Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-17

IL,
door behind them, turned back toward
the cottage.
&c" murmured DR.. Cover to him.
self. with paling lips. "Yes; there are
MANY. many names beginning with g."
CHAPTER *.
Two girls were pacing together up
and down a fast-darkening corridor OF
the pensionnat Of st. GATHERINGS IN
the twilight. Rain was falling outside.
The trees in the playground writhed
and twisted and groaned in the wind
as if a suffering dryad was shut up
in every one. The two girls, their
arms around each other, after the
fashion of their sex and years, walked
slowly and with sad faces. The
Younger was in travelling costume. She
carried her hat swinging in her hand.
Her whole air was listening and ex-
pectant. "Hark! is that a carriage,
Sibyl?" she cried, running to a Win
dow at the end of the corridor. What
a noise the wind makes tonight! NO;
nothing but those everlasting boushs
twisting and groaning. Why does not
guardy Gomez"
1T still lacks a half hour to SIX,
pouted she who had been called Sibyl,
a girl with grand dark eyes and skin
like velvet. You are very impatient
to get away, Paulette. You'll forget
me in a week, betwiXt this guardian
and his fine Maryland home. Hope
You'll not marry him off-hand, as so
many of the heroines in the story
books do"
She stood staring out Of the PEN
sionnat window-Paulette Rale, Gen.
eral Guilte's ward, as he called her
as she called herself-older than when
we saw her last, taller, crowned now
with eighteen full and perfect years.
A figure petite still, but faultless in
every curve, and full Of the same mar
velcus grace which had enchanted all
eyes upon the boards of the Boston
playhouse She had, too, the white
rose face of old, with its languishins
dark eyes and yellow hair. But over
her beauty a change had passed-lt
was no longer that of child, but of
a proud, conscious, splendid woman.
Marry guardy!" she cried, with a
gay laugh. my chere, he Is seventy
years old-a patriarch-but, oh! grand
and upright and strong as an old lion.
1t happened that you were always WIS.,
iting among the girls when he came
here to see me-"
You are very fond of him, I sup
pose?" said Sibyl, absently.
"Yes," answered Paulette, drumming
on the pane with her slim, ringless fin
gers: "how could l be otherwise? He
has been very kind to me-kinder than
| can tell, Sibyl. l am altogether alone
in the world but for him. You have
a home and a mother, but have none"
Sibyl Arnault advanced slowly to
the window. A remarkable girl so far
as looks go-tall and patrician, wear
ing her gray school dress as If 1T had
been purple and ermine. She looked
not unlike the Diana of the Louvre
standing so still and statue-like in the
half light. Her face was dark, rich
creamy-it was full of snarinS love-
illness which seized together on soul
and senses. She had black, grandly-
cut eyes, and a great abundance oi
purplish- black hair ripping over an
inch or two of smooth, Opaque fore
head and a fine air of birth and breed
ing, alike the envy and the wonder OF
every girl in the pensionnat.
mo home. no mother like mine!'
she repeated, lifting her shoulders
Mon annie, you know as much of the
Great Mogul as I do of any home but
these four walls-of any mother save
the teachers here"
But you have her letters, Sibyl
dear and surely you remember her a
little-a very little?"
She of the black eyes laughed short
ly.
mo, I do not How should I?
have lived here all my life, and she
has never once visited me nor allowed
me to visit her. True, when l shut my
eyes and think, and sometimes in sleep
I see-oh, so far and misty! oh, Sc
tender and loving. a fair woman's
face. with hair like yours hanging
around it; but, somehow, l do not
think it is my mother. This is my one
sole memory outside of st. GATHERINGS
How very odd" said Paulette, in
constrained voice do you know how
long you have been here, ma belle?"