
notifies face. 1t was as though she did
not know whether to laugh or to weep
as though she was uncertain wheth-
er rejoicing or fear was most fitting.
Lost it?"
Yes"
"When?'
Il do not know. l looked for it after
had written to you. and it could not
be found do not know when nor
where l lost it."
Nor who has it?"
mo. Though l think that if any
one had it we should have heard of it
long before this. Don't you?"
Il suppose we should. You are very
frank. This gives me my freedom.
This destroys all your power over me-
Not quite so fast. 1t seems so at
first sight, l grant. But have you not
already guessed how easy it would be
to trace the guilt home to you if one
knew you were guilty, to begin with?
Do you not remember how much aid
there was to your arithmetical work,
when you were a schoolgirl, if you only
knew the answers? This letter is gone:
that is true: | am not playing with
your feelings in that; it is actually
gone. may never see it again. |
don't suppose l ever shall. But what
Of that? If were to assure an acute
and experienced man of your guilt, if
I were to drop hint even, cannot you
guess what the end would be? Sup
pose l were to go to Prier, for instance,
and say"
Don't" whispered Miss Bannottie;
Il see all that you would explain"
oknl N,p,, ,.acpUniZa fact that