Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-03

Near by, in her rosewood crib, slum-
bered Moppet. Shading his lamp with
his hand, the doctor stood and looked
down on them. His disturbed face
worked. He gathered up handful Of
Dimples blonde hair and carried 1t to
his lips.
my darlings," he murmured. my
precious darlings! What is there that
j I cannot do for their sakes? Every
thing but that-that! Never! so help
me God!"
Putting out his lamp he dropped
into a chair by the window at the head
of the bed, and, with his careworn
face pressed to the pane, stared
thoughtfully, fixedly out on the night
He sat there till morning.
They were early risers at the Bever-
ly doctors cottage, but Dimple saw
nothing of her husband till the break
fast bell rang. Then she met him re-
turning, placid and smiling, from an
early stroll on the beach.
How haggard and wan you look!'
cried she. These dreadful night stu
dies are wearing you out, Philip.
really will not have 1t, you unconscion-
able boy"
He tucked her under his arm.
81 am quite up to your guileful
ways, madam" he answered. "All
this is said only to lure me into re-
turn of compliments. You wish to be
told that you are rosy as the dawn
and twice as lovely. / did not sleep
well last night-was troubled with
bad dreams"
He went off to his patients directly,
and left her and Moppet to frolic about
the cottage and the tiny garden at
their own sweet will.
It was a lovely spring day. How
| the memory Of it's sunshine and sing
ing birds and budding leaves used to
sting poor Dimple's heart in the sad
after time!
Dinner over, Moppet fell asleep on
the door-mat, and was lifted carefully
1 in mammals loving white arms and
carried to the parlor to finish the nap
undisturbed in its silence and dimness.
Don't disturb her, Katy" said the
little mother to her maid of work.
Poor little weary bones! If any one
comes, show them into the study. 1
am going out for walk"
So the cottage was left to the SER
want and the child. Nobody came. and
Katy held religiously aloof from the
parlor, sacred now to sleep and Mop
pet. Afternoon dwindled into twilight.
Then the doctor and Dimple appeared
at the gate together, in the ugly chaise
peculiar to the New England physi-
clan Of twenty years ago.
where's that wicked little Mop
pe:?' was the young mothers first
question, as she showed her fair,
laughing face at the hall door.
She's slept like an angel, nia'am,"
answered Katy. "Tve heard not
sound from her, and you gone these
three hours"
| "Possible!" cried Dimple, in mock
alarm, and darted into the parlor and
ran to the sofa where her darling
lay. To her surprise she found the
window which looked out on a vine
covered piazza standing wide open be-
side it. The blind, however, was clos
ed. She dashed 1t back; the light OF
sunset streamed in. She turned to the
sofa. A wild Shrek burst from her
lips. The white pillows lay there all
undisturbed, with the dent Of the cur
ly head still in them, but Moppet was
gone!
"Philip!" screamed Dimple, rushing,
wild and white, to meet the doctor,
Just entering at the door. Where is
she, Philip"
who? What? Why, my dear girl"
"She is gone!" cried the frantic
mother, overmastered by great and
exceeding terror which as yet had no
name. "Moppet!"
He strobe over to the sofa, flung up
the pillows and grew pale as death.
"She has run into some adjoining
room," he gasped; "the study, per-
haps-your kitchen-Katy, search the
house My God! What is this?"
He bent and snatched from the floor
at the foot Of the sofa sponge. DIM
pie caught it wildly from him. 1t was
full of the sickening, deadly odor Of
chloroform. They looked at each
other with blank, white faces.
J Phillip" she cried, who can have
done this? Oh, my Moppet! oh, my
baby!" and she flung up her arms
with a wild shrek and fell senseless
to the floor.
Search the house! Yes; in every
nook and Granny, DR.. Philip Cover!
Rouse the drowsy seaside town! Set
the bells changing in the steeples till
|, every soul in it's borders comes to join
the hunt for that which Is lost! Vain!
!, No track; no trace Of little Moppet
anywhere be found!
Three days after her disappearance
when Dimple lay raving in the delirium
of fever-sinkins, fainting, dying
therein-a letter in an unknown hand
was brought to the stricken man
watching sleeplessly over his wife. He
opened it and read the following
words:
, when you are ready to reveal the
secret you hold-ready to disclose the
whereabouts of the child, then, and
only then, shall you hear tidings of
what you have lost. Till such a time,
search the wide world overland
: search in vain!"
!, An address followed-the first three
, letters of the alphabet prefixed to a
5 postoffice in the suburbs of Boston.
/ With a groan Doctor Cover crushed
the paper in his hand and buried his
: face in the pillow beside poor D'mple.
The little cloud upon his pleasant sky
: had, of sudden, overspread all things
l and plunged him into utter and hope
less night