Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-07-10
CHAPTER vi.
A Discovery.

sitting at the WINDOW OF MIS- hiiiSO''
dressing room, plying her needle dill
gently.
For five and twenty years Susan Tay
lor had been an upper servant III tn
house-the constant nurse and attend
ant Of its semi invalid mistress. Ad
iusting her steel-bowed glasses on he
sharp. nose, and jerking the needle
smartly through the cambria, she nov
began unconsciously to speak a!ou(
her thoughts, as she worked.
Fortune upon fortune-million'
upon millions! TO him that hath shal
be given Gospel truth. But some
how such a heaping up all in one place
seems kind of unnecessary. Mrs. Eli
colt ought to be satisfied with INT
ways of Providence in her own case
Not every mother finds a daughter-in
law made expressly for her, so tC
speak. Such dainty white creature
too-a lady to her finger tips. II ap
pears as though pair so well sulteC
to each other couldn't fail Of happiness
certain world-slippery in all its ways.
The sudden tinkle Of bell put al
end to the soliloquy. Susan laid doWr
her work, arose and descended to the
drawing room, from which place the
summons had come. Mother and sor
were standing together in the centre OF
the splendid apartment-she frail anc
old-he in his vigor and beauty, a kins
among men.
She was holding him off at arms
length, as Susan Taylor entered, anc
gazing into his face with a look II
which overweening pride and adorine
love mingled.
"Lepel," her handmade heard hel
say, II suppose 1 quite needed the
discipline Of this short absence to pre-
pare me for your wedding tour in Eu'
rope. Oh, 1 shall indeed be desolate
when you leave me, yet not unhappy
because you will then have fulfilled
the desire Of my heart"
Then she saw Susan Taylor, anc
cried out, as though her joy was sc
great that she must have all to share
it:
Come in. Susan. See! Mr.. Lepe
has returned"
Lepel Ellicott held out his hand tc
his mothers attendant, with good
natured condescension that always en-
deared him to his interiors.
Thanks be to the Lord for bringing
you safe back through all danger, sir!'
said Susan, piously.
"Danger!" he echoed, laughing; thai
Is good, Susan, particularly as the At
lantic, during most Of my absence, has
been as calm a teacup."
Danger takes a variety OF forms
SIR" answered Susan, dogmatically.
Just So" he assented, with gay
CLEAN in his eyes-"very delightful and
fetching forms, sometimes! I was just
coaxing my mother to admit that ao-
sence had improved me personally, ou'
she refuses to see It, Now speak your
mind, Susan-don't you find me a
trife handsomer than usual?'
She had been his nurse in babyhood
had watched him grow to his pres
ent stature, and, like all the other SER
wants in the house, she adored him
She raised her sharp eyes to his face
kept them there for full moment.
1T seems as though something queer
had happened to you, sir" she said.
Was it imagination, or did the idol
lied scion of the Ellicotts change color?
About the same as happens to any
man on a pleasure trip. Susan. By
turns, I've been absurdly we'll and
abominably sick-grave and gay, be-
calmed and upset"
II don't mean anything like that, sir
You've met with a change, l see the
mark on your face"
"Sunburn!" exclaimed Mrs. Ellicott
Bring my soothing drops, Susan. Joy
at Mr. Lepers return has unneved me
a little"
Her son led her to a chair, and Su'
san brought the drops. In measuring
the dose, a little was accidentally spill
ed on Mrs. Ellicott's dress. Lepe
drew out his handkerchief to wipe 4
away. AS he did so a card fell from
his pocket to the floor He did no
see it, neither did Mrs. Ellicott. Al
ormolu clock on the mantel struck TIT
dinner hour, and footman appeared
at the door to announce that the mea
was ready. Lepel Ellicott gave nj
arm to his mother, to support her t
the table. Susan Taylor was thus lef
alone in the drawing room.
She bent and picked up the car
which had fallen from her young mas
ters pocket. Her angular body greV
rigid in every line. 1t was the photo
graph of a young and beautiful girl.
The room whirled before Susan
eyes. The honor of all the Ellicott
seemed crushed in her hand. Sh
dared not leave the picture in tn
drawing room. neither could she carr
it to Mr.. Lepers own apartments, les
some of the other servants shoul
stumble upon it in advance of its own
er. Still more did she shrink from re
turning the telltale thing to Mr.. Lepe
himself, and so apprising him Of tn
discovery of his secret by his mother
humble attendant.
For a moment Susan stood irreso
lutte
Another woman!" she whispered
and a handsomer one than Miss Fas
sell Lord! Lord"
She turned and fed to her own dor
mitory at the top of the house. Fror
under her bed she pulled a hair trun
studded with brass nails. Into this sh
dropped the photograph, and turned
key spitefully upon it.
Stay there!" she muttered. som
day, perhaps, shall know who yo
are. At any rate. you'll do no mis-
chief while have you!"
She saw no more Of Mr.. Lepel tina
night. and certainly she had no mean
of knowing whether or not he had dis
covered his loss. In the warm, softl
lighted dressing room, as she was pre-
pairing Mrs. Ellicott for bed. the lat
ter said: