Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-19
CHAPTER XVH-Continued.

CHAPTER XVH-Continued.
Mrs. Arnault gave a violent start.
"Simpleton! girl who has been shut
ND at ST. Catharine's all her life!'
"She ought never to have been left
so long at that place called Beech
wood; I said so at the time," answer
ed Rebecca.
IF you only knew" half shrieked
Mrs. Arnault, how hateful to me Is
the sight of her, you would not say
that, Rebecca. Every time she calls
me mamma 1 feel as If could stran-
gle her with these two hands"
Hush, mistress; hush!"
But Sibyl was already descended the
stairs out Of reach Of that shrill voice.
Rebecca followed directly, and running
up to the girl, seized her arm.
ITO tell the truth, she said, half In
fear, half in apology, she's not over
fond of you, I'll admit; but that's be-
cause of your father. AS for work,
think no more Of 1t. She Is. rich, and
it distracts her poor head to hear you
talk that way. Bear on while-a
body SO feeble can't last much longer
then you'll be free"
This consolation seemed but meagre
to Sibyl. She dawdled about the
lower rooms Of the cottage. They
were all sealed from the sun and air,
and smelled musty. She peered into
the kitchen and saw deaf, old wo-
man, with forbidding air, dressing a
fowl for dinner. She opened the
kitchen door and stepped out into the
garden.
1t was dreary enough-neslected,
gone to waste; but Sibyl found it bet
ter than the house. Crickets chirped
in the long, unshaven grass. The tan
gled thickets looked wet and dark,
even at noontide. Everything was as
still as the grave except pair Of wan
dering pigeons cooling on the top of the
high wall.
Two gates the garden had-both
closed and doubly locked. In vain
Sibyl sought to climb up and look over
them. She wandered about, dragging
her skirts in the long, wet grass and
finally came to the trunk OF fallen
tree, where she sat down to listen to
the throb, throb Of the sea, breaking
somewhere beyond the dividing wall
"And / thought" she pondered, that,
could once reach this place, all things
would be made clear to me, instead OF
which they are more murky than ever.
Oh, come back to me. my vision with
the fair face and yellow hair!"
Rebecca came after a while to call
her to dine.
Tut, tut!" she cried, GROSSLY" this
is no place for you. Too much dream
ing Is bad for girls"
But as soon as the monotonous meal
was done Sibyl hurried back to the
garden. Now shrill, now soft, the in
sects called to her from the leaves.
The pigeons still fingered on the wall,
and even flew down for some crumbs
which she flung them in the deep
grass. Overhead the enormous sky
blazed with light. Somewhere without
she felt-she knew-the world was
beautiful.
But 1 shall live on here" she sigh
ed, "for years. perhaps, and grow ugly
and old like Rebecca, or pine myself
to death, which would be better, and
long before that he will have married
nd
gotten me-oh, my heart-my heart!
She winked back the tears that
sprang to her eyes, though nobody was
by to see them AS she sat rejecting
on this dismal picture the sun set, the
zenith grew rosy with waning day, and
q moon, like a yellow thread, appeared
on the purple hem Of the west. Sibyl
looked up and found the garden full
of a tender, luminous dusk, and at the
same time she heard, somewhere out
upon the violet colored sea beyond the
measured dip Of oars.
She started to her feet. With her
heart beating like a trip-hammer
against her side, she stood, tall and
white, like Hero at her Sestos shrine.
Dip, dip! A keel grated on the shore,
then there was pause, and then the
boughs heaved suddenly aside and out
Of their shadows a man stepped and
stood before her.
"Sibyl!" said Serle Varneck.
She did not move or speak. Pale
and with eyes flashing grandly, she
surveyed the tall shape that stood
looking at her with his heart In his
fixed, troubled gaze.
"Sibyl. will you not speak to me?"
He extended his hand. She put her
own resolutely behind her.
What brings Mr.. Varneck to Ham,
merton-to this particular spot Of
Hammerton?" she demanded.
Il come" he answered, ito explain
to you, if 1 can, my conduct at Beech
wood. Do you, then, think me scoun-
drel, Sibyl?"
TT can matter very little what
I think" she replied, cresting her young
head.
He smiled bitterly.
You are angry with me-you will
not so much as touch my hand? l
do not say my punishment is unde-
served, but pray listen to me, Sibyl,
before you condemn me-"
"Oh!' she cried, throwing out her
hands with passionate gesture, why
did you come near me again."
1T was torture for me to think OF
the light in which l stood with you.
Three years ago l was betrothed to
Miss Varneck. / did not love her
she did not love met was to be what
the French call a marriage de coven-
ance. Till met you 1 was content to
have It so. Then came the tremendous
change which made my bonds more
hateful to me than words can tell. l
left Beechwood the day of your depart
ure to seek relief Of Miss Varneck."
Sibyrs color came and went fitfully.
And she?"
"Rejoices in an unwilling captive
she refuses to free me. Nevertheless,