Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-15

itation-'Mrs. Steele!' Is Mrs. Steele
a Blackbird?' The queen Of the gang
said Jael. But you must ask no more
questions now-I will not answer them.
.asiG she would not-all my urging was
vain. But you see that the opinion
expressed by Heron Of his neighbor's
housekeeper was perfectly correct"
"Oh!" l cried, aghast, Miss Dee
alias Mrs. Steele-yes, it Is plain
enough! AS a professional thief, she
knew George Langstroth years ago. My
head is in whirl, Graham-I am too
frightened to think clearly. wish from
my heart that Heron would come back,
and help us to save poor Sergia."
| Graham set his teeth.
81 am going in search Of him." he
answered. And waiting for nothing
more, he hurried off to Black River, to
telegraph to various places in the hope
of discovering Francis Heron.
Alone, oppressed with many ankle
ties, wandered about Heroncroft that
day, starting at every sound-expect-
ant of 1 knew not what. Hour after
hour passed, but Graham did not re-
turn; doubtless he was waiting at the
telegraph office for answers to his own
dispatches. Oh, would he succeed In
finding Heron? The thought Of Sergia
weighed on my heart like lead. re-
! collected that she had refused to see
any Of her friends since the unfortu-
nate ball night-that she had left my
letters unanswered-that, in all the
events of the last few weeks, no mes
sage, no token Of sympathy or remem-
brance, had come from her. What ma
lign influence was at work upon the
girl that she should go ignore and for
get those whom she had once loved?
Gone away with Colonel Rivers and
Miss Carbury! 1 was glad that the
latter person was with her. Sergia
could not fall into serious danger in
the company Of Miss Carbury.
| l watched the shadows Of the pear
trees lengthen in the garden-the sun
sink westward. AS night drew on, my
fears increased. l made a pretense OF
dining alone, for as yet there was no
sign of Graham. Before l was aware,
darkness began to settle upon Heron
croft. l FASTENED to the oak library
that cheerful old room seemed more
like home to me than any other por-
ton of the house-and servant light
ed the brass lamp, and kindled the
wood fire, which always burned chill
evenings on the tiled hearth. / pushed
forward to the crimson blaze big
reading chair-Francis Heron's chair
and threw myself into its comfortable
hollow. On my lap lay a cluster of
late roses which had found In shell
tered garden corner. The pale autumn
things, already beginning to wither,
sent up a faint, sweet breath to my
nostrils-a very ghost of perfume.
Four and twenty hours before, the
master of the house had stood on that
same hearth, and looked at me, with
strange light in his gray eyes
spoken to me kindly, even forgivingly.
And OH" thought l, could he but
know how much he is needed at Heron
croft tonight, he would come back
again-in spite Of my presence here,
he would comet"
1 strained my ears to listen for Gra-
ham. Without and within the house
silence reigned. The solitude, the
warmth, the absolute quiet, combined
to soothe me at last. The oak room
grew dim, the pleasant fire faded before
my weary eyes, l ceased to think of
Graham, or wonder at his prolonged
absence-in short, slept.
And sleeping, I dreamed that l was
again at Nine Delands school-again
it was my seventeenth birthday, and
Francis Heron had come to bring Ser
gia the news of her fathers death. l
. was doing once more by madame's fire
through half-drooped lashes l saw
the door unclose, and the lean, dark
face of Heron appear on the threshold.
Noiselessly he approached my chair
he bent over me, as upon that well-re-
membered birthday. 1 felt his breath
against my cheek, stirring my hair /