Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-15
CHAPTER XVII.


is coming now?'
A dingy room, up two flights OF a
North End tenement house, clean, how
ever, and tolerably comfortable, with a
forlorn canary swinging in cage IN
the window, and a box Of mignonette
blooming on the sill below. At a round
table covered with silk and wire and
various colored fabrics, sat the pro-
prietress Of this domain, an old woman
in a stiff, white cap, making artificial
flowers.
eli, who is that?" she repeated, as
a. rap echoed on her door. 1t was tWl-
light, and overshadowed by surround
ing dwellings, the dingy room was fast
growing dark. She hobbled forward
and drew the bolt. On the threshold
fashionably dressed, cool, airy ano
handsome in the dying light, stood
man.
Your servant, monsieur" said the
old woman in the starched cap.
Monsieur made her beautiful DOW
Mistress Megrim, I presume" said
he. "will you permit me to enter your
blissful abode? crave little private
conversation with you"
with me, monsieur" cried the
amazed, old creature. Enter, then
The airy figure pranced gayly in. He
had a pair Of light hazel eyes, which
took in at a glance everything the room
contained.
"Be seated, monsieur" said the old
Frenchwoman, with her national po-
liteness, "till light lamp. All! you
see that am poor-that work Tor a
living. Monsieur must pardon the de-
bris."
Her visitor fell into the nearest chair
drew off his gloves and dropped them
into the hat resting on his knee.
IF / do not mistake" said he' you
are the estimable party who once acted
as housekeeper to a poor French ar
tist called Jean Rale, and afterward 10
his daughter, Paulette?"
Megrim looked the speaker caretul-
ly over with her small, foxy eyes.
Monsieur is right" she answered.;
81 am that party"
Monsieur, or Mr.. George Trent, re-
fiectively sucked the head of his ra-
tan a moment.
Madame" said he, II am IN search
of information regarding those two
persons--more particularly the daush-
ter. I beg to say that for any little
item OF interest you may 'recollect
about them-any little test OF memory
YOU may feel inclined to make, can,
no, doubt, offer you a fair compensa-
ton" and he touched his pocket sug-
gestively.
The old Frenchwoman adjusted her
high cap and looked cautious.
Jean Rale, monsieur! Pardieu! He
has been in his grave for years. All,
there was q good man, but unfoitu-
nate. He was born at Rouen-so, also.
was I. He was my foster brother.
"And Mademoiselle Paulette-let uS
hear something of her. I have been
at the Museum where she played" said
Mr.. Trent, "and parties there tell me
she was not Rale's flesh and blood. but
a founding whom he adopted
"True, monsieur" answered Megrim
looking as expressionless as a carp.
Il beg you to be little more conf
municative," urged Mr.. Trent. WAS
the girl left at this Frenchman's door,
Monsieur, no; he found her on
beach, miles away, in a town called
ah, what is it called"
She paused with an air of great per-
plexity.
"Ah. what?" cried Mr. Trent, sharp
ly.
Monsieur think I must have for
gotten"
"By no means" dissented Mr.. Trent
drawing something briskly from his
pocket and thrusting it into her hand
"Then again. Now! the name of the
place where the little Paulette was
found?"
Monsieur" said Megrim, solemnly,
'fts a very troublesome name-do not
YOU know? A little village on the coast
near a cape-ah, mon Dieu, yes, 1t is
Beverly"
Mr.. Trent Immediately drew out
notebook and wrote the name there
in.
And she was educated for the stage
by her foster father" said he, and
she proved a great favorite; and then
what, then, Madame Grimalkin You
were her duenna-had she lovers?"
The old carp nodded her white cap
again and again.
"Ah, monsieur, since you know SO
much about her, you must know that
also. Do you come from her to ask
me? Surely she had lovers-many OF
them"
"Particularize. No, do not come
from her. Did she have any one ac-
cepted lover, and was his name-St
John?"
The white cap moved again, but its
owner did not speak.
"Out with It? A scene-painter, was
he not? Come! did she love him.
Megrim looked him calmly In MS
tigerish eyes.
Monsieur he was not her lover only
he was her husband"
Mr.. Trent seemed hardly prepared
for such an announcement.
Her husband" He changed color
rapidly. do you know what you say
woman?"
"Ay, monsieur. They were married
secretly. She bade me never to tell
I swore I would not. monsieur. See
how you make me break my OATH
She shrugged her thin shoulders.
This happened" said Trent before
she became the ward Of General Guilte
of course. Tax your memory a little
further and tell me about this mar
riage-also her acquaintance with the
general"
"Ah, yes, the fine old soldier! What
an air he had-what a heart! Pa
tience! Let me, then, begin at the
beginning, since monsieur would heal
oil" and she proceeded to recount tC