Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-14
FHE B}Rf R'@aR&
CHAPTER VII.-Continued.
=By ETA w. PIERCE.

burned draperieS fel away. Inc ii'S'.
who owned the cloak loosened II, ano
showed her to them all, scorched, col
orless. pale with pain, but making no'
a sound. -,
Good heaven! what an escape!
they cried.
She looked only at the tall, gray
ba;red figure who stood regarding hel
compassionately. -,
INV poor child, you are suffering'
he said. Let me Ike you home al
once and call physician"
"You, too, are burned" she answer
ed. Look at your hands"
Don't mention 1t. / am strong
man-you a child. Will you come al
once? Shall I take you In my arms!
In rushed the manager.
"Bandage her hurts for moment
can YOU not?" he cried. "They In
sist upon seeing her-they are quite
wild, in fact"
Paulette started up. clinching heI
little scorched hands.
.T will not go on!" she cried. !
have looked my last upon them. DIG
Won hear them hiss me tonight? They
shall never see me again-never!"
The manager stared.
"You can't mean that You are ex-
cited, Miss Rale. Hear them! They'll
pull the house down."
Let them!" she answered. Il am
going home-do you hear?-goins
home! Goodnight"
'Bu. the piece can't go on till you're
shown" cried the distracted manager
.I will not! I will not! Tell them
I am sick-dead! Tell them l Will
never play before them again-never!
I will starve in the street first!" With
dark, dilated eyes, with yellow hair
fiying. she rushed to the man who had
brought her off the stage. Take me
away!" she cried, wildly. Il cannon
breathe this air a moment longer. On,
brave, good hands that fought death
for me tonight, take mo away! Save
me! I will not go on there, tell you!
I shall fall dead before them ALL"
BY the thunder of heaven! No, you
shall mott" he answered, and wrapped
her quickly in the cloak which had
already done such sood service, and
without another word, hurried her out
of the green-room and down the stairs
to the street below.
Your home-where is it?" he de-
manded.
She gave him the street and num-
ber, holding helplessly to him as they
stood in the cold winter night on the
icy pavement. Curiously the street
lamp dipped and danced before her
sight. Far off, as from star, she
heard the man with the eagle beak and
gray mustaches say:
BLESS my soul, girl, you are ILL.,
After that a frightful thunder,
which must have been the carriage
wheels, pounded her ear-drums like
Vulcan's hammer. Then Paulette was
no longer Paulette at all, but a bit OF
thistle-down famed by hot winds
through infinite space-desert winds
scorching simoons that burned and
blistered her with their breath. A lit
tie while and she was leaf struggling
in a whirlpool, and then buoy, beaten
and lost on an ink black sea- Ages
rolled over her, and again she was hu-
man, with veins full Of fire instead OF
blood; she was falling down abysses
without end, and Megrims wrinkles
looked up at her from infinite depths
below, and then the face Of the man
who had saved her at the play, and
then Varnecks, pale and bloody, and
last of all, the dark, dreadful one oi
st. John. These also passed, and she
was dead-an atom floating to meet
the sun leagues up in heaven and
great peace came over her, and ther
she heard voice-the same tnat she
had heard before, as from star, ant
it said: will she live?"
Another voice answered, I'VE viii
hope so. She has youth and a goot
constitution"
Terrible days.
Out of a face thin and white as &
snowflake, Paulette's eyes opened on
fine morning on actual life once more
Two persons stood whispering by hel
bed. One was Megrim; the other {
tall, iron-gray man, with a front like
Jupiter. In a thin rasping voice sh'
called out to him, querulously:
"Oh, you are here, are you? l lef
you down there in the pit. Very per-
sistent Of you! Besides, you haven
yet told me your name"
He leaned over and looked down OF
the sick little creature.
"Ah, monsieur general. she is bet
teri" said Megrim.
Dose her off to Sleep" he answer
ed, gruf1y, which Megrim immediatel!
did, and a great slumber settled down
soothing and sweet, upon Paulette.
From that hour he was continual!
coming and going before her-thi
great, strange man, whom Megrin
called monsieur general"
rs that your name?" Paulette quiv
cred one day as he stood at the foo
of her bed, looking down on her.
You may call me what you like" N
answered, indulgently. my name Il
Guilte."
do you live here?" like curious
child.
NO" he replied, in the same tone
many miles away, in Maryland"
$50 far!" she sighed. What, thel
are you doing in this place."
Taking care of you," he said, smi!
ing.
''I have been sick. I suppose"
Very sick"
You don't see a hand mirror any
where about, do you?'
He tossed over some articles on {
table, found one and brought it to her
She took it with a trembling hand
looked and saw little white face
with enormous eyes staring out from
it's hollow oval and short yellow hal
curling round 1t in babyish rings.
"I wasn't SCARED, them" she shlv
cred