Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-17


weeks, perhaps, to-to-to London
ITO London Why-what--"
Business, my DEAR" said Miss Ban
hottie. her smile back again, as she
rose and kissed Elsie; "only a little
business, which you would neither
understand nor be interested in. My
only sorrow in the matter is in hav-
ing to be away from you. But it vii
not be for long-not for long
But why may I not go, too?'
Miss Bannottie shook her head.
That is impossible. must go al
once, and"
AT once? How sOon?"
las soon as / can get away. Send
out to see how soon that will be.
must go up and pack a few things fol
my journey
But may not go up and help you?
Mono. You attend the sending
some one for the information I men
toned. l must go this very night il
possible. l think my letter has been
delayed, and that I am late already
And you will return-?'
In a few weeks, dear"
And you will write?"
Whenever business permits, If II
does at ALL
And then, while Mrs. Sem remained
to give the necessary directions to the
servants, Miss Bannottie hurried from
the room, and
And almost tainted just outside the
door. She leaned against the wall fol
support, her hands trembled so that
she could scarcely hold the letter she
had received: her cheeks grew pale
as pale as they will be when she is
dead, perhaps; her black eyes shone
like hellish fires in the semi darkness:
as for her smile, if you had never seen
her until then you would have doubt
ed if she had ever smiled, or ever
would.
"Pshaw." she cried, shutting her
teeth over her lip until it bled; lis this
really you, Lurline Bannottie? Are
you really frightened because that
scoundrel has threatened you? Have
you never met other difficulties, that
you should tremble and grow faint at
this? Threatens, does he? Threatens
this man who owes everything he is
and has-his life, even-to you? Dc
you fear him? Let him. fear. ra ther
AS for you. go to him-go as he de-
mands. And then-watch your oppor-
tunity-take every advantage in your
own hands-play out the drama in
your own way-and in it be as merci-
less as he is"
She paused. She drew her hand
wearily over her face. And then, as
though it had been another who had
been speaking before, she gave her
self an answer.
Il will do it," she said.
And then she stood up, straight and
firm. The smile came back. as the tide
comes up the beach after earthquake
shock has driven it away. Her hands
no longer trembled. Her steps no Ion
ger faltered She walked shall I not
rather say she gracefully foated-ur
the stairs.
She burned the envelope.
Then she read the letter again:
Miss Lurline Bannottie: Every
thing has gone wrong. The worst has
that Superlative for use in recording
and celebrating your expected arrival
II must see you, and at once, for
am going away for ever. And, as
cannot go to you, you must come tC
me- And you must come at once.
II can imagine your pausing there
to say you cannot come. But l know
better. There was never thing
mentioned yet that you couldn't do
if you would.
perhaps you'd like to say you will
not come: don't you do it: don't you
dare do it! You must come! If l know
anything you would wish me not to
tell-anything you'd like chance tt
hire me not to tell, come.
"Be at the bridge. a half-mile soutf
of town. at midnight, on saturday
March 4th. l will meet you there
II shall not sign my name; l think
any one should be careful how he uses
his name: but let me tell you 1T vii
be the worse for you if you dare tt
pretend, even to yourself, that yol
don't know who I am and what
mean"
She burned the letter then, as she
had burned the envelope.
"Oh. you wretch. you scoundrel''
she whispered. as she watched the bit'
Of paper perblaze-blacken-diSappear;
how l hate you-hate you-hate you
How l wish you were as easily dispos'
ed of as your threats"
Miss Lurline BannOttie made he1
journey to London in the very short
est time in which It was possible t.
make it. and yet she had been in
fever of eXcitement-in a chronic hur
~. 50 to speak-all the way. Surel!
the business on which she came mus
he very important She had said shc
hated the writer of the letter whose
call she had obeyed so Immediately
Was it not likely she feared him az
we'll?
She came to London. But her jour
ney was not yet done. She remained
only long enough to see a member of
certain firm of bankers. From hin
she drew some money-a very larg'
sum indeed if she expected to remail
in London, and consequently where i
would be convenient to see him FIRE
quently-but a small sum if her PLAN
We're such as they might be; of hin
she inquired for letters, but ther
were none for her. And then she tool
the first train for Liverpool.
| Nor was Liverpool the end of he
journey, any more than London haC
been. Her first question on her arri
val testified to that fact.
What steamer sails first for an.
| American port?" she asked; "an,
how soon? and for what place."
She was informed that a steame
sailed for New York almost imme
diately. She secured passage and wen
on board almost at once.