Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-07-07
CHAPTER V.
Edith.


house save one-a young girl in fetch
ing Paris gown, who still fingered be
fore the carved mantel in the drawing
room, looking up at portrait whicl
hung about it, and which seemed L
smile down upon her with its hand
some, insouciant eyes.
The canvas represented a princel!
boy Of two and twenty, and the girl OF
the tiger skin rug was younger still b!
four golden years. She was a Bostol
girl, with a pedigree, and an indescrib
able air Of finish which might be calleC
the tramp Of her indigo blood.
Hers was a decidedly patrician type
of beauty-eyes brown and calm a.
woodland lakes, features correct ant
elegant, a complexion like alabaster.
THE lunch was delightful, Lepel''
she said, making a mocking little curt
sy to the portrait.
There were five unquestionaole eel
ebrities at the board; but, oh, dear
what comfort could one take in devileC
crabs and nectarines, or brilliant con-
versation, and you away? 1 wonder a.
you, Lepel! Do you know that youl
wedding day is drawing on apace'
Why should try to be charming? why
care whether my trousseau arrives by
tomorrow's steamer or goes down tc
the bottom Of the sea to clothe the
mermaids, when
"'Out of the day and night
A joy has taken flight
and you still choose to absent yourself
from home and fiancee, you dreadful
boy!"
Come and sit by me till the carriage
arrives, Edith" called the voice ol
Mrs. Ellicott from a deep fauteuil neal
the window. 1T is useless to waste
breath on that senseless picture, dear;
so let us console ourselves by talking
Of Lepel himself"
Edith Fassel went promptly over tc
the owner of the vOice-a woman ol
fifty, with a skin like old ivory, thin
aristocratic profile, and eyes strikingly
like those in the portrait Of Lepel Elli-
cott She was a semi-invalid, suffering
from incurable rheumatism. She was
also a lineal descendant Of the ole
Puritan governors, and the mistress oi
a colossal fortune. Her fine white
hands, Of which she was very vain, lay
sparkling with diamonds on the lap oi
her satin gown. Her iron-gray hail
was carefully arranged, and she wore
some priceless old point lace about hel
throat and breast. Tenderly she drew
Miss Fassel to a seat by her side; ten
derly she gazed into the girls face.
THAT strange boy!" she said, impa'
tiently. What can keep him, wher
eyes like these are watching for his re-
turn?"
He has been absent three-yes, act
ually three whole weeks!" sighed Miss
Fassel, with a suspicious little pout.
The mother glanced up at the ador-
able face smiling above the mantel, anc
the sight seemed to soften her, fol
straightway she began to make excuses
for her idol-the only son of her house
and heart.
Yes, but some slight accident hap
pened somehow-somewhere to the
Sea Gull, and caused a delay yor
know. Lepel has a passion for blue
water-foolish boy! He always pre-
ferred his steam yacht to all the attrac.
tions Of Newport and Lenox. 1t would
not be strange" with a smile, 'if hi
should propose to spend his honeymoon
on board the Gull"
"Oh, but I am a wretched sailor!'
cried Miss Fassel, in dismay. II detes
salt water quite as much as Lepel love:
it. And" shyly. Everything is now ar
ranged" She twisted her long glove!
thoughtfully around her delicate hands
Il wish he would come today" sh'
said. softly.
Did you notice that I watched th
door continually during lunch?" an
swered Mrs. Ellicott. Il was expecting
to see our truant prance in upon us a
any moment. 1t is very probable tina
he will come today, my dear. Indeed
he cannot delay much longer, or" Will
a smile, "he will be late at his owl
wedding"
The drawing room in which the tw'
women sat was furnished in black ma
hogany and warm heliotrope brocades
with dashes of dull pink in the panel
and draperies. There were mirrors II
carved frames, vases and candelabra o
priceless Sevres, and family portrait
by Stuart and Copley. The plate-glas
windows opened on that famous stree
which some one has called the Eau
bourg ST. Germain Of Boston, an
which is made impressive to even tn
careless mind by the fact that some o
the noblest families of Massachusett
history have lived, loved and die
there. Just across the elm shaded ma
lay the old Common, a mosaic Of emer
aid turf and trim walks. Its gram
historic trees. under which Genera
Gage and his red-coats once parade6
were spreading a wilderness of greel
arms to the September sunshine.
"My dear Edith" said Mrs. Ellicott
suddenly, "in me you see the happiest
proudest mother in the world! Lepe
is my Bayard. my Sir Galahad. From
his babyhood 1 could never find faul
in him. And now l am to have
daughter after my own heart, also
Was it not strange that Lepers choic
should have fallen on the one woma
whom /. his fastidious mother, woul
have selected for him out Of a worl
full Of girls?"
1T was, indeed" replied Miss Fas
sell with a smile and blush.
Mrs. Ellicott surveyed her with af
fectionate admiration. She was yer
proud of the young heiress whom ne
son had chosen for his wife.
"The Ellicotts have always been tn
favorites of fortune" went on the olde
woman. and Lepel is the prince Of hi
race In all his splendid young life
has never known a sorrow or disap
pointment-never an hours pain. Eve
the death Of his father could not affec
him, for that blow fell in the boys in