Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-06-03

l heard a half sob from him.
heard faint rustlng Of silks and
laces. Still her even, icy voice went on
Rise, now, Sir Richard" she said
"Unfasten my girdle, if you like! Undo
my clasps, if you can. You say you
know my past. Tell me, do you see
me now? Ungird me, Sir Richard!
Look at me! Covet me! Take me-"
Apparently he half rose, shuffied to-
wards her, and stopped with stified
sound, half a sob, half growl.
l dared not picture to himself what
he must have seen as she stood front
ing him, her hands, as l imagined, at
her bosom, tearing back her robes.
Again l heard her voice go on, chal-
longing him. strip me now, Sir
Richard, if you can! Take now what
you bought, if you find 1t here. You
can not? You do not? All. then tell
me that miracle has been done! She
who was Helena Won Ritz, as you
knew her, or as you thought you knew
her, is not here!"
Now fell long silence. l could hear
the breathing Of them both, where
stood in the farther corner of my room
had dropped both the derringers back
in my pockets now, because / knew
there would be no need for them. Her
voice was softer as she went on.
Tell me, Sir Richard. has not that
miracle been done?" she demanded
Might not in great stress that thief
upon the cross have been a woman
Tell me, Sir Richard, am not clean?'
He flung his body into a seat, his
arm across the table. l heard his
groan.
God. Woman! What are you?" he
exclaimed. Clean? BY God, yes, as
lily! l wish l were half as white
myself"
"Sir Richard, did you ever love a
woman?"
"One other, beside yourself, long
ago"
MAY not we ask that other mira
Gle of yourself?"
How do you mean? You have beat
en me already"
why, then, this! If l could keep
my promise, 1 would. If l could give
you myself, 1 would. Failing that,
may give you gratitude. Sir Richard
would give you gratitude, did you re-
store this treaty as it was, for that
new consideration. Come, now, these
savages here are the same savages
who once took that little island you
yonder. Twice they have defeated you.
Do you wish a third war? You say
England wishes slavery abolished. AS
you know, Texas is wholly lost to Eng
land The armies of America have
swept Texas from your reach for ever
even at this hour. But If you give a
new state in the north to these same
savages, you go so far against op-
preston, against slavery-you do that
much for the doctrine Of England, and
her altruism in the world. Sir Rich
ard, never did I believe in hard bar
gains, and never did any great soul
| i
when asked you here this afternoon
I intended to wheedle from you all OF
Oregon north to fifty-four degrees
forty minutes. find in you done some
such miracle as in myself. Neither OF
US is so bad as the world has thought
as we ourselves have thought. Do then
that other miracle for me. Let us
compose our quarrel, and so part
friends"
How do you mean, madam"
Let us divide our dispute, and stand
on this treaty as you wrote 1t yester-
day. Sir Richard, you are minister
with extraordinary powers. Your gov
ernment ratifies your acts without
question. Your signature is binding
and there it is, writ already on this
scroll. See, there are waters there or
the table before you. Take them
Patch together this treaty for me
That will be your miracle, Sir Richard
and twill be the mending of our quar-
rel. Sir, l offered you my body and
YOU would not take it. l offer you my
hand. Will you have that my lord
| ask this of a gentleman of England
1t was not my right to hear the
| sounds of a mans shame and humilia'
ton: or of his rising resolve, of his
| reformed manhood; but l did hear II
all I think that he took her hand anc
| kissed it. Presently I heard some
sort of suffiing and crinkling Of pa.
per on the table. 1 heard him sigh, as
| though he stood and looked at his
| work. His heavy footballs crossed the
| room as though he sought hat and stick
Her lighter feet, as l heard FOLLOWED
| him. as though she held out both mel
hands to him. There was pause, ant
vet another: and so, with a growing
half sob, at last he paused out OF th'
door; and she closed it softly after
| him.
When I entered she was standing
her arms spread out across the door
her face pale, her eyes large and dark
her attire still disarrayed. On the ia
bic. as l saw. lay parchment, mendet
with waters.
| Slowly she came, and put her tive
arms across my shoulders. Mon
sieur," she said. monsieur"
| ITO be Continued
| Epioran1 of an Indian.