Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-26

If she was better, and would she not
come down? ....
mo, moi" answered Paulette, in dis
Traction; "tell him have retired for the
jnight-tell him am sick-dead!"
Then Hilda's voice was heard at the
keyhole.
my dear Miss Rale, how sad! Ar
thur is greatly distressed. Are you so
very ill?" she purred. Very unfortu-
nate! People are sure to make re-
marks. Have you and Arthur quarrel
ed?"
60 away!" replied Paulette.
She went away. The wretched girl
listened to her footsteps as they died In
the distance.
There goes one," she said to herself,
"who will clap her hands at my misery.
Oh, will this fete never end-wil that
crowd below never, never so?"
i The first carriage rolled away.
lBreathlessly she listened as, one by one,
the others followed. The music ceased,
and the gay notes.-the old house grew
still. Paulette rose from her knees with
great shivering sigh.
She took from her wardrobe tweed
waterproof, and enveloped herself head
and ears therein. To leave the house
undetected was no very difficult matter,
owing to her knowledge Of it and the
darkness Of the night. AS soon as all
was silent, she unlocked her door, step
ped out into the passage, and stole
noiselessly down the stairs to the din
ing room. Under the stern-pictured
faces of the Guiltes went she-past the
handsome, brown Don Carlos, from
which, for the first time, she averted her
anguished eyes, and raising the long
window, Paulette sprang through upon
the dark piazza
The gloom Of the night had lifted
somewhat A few stars peeped through
the billows of broken black clouds. The
stiffness, the late hour, the thought OF
tryst with one from the dead, struck
like a winter chill to Paulette's heart.
She stood a moment, trembling in every
limb, ready to fall in her tracks; then,
mastering all her strength, ran wildly
across the dark lawn toward the pa
vilion.
Some one, who for an hour or more
had been waiting there, heard the swift
step, the painting breath, and stepped
forth from the shadow of the place to
meet her.
Down the path her colorless face
came flashing like lost STAR The
lights were out in the grounds-she did
not see him till he put out q sudden
hand and caught her as she was flying
past.
"Paulette!" ..... ...
A wild scream rose to her lips.
"Hush!" he cried; would you alarm
the house? Paulette, my wife. don't
you know me?" ...
She felt her hands caught and kissed.
She wrenched them away. That voice!
1t went like two-edged sword through
her heart
"T cannot see YOU" she gasped. mo.
/ do not know you in the darkness.
He scratched a match with great de-
liberation against garden seat, and
lighted the lamp at the top Of the pa
vilion. Clearly, fully it revealed to her
| the tall, cloaked figure which she knew
only too well-the dark. fierce face, with
long mustache sweeping over the scorn-
full mouth, marked now with lines Of
trouble or dissipation. He had changed
but little-grown older, as she had, but
that seemed all. Yes, 1t was st. John'
living and breathing-from out the
grave or elsewhere-there he was!
Stark and colorless, she stood and
looked at him, her eyes distended IN
horror, her lips bloodless.
"Paulette!" he repeated, In an I'M
ploring voice, and advanced step to-
ward her, but she waved him back.
Strange and woeful she looked In the
glimmer Of the lamp, in her disordered
fancy dress, with the disordered eglan-
tine lying crushed and broken from her
yellow hair.
"Paulette!" he cried, and this time
with impatience. Good heaven! won't
you speak to me at all? You look as II
I were the Gorgon's head. You remem-
ber our last meeting-you have never
forgiven me-is that it, my poor,
wronged wife?"
A shudder shook her as he called her
that.
| Obi" she answered, this Is some
frightful dream-I cannot believe 1t!
Guy st. John died in Havana weeks
ago."
He looked a little staggered at this
reception.
Did he, indeed?" he said, almost
mockingly. II knew he was Ill there,
but never was aware Of his death. 1t
was that sickness, Paulette, which
brought me to my senses regarding
you. One Of those conscience-spells,
which assail most men at such times,
got hold OF me- I felt convinced that
l had wronged you-that you never
loved Serle Varneck, and I now come
to beg, upon my knees, forgiveness for
the past, Paulette."
He would have taken her in his arms,
but she recoiled growing paler and
paler.
1.-The past!" she shivered. "Yes, 1
forgive all-anything- I could
blot it out for ever! How did you find
me here?"
| by a happy chance. Had not bet
ter put out this lamp again? You have
been keeping late hours tonight, find,
and other inmates Of the house may
still be up. 1 sought you first at the old
West End Boston house, then stumbled
upon Megrim, and from her learned all
that happened after I deserted you.
She told me you had kept the secret
Of our marriage from this General
Guilte-hence my caution in begging
you to come here, alone tonight"
| She stood like statue. Only her Ia
bored breath broke the silence Of the
pavilion.
| Ito be Continued)