Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-11-09

whined. I've been up watching 10
nights and nights. There's three lynn
dead in the next room with typhus
ma am"
What" screamed Miss Varnecl
leaping to her feet.
Three ma'am-all died last nigh
within an hour Of each other"
"Merciful heaven!" shrieked Lucy
and white as ashes, she upset her hard
bottom chair, and darted for the dool
Out into the road she fiew-Serle, jus
putting the last touches to the broke
carriage, turned, and saw her rushin
toward him along the bare, braze
road, wild as a March hare.
did you take me to that house t
kill me?" she painted, that you Nigh
marry your handsome Arnault Great
ure And people dead there Of the fe
yer! I have taken it, Serle-I shal
surely, surely have it now!"
"Nonsense!" he answered. you di'
not sit there fifteen minutes"
But she was wild with terror.
II feel it clinging in my clothes!
she cried, shaking her draperies as l
to shake it out. And, OH" wringini
her hands, with her woman's jealous!
still uppermost in her mind, Il shal
die, and you will marry Sibyl, and b.
happy in spite Of me-"
Lucy, you are beside yourself" HI
answered; "let us get home as sooI
as possible. You have no more feve
than I have. You will quite upset m!
mother IL you tell her this"
He sought to laugh the fancy away
but by the time they reached Beech
wood her teeth were chattering will
terror AS soon as the situation wa.
made known to Mrs. Varneck, she fel
into violent Mysteries.
order my trunks packed instantly
for town, Serle" she cried.
Certainly" said Serle. at his wits
end, 'ff it will in the least ease youl
mind. But Lucy is in no danger, be-
lieve me. She Is only a little scaret
and shaken. Pray don't frighten hel
further.
Lucy herself, standing collapsed ant
clay-cold before them, flung out hel
arms with a scream.
II am stricken already" she said
and fell stark and stiff to the floor.
In a dead faint genuine for once
she was carried to her chamber. Wher
darkness fell that night over the ever.
greens she lay senseless, almost breath.
less, in the fatal lethargy Of typhus
Serle was sitting alone in the gloomy
hush below stairs, when the door open.
ed, and his mother entered, equipped
and ready for departure.
"Oh, you are going, then?" said he.
"Going!" she gasped; what would
you have me do-stay and take the fe-
yer also? How cruel Of you, Serle!
And it was all because of you that we
came here, in the first place. What dc
you mean? Are you not coming with
me?"
Certainly not" he answered.
She looked ready to sink.
"Serle! will you stay at Beechwood
with typhus in the house? Do you
want to break my heart? Do you want
to leave me childless and alone? Oh
how wretched I am! I, your mother
command you to come. Serle. II you
care for me in the least, you will obey
me-"
MY dear mother, l care for you q
great DEAL" he answered, tenderly
but to leave Lucy here alone Is impos-
sible. Take Patty and go. by all means.
Mrs. Hare and have made up our
minds to stay"
She wept, prayed, coaxed, in vain.
He was obdurate.
"Oh, why did we ever come here?''
she lamented. II wish from my heart
you had married Sibyl Arnault before
we ever heard Of her. Poor Lucy! Is
it my duty to sacrifice myself, Serle?
Is it yours? No; but you must always
have your will at any cost. go heart
broken. l shall expect to hear any
moment Of your death"
He hurried her briskly into the car
riage with Patty, and watched it de-
part with a great sigh Of relief. Then
he returned alone in the gathering
dark to the house.
That house filled now with the very
gloom Of death. Serle Varneck watch
ed the night out with Mrs. Hare in
Lucy's room-sat long, weary hours by
the bedside Of one woman, his head
and heart the while filled with the face
Of another-Sibyl Arnault's, pensive
and beautiful, as he had last seen it
in the moonlight at Hammerton.
One day Lucy Varneck opened a pair
of preternaturally large eyes in a
pinched. wasted face, and looked up at
her betrothed husband.
Are you always here?" she cried,
testify. do you never leave me?
Why didn't you go with your mother?"
He surveyed her with unmixed sat-
isfaction.
"Ah! that sounds as 1t should. How
do you find yourself today, my dear
cousin?"
"Why don't you answer me?" she
quavered. What possessed you to
stay after she left?"
ITO take care of you," he answered,
lightly.
1T seems, after all, that I'm not go
ing to die"
"No-thank God"
She looked at him in surprise.
IT'S very odd" she said, in her old
sullen way. that you should spend so
much time trying to keep me alive.
Had died I could have given you no
more trouble"
MY poor Lucy" he answered, half
whimsical, half pitying, Il would much
rather you would live, believe me-"
You have watched with me night
and day, Mrs. Hare says-risked your
life, suppose. 1t is more than 1 would
have done for you"
Let us not talk of It," said Serle.
Slowly she drew from her finger his
ring She tossed it shining upon the
white cOunterpane