Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-05

save and serve my worst foe-in sucl
a situation as that from which Waite
Aldrich saved me so long ago."
Would you?"
They have turned in their wall
now, and the light falls upon tn
earnest honesty in Senn's face as h
Ireplies.
Il would" is his answer; GOO
knows I would"
Prier shudders. He is not quite abl'
to understand this. He would like t.
lchange the subject, but he canno
bring himself to the necessary abrupt
mess Besides, the whole matter ha!
a strange fascination for him. Ther'
ia surely a keen appreciation Of thu
weird and marvellous in the brain be-
hind his wrinkled brow. He does no
change the subject, not exactly-ht
lonly turns it little aside.
Tell me of that night" he says;
l"yOu never told me all the story"
well, will. 1t may tighten my loat
of gloom. 1t may make me happier"
Il hope it will"
Il was only tramp, but I loved life
loved it almost as we'll as l do now
loved it as a condemned prisoner or
hunted criminal must love-"
As Lurine Bannottie loves it?'
II think so."
Prier shuts his teeth. They CRATE
land grind upon one another. HIS
breath comes in great gusty sighs
II hope she does love life," he
says Il hope it will be the keenest
torture, the most unutterable agony
for her to have to give it up. I'll be
blamed if l don't hang Lurline Ban
hottie"
Il was only a tramp. l was pen
niless, almost. All about me was
wealth and comfort and happiness
On every side of me there were homes
in which there were tangible reasons
for strong and abiding hope for long
life alone-I of all about Mcknight
have been excused for being weary OF
existence. But no one clung to life
more strongly than did l."
Yes, 1 understand that. Tell me
the rest"
| II will. 1t was much such a night
as this. The wind was cold. There
were thick clouds-thick clouds-and
think they covered all the sky-I am
not sure. You see there are banks OF
them now, but only along the horizon
Ii is light overhead, tonight"
Yes; it is light overhead"
"The rails ran under the lights, and
into the darkness-just as they do
tonight"
| Yes"
1.-THE shadows covered them ere they
went far-far just as tonight"
| Yes"
"I heard the thunder of the coming
train. Listen! The limited express is
coming now, and"
1t rounds the curve. 1t has scarcely
slackened it's speed in the least. There
is heavy down-grade. The rails are
frosty and slippery.
| Il studied engineering once" said
Prier. before l became a detective
and"
A woman starts out from some
shadowy hiding place, and runs mad
Iy across the platform. Desperate in
deed, to dare try getting on a train
running as is the lightning express
tonight, running as it will be when 1t
passes Boomville station.
For Gods sake give her chance!
cries Sem. holding Prier's arm. Then
as the woman's foot slips on the icy
blanks. he dashes toward the place
where she has fallen, and springs down
upon the rail where she is lying. And
as he goes. his terror for her finds
voice:
MY God. it is Lur-
And then the train daShes on, the
compressed air whistling shrilly as II
escapes from the brakes which are too
weak tonight for their duty-too weak
and too late. The train dashes on. 1t
comes to a stop only when it has pass
ed far beyond the station. But some
thing it found in it's way is thrown high
in the air, and falls in ghastly, blood
stained heap at Prier's very feet.
We'll. I'll be blamed" said he. as
he bent over her.
| Not Lurline Bannottie! Oh, no!
These broken bones, this crushed skull
this torn face, are not her. But this
broken and crushed and torn mass
this heap from which all beauty and
grace are gone for ever, was the body
in which she lived. These bones and
muscles did her bidding; this skull hio
II her cunning; this face was the MASK
turned toward a world Of men she
dazzled and deluded. 1t is not Lur-
line Bannottie. But it is all earth has
left of her. Cover her up! Carry hei
away! We are done with her!
Sem is not dead. l wish l coulo
saw he is not dying. But l cannot
He is.
| Aldrich kneels on one side. Priel
is on the other. Aldrich has his arms
about him. he nOluS Illlll aS lhou5
he would never let him go.
Sem speaks. Prier stoops nearer
"As-as all the rivers" he falters
Prier turns away his head. There
are tears in his eyes.
Don't, don't. oh, my Cod!
| Sem speaks again.
lit is light overhead: it is lsh'
all the way. II love you, waiter
Iand-and-be very good to Elsie;
never forget how much she has cost
Lift me a little higher, and-and- l.
is dark again, so dark. Take my mana
dear old Aldrich, just as you used tc
do. YOu-you-have nOt-taken-it-
Isince-Since-"
The voice weakens. falters, ceases.
AIdrich reaches down to obey his
friends request.
1t is not Senn's hand you have, wal
ter Aldrich! 1t is only a lump of clay
CLAW to love tenderly, to caress regret
|