Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-11-02
CHAPTER XXII-Continued.

Proceed" said she.
Thus encouraged, he continued.
you have not Of late years heara
much Of these same Guiltes| quereo
Mr.. Trent.
"If you know the family secrets" she
retorted, "why do you ask me"
You have sought no intercourse with
them. in fact, since the general threat
ened you with his bloodhounds!
She clinched her hands, but did not
answer. Rebecca stirred uneasily be-
hind the chair of her mistress.
"The general" continued Trent, has
aged greatly since the death Of his
sons. He has already settled his
earthly affairs, and appointed an heir
to his great possessions-a great
yrand-nephew, in whose veins the gen.
uine Guilte blood begins to run a lit
tie thin"
She moved in her chair.
"And what Is all this to me?" she
said.
"It ought to be a great DEAL" ven-
tured Mr.. Trent, "for Ernest Guilte at
his death left daughter. and blood
even mixed blood, should be thicker
than water"
Her black lashes lifted off her dead
white cheeks. The Jewish eyes beneath
famed up at him.
How do you know Ernest Guilte left
a daughter"
Because 1 still hold in my posses
sion a letter which he wrote to the gen.
eral on his deathbed, and in which he
told of her birth, eighteen years ago.
in the town Of Beverly, Massachu-
setts."
Rebecca Hardin made another un-
easy movement, but her mistress sat
voiceless, motionless.
1.-The general" said Trent, never
saw the letter; he bade me burn 1t
unopened, being very angry at the
time with his son. 1 did not-1 have 1t
STILL"
Her bloodless hands moved spas
medically on her lap,
knowing" proceeded Trent with
flourish Of his hat, that a srandchild
of the general lives
How do you know she livesT
sharply.
Let us, then suppose the case, ne
corrected. "A granddaughter, no mat
ter what may have been the circum-
stances Of her birth, ought to take
ppecedence In the >heirship-to this great
granddaughter"
She answered not a word.
Madame" said Trent, frankly, i
came to consult with you on this point;
beg permission to see Ernest Trents
daughter, the rightful heiress of Hazel
Hail."
She dashed her clenched hands into
the air.
And you stand there and say this
to mel" she cried. "Hypocrite! l
have not been injured enough, then
nv heart has not been torn and tor
tured enough? Now he sends you to
mock me! Ernest Guilte's daughter
YES, where is she-what has he done
with her, thief that he is? Oh, Rebec-
ca, Rebecca! hold my head"
She fell back in the arms Of her
faced attendant
"Yes-yes, Be careful, mistress"
whispered the latter; this man Is
fox and foe."
The invalid grew composed again.
What have you to do with the heir
ship?" she asked; why should 1t trou-
BILE you?"
II am the generals legal adviser,
answered Mr.. Trent, "and the affairs
of my client must always be near to
my heart. Your daughter, hear, shares
your solitary life-pray, my dear mad
ame, let me see her, If only for mo-
ment."
She gave him a whitening look.
"As for the heirship-as for Hazel
HALL" she cried, Il would rather blood
Of mine should starve in the gutter
than inherit any part Of that cursed
possession? AS for my child-as for
the child Of Ernest Guilte, If you would
see her, go to your master-go to the
man who has broken my heart, and
ask him as 1 ask you now, standing
here, face to face, where is she?'
Mistress! mistress!" muttered Re-
becca.
II have wealth for her when she
comes, greater than that Of the
Guiltes," she went on. wildly. Il have
queath her! And come she will some
day oh, great God! Yes; this as
surance Is all that keeps life in mel
shall look upon her before die"
Her face was like that of one in
spired. Mr.. Trent mopped his own
kerchief.
Madame" said he, "since you thus
throw off your mask. l may as well
do the same. beg leave to correct
little mistake under which you have
been and still are laboring. General
Guilte never stole your child"
She started, met his cool, confident
gaze and began to tremble.
"He-never-stole-my
That was the assertion l made,
madame. You erred when you suppoS-
ed he coveted 1t for Ernest's sake, or
as a vengeance on you. Quite the con-
trary. So. utterly did he abhor you,
he would have cast 1t out as accursed,
had II been ten times his sons. Your
daughter was left to drown on Beverly
beach. eighteen years ago by the wo-
man Hannah Duff"
She sprang upright on the hearth.
Drowned? On. my Cod" she
screamed and flung up her arms and
fell stark and stiff at Rebecca's feet
Trent lifted her up.
Bother! She's tainted! Women al
ways try that dodge when they can
think Of nothing else. Why couldn't
she wait and hear me out?"
BE off with you" cried Rebecca, in