Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-04-06

shall not go TILL speak. now Cdu yoo
treat me like this? I love you! I give
YOU my word that cannot live without
you-I ask you to be my wife,"
Yes, that was what he said. I stood
overwhelmed.
"Oh, Is this q jest?" gasped.
"A jest?" he echoed, Indignantly
Good heavens, no I have been ir
deadly earnest from the hour saw you
first"
But only American heircsses attract
titled Englishmen," faltered. "and
lam poor, end-and-alone In the worid
How can you choose me?"
'I choose you because I must" he re-
piled, simply; because I cannot helI
myself! I have wealth enough fol
both. Hazel, and beauty like yours Is
fortune in itself. Speak! 1t is yes OF
no?"
i AS he stood, tall, fair, impassioned
forgetful, for q moment, at least, OF
rank and station-his hands extended
to me in eager entreaty-what could
do but falter forth the words he longed
to hear?
1T is-yes!"
Then, overcome with great rush OF
Joy, bewildered with my sudden good
fortune, 1 suffered him to snatch me
to his breast and hold me there as
though I was, indeed. a part Of him
self.
Silence fell in the garden. The
chestnuts lifted tall. green crowns to
the sun; butterflies, like winged flow
ers, flashed noiselessly by; in distant
thicket a bird sang family. And there
I stood In the blithe morning, with my
first lover-my fairy prince. who had
like another King Cophetua, flung pride
and grandeur at the feet OF a beggar-
maid; stood there, intoxicated with my
first draught Of happiness, my first
knowledge of that passion Of which II
is said:
"All other pleasures are not worth Its
| pains"
'Tt is all so strange!" faltered, at
last. Doubtless you have kindred In
England. What will they say to such
an unequal match? How will they be
likely to regard me?"
A shadow swept his face, but he tried
to smile.
! I have a mother In England-a proud
and ambitious person, but not particu-
larly unreasonable-and younger broth
ers, who would, Of course, be extreme
ly glad II I did not marry at all. l
shall not deceive you, Hazel-these rel
atives may quarrel with my choice
they may not regard you very kindly
at first; but you must not think Of that.
I am my own master, and 80 long as
I bring no disgrace upon them, they
have small right to complain. When
once my mother looks upon you, she
will forgive me. Your beauty Is rich
marriage portion, and you bear name
that Is honored in your own country
with these things she must be salts
fed"
1 caught my breath suddenly. Could
tell him that the name bore was not
my own?
-"Do you know anything about me,
Sir Griffin?" stammered. Have you
asked Colonel Rivers for my history"
| Certainly not" he replied, with some
surprise. "Of his own will he told me
that you had been at school since child
hood, with his ward-that you were an
orphan, highly connected. Just now'
my darling, you declared yourself to
be alone in the world"
YES" 1 answered, have but one
known kinsman, and he"-I was about
TO say, has disowned me-" but my
cowardly tongue failed at this blunt
avowal, and modified it by muttering
he is not in communication with me
at present"
Shall I, then, speak to Colonel Riv-
ers as soon as he returns to Wolfs-
den?" asked my lover. 81 have no
wish to make a secret Of our engage
ment."
| "Y-e-s," I assented.
1 was the colonels guest, the bo-
som friend Of his ward-it seemed
highly proper that Sir Griffin should
speak to him.
| Here Is your bethothal ring, Hazel"
He drew a little band Of fine gold from
his watch chain. 1T belonged to my
mother in her girlhood. You will be
the next Lady Hopewood, 80 1t Is fit
ting that you should wear it now"
| suffered him to put the ring on my
hand. In a sort Of stupid astonish-
ment 1 stared at the trinket. was be-
trothed to a live lord" Some day l,
the penniless, the nameless, would be
called my lady," Being but a happy,
foolish girl, how could I feel otherwise
than elated, dazzled, dazed, by this
sudden turn Of fortunes wheel?"
"All my plans are now changed" my
lover went on, with a great light Shin
ing in his bonny blue eyes. Il shall
leave the far west unvisited-my expe-
rience Of America will begin and end
here at Wolfsden. You must marry me
at once, Hazel. 1t is really fortunate
that you have no kindred to oppose me
in the matter! We will sail for Eng
land and the old Kentish manor-house
that 1 call home, in the early autumn.
We will go to Paris and Italy for the
winter. You have never been abroad
you have seen nothing Of life. Think
Of the delight I shall feel in opening
the great world, like door, to you-in
making you supremely happy-in COM
pelling you to love me more and more
with every day Of your existence!"
l did not answer-I was looking
i straight down to the brown earth and
saying to myself, in an awful agony OF
fear:
"I will tell him the TRUTH will con-
ceal nothing! The papers that Patty
gave me-my mothers marriage certi-
ficate, my mothers last letter-were
brought to Wolfsden in my luggage
l will examine them Immediately. If
there is any shadow on my birth, any
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