Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-22
BY Eta w. PIERCE.


low a tall, brown figure was waiting
The moment the soft rustic Of her dres
was heard, the soft CLEAN Of her star
like face seen in the dusk OF the stair
ne started up to meet her.
"One moment more alone" he whis
pered, and drew her out upon the vine
hung piazza
His face was luminous. He looked
down upon her with the grand air Of
master.
I suspect" he said, lightly, "tha
you have been taking counsel witt
your own heart. Pray, what Is the re-
suit? Are you quite satisfied that yo'
love me?"
Quite" she answered.
He bent and looked in her eyes. The
hot color famed up and down her tenn
Piles.
know yourself. darling" he said
gravely; do not deceive me. Do yo'
love me as 1 love you-better than life
better than anything under the wide
heavens?" The passion in his voice
seemed to frighten her. Her footsteps
faltered at his side.
II do do!" she answered. "Car
you ask more?"
Better" he urged. than you evel
loved any other, my precious darling"
II never loved any other, Arthur" she
40 sly
Because" he cried, rapturously, my
happiness seems too perfect to be real
l cannot yet wholly believe it. Pardon
the doubt. Yonder comes the general
our best friend; let us go and meet
him"
There, in the soft, odorous shadow o1
the creepers, he lifted her pale, young
face, and swiftly, passionately, sealed
her lips with his first kiss. The next
moment the lion front Of the general
appeared In the doorway. How sternly
cut were the faces Of these two men
how like in pride and strength and
general look, though one was young and
the other old!
For once Paulette felt her heart quail
within her. The general seized heI
small, cold hands in his strong, large
ones. His eyes, under their bleached
brows, beamed with tender approval
upon her.
My little Polly" he cried, with one
Of his great oaths, this Is the happies'
hour Of my life! So no! it is even as
predicted-Arthur has proved a better
wooer than IT,"
She tossed her lovely head.
And does Arthur know" she laughed
"of your little attempt at match-mak-
ing, guardy-wass he an -accomplice
therein?"
That could hardly be-" said Arthur
since l had never seen you; but sure
ly did not oppose the PLAN"
And SOL" cried the general, in great
glee, You are ready to take back all you
said to me, Polly, dear-you are willing,
after all, to become mistress Of Hazel
Hall?"
II do not know-it is very hard for
person of spirit to eat their words. y
she answered, gayly. 81 will consider
the matter" and then lifting her great
eloquent eyes to his and growing grave
in a moment. And l owe this also to
you, guardy. What do not owe you%'
"Hah! you acknowledge, you stubborn
Polly, and to me. that you love my boy!
Let the old man hear you say it once
you love my boy!"
What a tragic tone!" she cried
well, then, if I must-I love your
boy!" and she hid her face straightway
on Arthur's shoulder.
He told me-" said the general, grave
ly, "of your peril at Pindars. Well
well! Thank God he reached you at
the right moment! Arthur, I give you
joy-Polly, my pet, nothing Of earthly
substance is too good for you, not even
Arthur! And now let US go in. There
shall be a wedding, which the whole
county will remember"
He took her hand, led her proudly
under his roof, in among the grinning
conscious servants-in to Hilda Burr
who received the future mistress OF
Hazel Hall very grimly. The JOY OF
the general seemed to be gall and
wormwood unto her SOUL
1T lacks but a week to my birthday
she began peevishly, as they sat to-
gether in the drawing room that night;
"and you have always remembered II
till this year. We talked once of ba
masque; but, Of course, that Is out OF
the question now. No one can be ex-
pected henceforth to think Of me when
your ward Is by"
Don't be foolish, Hilda," answered
the general. You shall have your ball
and whatever you will besides. Why
are women so inordinately jealous OF
each other? l would like to see the
man who, living under the same roof
could help thinking Of you."
Hilda craned her neck forward, saw
Paulette and her lover half hidden in a
window at the far end of the room
blind and deaf as mummies, and with
flash of her black eyes she turned again
to the old soldier.
You are highly sratified, see, al
Arthur's choice. To understand this
is, of course, beyond me. 1 never sup
posed General Guilte would select as
the wife Of his heir-of the last Guilte
of the race-a low actress, a creature OF
the footlights."
The general bounced up from his
chair eyeing her in a fury.
How did you know that?" he blurtet
out.
No matter" she answered, defiant
ly, 80 long as 1 do know it. Your
pretty ward, l find, was picked from
the gutter or, rather, from a northern
playhouse. which is quite as bad. A
charming wife, indeed, for the last male
Guilte!"
"Hilda, you sly cat!" cried the gener.
al, through his teeth. have been talk.
ing in my sleep? Lord deliver me from
a prying woman! A lily is none the
less beautiful for being grown in the
mud. 1t does not in the least matter
IN Won or To any one where | founC