Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-04-23

"SS~f~---b
in their courage and resolution.
Men" said Heron, calmly, "you can
enter here only over my dead body
A gun was leveled at Heron's breast
/ Vivian struck up the muzzle, and the
1 shot whizzed in midair. A club was
hurled at the young preacher-he
i caught the weapon, and laid about
him. right and left, so vigorously, that
for a moment the whole company
swayed backward. Then a stone struck
Heron in the forehead. He staggered
and fell against his friend. AS the
latter caught him in his arms, Joe
Bagley and his followers hustled both
men straight off the steps, and with
shout of triumph sprang to the thresh-
old of the MILL
| No farther, for something had sud-
denly risen there, and barred the way
Ia woman!
Her silver-white cloak Of glace SILK
trailed from her shoulders. In her
pale, shining dinner dress, with the
Jacaueminot roses in her bosom, and
the light from the counting room shin
ing full upon her, she made picture
we'll calculated to bring that crowd OF
rude men to a stand.
There was no sign of fear on her
face, no pallor nor tremor. Her large,
naughty eyes looked unfiinchingly out
on Bagley and his company. Beauti-
full, with the rich queenly beauty that
impresses the dullest senses, sta
tuesque as marble, yet intensely alive,
she filled the entrance, compelling a
silent halt. And as the men stared and
gaped, To-! just behind her appeared
Jael, tall. and straight as a palm' her
Juno head rising high above that OF
her mistress-some thing menacing In
her look and mien, as she sent her
black glance outward to the faces OF
the Blackbirds. There the two stood,
blocking the narrow entrance-their
bodies the only barrier in the way OF
forty stalwart mill-burners.
Bagley, breathing out fire ana
slaughter, like Saul Of Tarsus, had
one foot planted on the threshold when
he met the gaze of Jael. A sudden
CONSERVATION seized the mamie
recoiled with a muttered oath-the
other Blackbirds recognized her, and
made a retrograde movement, also.
There was a fresh halt, the clamoring
voices died, hush succeeded. Lean
ing above Miss Poles shoulders, Jael
looked Bagley full in his evil eyes.
go back!" she commanded, like
queen, "and call these others on with
tyou!"
"Traitorous jade!" fumed Bagley.
Come on, Blackbirds!" but the at
tacking party remained motionless-
all save one brawny fellow, who thrust
a fresh lighted torch into the doorway,
so close to Sergia Pole that the white
ostrich feathers on her silken cloak
shriveled in its flame. Before she
could cry out, Graham Vivian had
pushed through the crowd, and reach
ed her side. He dashed the torch from
the fellows hand, and took him by the
shoulder.
"Tom," he said, "how is the little
lad tonight?"
The man hung his head.
Rightly, parson."
It was the father Of the child that
Vivian had rescued from the river.
60 home to your boy, Tom, and for
his sake don't mix in such business as
this" said the young preacher. And
the man skunk back, and vanished IN
the crowd.
A few moments of irresolution fol-
lowed. Doubt and indecision had fall
len on the whole movement-perhaps
that dark girl, standing repellant and
threatening in the open door, had cast
some evil spell upon it. Heron, pale
and blood-stained, but not seriously
hurt seized the opportunity to scram-
BILE into a shattered window of the
counting room. He snatched from his
desk a brace Of loaded revolvers, and
it spite of Bagleys vociferous efforts
to drown his voice, he thus addressed
the men:
| "Those of you who desire work may
return to the mills tomorrow, and 1t
will be given you-those who do not,
have certainly no call to present your
selves to me at any time. Now, my
lads" he concluded, cheerfully, and the
light played brightly upon the polish
/ ;,, h n
slider your little visit ended, and this
bit of pleasantly over. l will give
you just five minutes in which to quit
my premises. If, at the expiration OF
that time, find any man inside my
gate who has no business here, l shall
shoot him. Consideration for your
wives and children has alone kept me
from defending my property with the
means that / had at hand. You have
now exhausted my patience-good-
night"
| The men on the outskirts Of the
company vanished first-others follow
ed. The retreat soon became general.
Bagley was the last to turn from that
| WHICH, ue liol ShtSi "AAi>
Jael impeded his way. He cast one
last furious look at the girl, and shook
his clinched hand.
I'll have it out with you some 9TH
er time?" he cried, and retired, baffled
and swearing, in the wake of his fol-
lowers. Heron swung himself out of
the broken window, and Joined his
friends at the door.
Are they really gomez" said Sergia
Pole, with a suspicion of hysterical
Laughter in her voice. May We ven-
ture to breathe freely?'
Il think we may" answered Heron;
they will not trouble us again to-
night. l did not dream that you pos
sessed such nerve, cousin. But for
your presence, and that Of your maid,
we must have had bloodshed here, and
doubtless, should have lost the mills. y
Vivian turned to Jael The girl stood
listless and sombre. leaning her head
against the wall.
For the second time" he said, in