Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-04-13
HERON's WIFE.
By Eta w. PIERCE.


make cautious inquiries. Meanwhile
must wait.
There was no rest for me that night
The story which I had read was th'
story which ! must tell to my TITLED
lover! My first impulse was to teal
his ring from my hand. said to my
self: 'You, Hazel Ferrers, are the
daughter Of a thief-a criminal-wht
ended his own life in prison, to escape
justice. You dare not assume his
name, for that would involve explana.
tions that could not fail to appall ev.
cry soul in this house-yes, and yor
would be expelled from their society
like a pariah. Will colonel Rivers per.
NIT the continuation Of your intimacy
with his ward when he hears your sto.
ry?" Will your beauty, your innocence
avail you now? What will Lady
Hopewood, the grand English dowager
say to her sons choice? Will she re.
ceive a thiefs daughter as the success.
sor of her honors? And how will 1t bs
with Sir Griffin himself? Mercifu
Heaven! Does the man live who could
love you we'll enough to forget youl
paternity"
In such reflections as these the
hours of darkness wore away. Wher
the primrose dawn began to flush the
east I bathed and made fresh toilet
for woman must preserve the decen-
cies of life under any and all circum-
stances-and went down into the gar
den to search for my lost papers.
looked long and carefully, but did not
find them. The dressing bell rang be-
fore I returned to the house. AS was
passing Miss Carbury's door it opened
abruptly, and that estimable person
appeared on the threshold, rumpled
disordered, alarmed.
my dear Hazel" she cried, at sigh,
of me. pray step into my room mo-
ment-I am quite upset, you see. A
dreadful thing has happened-I have
been robbed"
Robbed" I echoed, blankly. She
drew me into her chamber, which pre-
sented a decidedly tossed and tumbled
appearance.
Yes, my DEAR" she pointed to an
open drawer in her dressing table. y
dropped my purse in there last night
when I went to bed. 1t contained five
hundred dollars, and solitaire ring
of great value-an heirloom-which
was about to send to my jeweler to be
reset. The. diamond, assure you
was a fine as anything that Mrs. Van
Vert possesses. And now, look!-it
Is gone!"
1 peeped into the little drawer, and
found it entirely empty.
ooh, Miss Carbury!" I gasped; "who
could have done such thing?"
81 haven't the faintest idea," groan-
ed Miss Carbury, as she fiuttered about
me in great excitement. Il admit that
l am careless about valuables. 1t Is
great trouble to be constantly locking
things up, especially in a friends house
I am a light sleeper, and yet the thief
did not disturb me; and Punch, here In
his basket by my side, never made q
sound. 1 have never feared robbery
with Punch near. Really. it is very
strange! / cannot understand It,"
1 thought Of my own experience OF
the previous night, and advised her to
call Mrs. Steele and lay the case be-
fore her.
II, too, have been robbed" I said
Not of money, for I have none, but OF
papers that are priceless. Wolfsden
may be the house Of friend, Miss Car
bury, but how could you forget that
It is hardly more than a mile remov-
ed from the Blackbirds' Nest? That
fellow, Joe Bagley, was in the garden
last night, for Martin fired a shot af-
ter him. / begin to think that he was
in the house also. Your window, az
we'll as mine, opens on the Chestnut
Walk. He must have made an entrance
through one or the other, while I was
at the door with Mrs. Steele"
Miss Carbury rang for the house
keeper. The latter came Immediately
and listened to the story with the Sc
rene air peculiar to her.
You have lost money and a costly
jewel" she said, in a business-like
tone, "and Miss Ferrers is unable tc
find certain valuable papers which she
left in her room last night. If any per-
son at Wolfsden is implicated in the
thefts, rest assured, we will take i'm
mediate measures to discover the guilty
party OF course, the servants, one
and all, must be searched. l regret
exceedingly the absence of Colone
Rivers at this particular time
Miss Carbury looked at the small
pale women with admiration.
What energy!" she said. Il fee
sure that you are a woman of re.
sources, Mrs. Steele, and am quite
willing to leave the matter in youl
hands. Undoubtedly, owe my loss tc
those dreadful Blackbirds. Joe Bagley
had a confederate in the garden, may
be, who worked while he wooed."
1T is very probable" assented Mrs
Steele.
/ left Miss Carbury talking by turn:
to the housekeeper and scolding the
disgraced Punch for his faithlessnes:
on the preceding night, and went be-
low to find Sergia.
Plainly the Blackbirds had appropri'
ated Miss Carbury's purse and jewel
had they stolen my papers, too? o.
what value could my poor mothers sto
ry and marriage certificate be to sucf
creatures? What use could they make
Of the former? and could l, by an!
means in my power, induce them to re-
store my property?
When l entered the breakfast room
I found an unwonted excitement pre-
vailing. Sir Griffin and the profes
sor, each holding morning journa
still damp from the press, were read
ing and talking in the same breath.
Sergia turned to me and said: An
Iotbor sapsation Hazel dearl The Bull