Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-03-30

Especially that black scoundrel,. Jo'
Bagley, that comes a-courtin' the gir
Jael. ] never see him but that I ache
Vim all my bones to crack his ugl!
head!"
Colonel Rivers gave slight start.
"Jael! Has she a lover among those
vagabond Blackbirds?"
THAT she has, sir-a strapping ont
leader of the whole gang, as al
Black River folks know! You'll fine
him sneaking through your shruboery
any fine night, sir. A regular jail-birt
that's what he Is! He's been behine
bars dozen times in his life"
"Ah! this grows serious. Jael has
pair of bright eyes; she is something
of a coquette, fancy-eh, Martin
Keep a sharp lookout for that Black
bird lover. Doubtless he courts thu
girl and steals my nectarines at tht
same time"
Just in my opinion, sir" mutterec
Martin, and he stalked off, swearing
under his breath.
Mrs. Van Vert looked at the colonel
How very disagreeable for you!" she
said.
yes" he assented, "the Blackbirds
have been the pest of this region fol
years. The respectable portion OF the
community stand in tacit fear Of them
as they are supposed to be capable Of
all sorts Of crimes on small provoca.
ton. /, at least, do not mean to bt
bulldozed by the scoundrels. Already
they have poisoned a valuable watch
dog which brought to Wolfsden, raw
aged my kitchen garden, and gobbleo
up the choicest Of my early fruits"
"Oh, dear!" gasped the pretty widow
why does Mr.. Heron allow such
things?"
"Of course, Heron cannot be helc
responsible for the misdeeds Of his
work people. I fancy he has his hands
full to keep them in decent subjectior
at the mills. That young preacher
Vivian has been trying Of late to dc
some mission work amongst the ras-
calls, but fear he will find that he Is
casting pearls before swine"
He turned to go. Mrs. Van Vert rar
after him.
How DREADFUL" she cried; 'ant
how fascinating! Does that handsome
49, Vivian really preach to the Black
birds? I must certainly hear him
Pray take me with you to the green.
house, Colonel Rivers; want to see
what the dreadful creatures have
done"
They went of together. Where. had
I before heard OF Heron's mill-people
and their evil deeds? The memory Of
my never to- o-be-forgotten interview
with my grandfather flashed upon my
mind. l arose and walked away from
the terrace.
I had no desire to join Mrs. Var
Vert and the colonel; so turned ir
another direction, and followed patti
leading-I knew not whittier.
Presently found myself in a strip Of
pine wood, carpeted with gummy cones
and slippery brown needles, that SEM
up a pleasant odor as I tramped over
them. Before me was low dividing
wall Of cemented stone, which seemed
to forbid further progress in that d.
rection. I was just turning to re-
trace my steps, when / heard savagt
bark, and an immense Russian hound
in a rattling steel collar, dashed ovel
the wall, and flew at me like beas
of prey. 1 gave an involuntary cry.
"Cossack!" thundered a voice. Come
back Cossack!" and Francis Heron
| with a riding whip in his hand, leap
ed the boundary, and seized the grea
brute by his collar, lashed him, until
I, moved to pity, gasped:
"Oh, don't Mr.. Heron! He though
me a trespasser most likely, or, per
haps, a Blackbird," and I tried t.
laugh. "If Colonel Rivers had thi:
beast at Wolfsden am sure his green
houses could not be pillaged so easily.
Heron stopped whipping the dog
and turned flushed, irritated face up
on me.
What! Have the rascals been pill
fering from Rivers again?'
Yes" 1 answered, gravely; "the!
stole the grapes and nectarines las
night-did not leave one, the servan
says"
He gnawed his lip.
THE deuce!" he muttered. "River
must enter complaint against them
1 shall be blamed for this offense, as
have been for others Of an earle
date"
"Oh, no." I protested. Il distinct!
heard Colonel Rivers say that you coult
not be held responsible for the sins o
your mill-hands. He is too kind ant
generous, Mr.. Heron, to even thinl
such a thing"
Heron stood making sharp, shor
strokes among the pine-needles witt
his riding whip. His lean, sallow fac
looked sombre. He was not tall, bu
so compact and wiry, that he had al
appearance Of unusual vital force.
Don't believe it, Miss Ferrers!" n
said, abruptly In his heart, if no
openly, Rivers lays upon me the stigma
of all the Blackbirds' misdeeds. Their
are circumstances under which it i
wellnigh impossible for a man to b
just to his neighbor."
l did not quite comprehend him.
why, that is absurd, you know"
answered. You employ these peopl
in your mills-beyond doubt, you hav
nothing to do with them, of course"
He smiled so pleasantly that his leal
face became, for the moment, almos
handsome.
1T is very good of you, Miss Ferrers
to take that view of the matter; but
tell you, Rivers is not so generous.
have done my best to ferret out tn
perpetrators Of these petty outrages
but in vain. Just powers! If the
would but plunder me, would rejoice
but the persistency with which the
annoy Rivers is unbearable! They hol