Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-12


of her acquaintance 1--WE must make
some exceptions) at her feet-fgura-
lively speaking. But she had never
met just such n man as this. Her pro-
sale day in London was having an
ending quite unique-even In her eX-
perience.
She did not answer. He took 1t up
on himself to speak again. He did not
press his impudent question. He did
not put some other impertinent ques-
ton in the place Of it. He did not
even look in her face, trying to deter
mine whether she wished he would.
He looked straight ahead. He walked
a little faster-just a little. He
brought the conversation abruptly back
to himself-like the egotist he was
showing himself to be.
Shall tell you what happened to
me?" he asked; shall 1 tell you how
I escaped?"
Yes; do
Il was picked up at sea-"
How was that?"
IAN ocean steamer cut us down
Yes"
And they were too cowardly and in
human to attempt to rescue us"
The woman winched. But she came
back to the task of the conversation
again-if task it was.
when was that?"
He told her-tOld her the night, and
meant, and at once. 1t was her de-
sire that had cut this mans yacht In
two: it was her desire which had left
him to his chances with the forces Of
the winds and waves.
She turned away her head. l hope
she did not lie when she spoke again
Il am very sorry" was what she
said.
II am not. Every event in the Voy-
age. from it's beginning to its ending,
has been a link in the chain which
drew me across the ocean to London
and gave it into my hands to be the
fortunate man to rescue you. If l
had not crossed the sea, l should not
have saved your life, should II"
NO"
And l should not have crossed the
sea, should I, except in the steamer
whose officers and crew saved me?"
Il presume not"
And you will grant, will you not
that l should not have been rescued
if l had not at first been wrecked?'
II suppose l must"
VERY we'll That proves my case. l
am glad l was cast away-glad for
myself, 1 mean"
Glad for yourself? What do you
mean?"
Il am sorry for the others"
What others?"
THE crew, and"
"The crew was lost?"
Even the voice of this supremely sell
fish and superlatively wicked woman
shook little as he asked it.
"All lost: all lost"
"And-and any one else?"
Yes: my private secretary"
"Ah? A friend, too?"
Yes"
Yes"
"Of many years standing?"
mo; l had only known him short
time. But he had a grandly pure and
noble soul"
"Indeed?"
Lurline BannOttie was not well CAL
culated to judge Of purity and nobil-
ity of soul Perhaps for that reason
and perhaps for some other-she usu-
ally lost interest, temporarily, in any
conversation into which such topics in
truded themselves.
YES, indeed. And, in spite Of the
terrible trouble in his life. a trouble
which would have Soured most men
and ruined some"
He had trouble in his life, had he,
serious trouble? How romantic! Tell
me about it? What was it?"
He was accused of n crime he did
not commit. He escaped being unjust
ly punished. but it turned almost every
one against him."
And now he is gOnc?"
Yes, he is gone
And undoubtedly better off than
when lving-living with the world
against him?'
II believe that firmly. But he was
too good man for the world to lose
him quite so soon"
"I-suppose-sO." replied Miss Ban
hottie. absentmindedly. She was re-
fecting on some events in the life of a
certain young woman she had seen
| across whose path some shadows had
fallen. She was wondering what she
should do if-Or when-the eX-caShier
a happy union with Walter Aldrich
should die. She was wondering wheth-
er she would have power then to
cOerce and control the unhappy woman
yearningly in Naples-the woman ia
whom she intended to dole out the
means of living-frOm that wOmans
own money-thOugh unknown to her
as long as she could have her own way
with her in all respects; that woman
against whom she intended to close
all avenues of honest and honorable
labor. shutting the iron gates of des-
pair by virtue Of the power of gold. If
the time ever came when doing that
would count the weight of a feather
in favor of one of them with Walter
Aldrich-or against the other!
With her husband dead. Elsie Sem
would turn toward Aldrich as natur-
ally as the flowers turn toward the
sun. With her husband dead, Wal
ter Aldrich would stoOp to raise her tC
him-"as high as his heart"-though he
found her beggar.
How glad she vas that Sem was not
a man to brave the storms Of the
ocean, as this gentleman's private sec