Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-10-28

tower of my Lord Skeezinks.
Now this tower was guarded by var.
lets and hirelngs, whose chief duty il
was to keep away the Knights Of the
Quill, and many prentice scribe and
many an old knight had been unhOrSed
by them. Yet did Sir Jimmie by g
stratagem evade thee mercenaries al
the outer gate and make his way UP
the tower stairs to the threshold of my
lords office. But here his good luck
left him, for he was beset by two black
giants from Georgia. These were pro-
digious varlets and they hustled SiI
Jimmie till his ire was aroused and he
gave battle against them.
| And while he was shifting one of the
giants in the midriff, the other, in a
most unknightly and amazing man.
ner, did climb upon Sir Jimmie s
neck, and thus they overpOwered him
and threw him down the tower stairs.
so that his bones ratified when he
struck the pavement. Also his helmet
broke around the brim, and the seat
of his armor burst, so that he was a
| piteous sight to see.
| The poor wounded knight was gath
cred up and taken TO hospital for
repairs. and the story of his mishap
was told that night at the dinner table
by old Lord SkeeZinkS, who thought II
was joke.
When the damsel Ruth heard how
the young knight had been set upon
and belabored by the black giants so
| that he was sore hurt, her gentle heart
was filled with wrath, and she went up
to the old lord and would have pulled
his beard, only that he was clean sha-
ven.
Thou are a horrid, mean old thing"
| : q and
true knight that thou hast wronged,
and l will not abide under thy roof
another minute. SO there"
The amazed old lord sought to paci-
| fy her, but she would not listen, and
although it was night she went
straightway to an hostel nearby.
And the next morning when it was
| light she summoned taxi and was
driven swiftly to the hospital where ye
Knight with the Nose for News was
being repaired. 1t was not yet the Wis
| itor's hour when she arrived, but be-
cause she came in car and wore a
hobble skirt and a hat that had been
built over seas they made haste to
open the gates and let her in. And all
the nurses and the internes bowed
down before her.
For verify" they whispered one to
the other, the damsel is peach"
Now Sir Jimmie, who had been writ
ing at little table, sat feeling of his
| bandaged headpiece, and did not see
her when she entered the parlor. But
when he looked up and beheld the
beauteous vision before him he rub
bed his eyes in amazement.
1T is a dream" quoth he.
Nay" said the maiden, lit is not
dream"
Then thou art an angel" quoth he.
For thou canst not be my Ruth,
and no mortal woman save she can be
as lovely as thou art"
Now l can see thou art not fatally
hurt" she laughed; for thou has not
forgotten to turn compliment neatly,
Yet, in good sooth, Sir Jimmie, I am
Ruth"
She had come within an ace of say
ing thy Ruth" and the fear that he
had noticed the slip caused a sweet
confusion to fall upon her, so that her
eyelids were lowered and the lights
and shadows that lie in the heart of
the rosebud played over her cheek.
1t was then that Sir Jimmie knew
indeed that it was she. and he held
out his hands and whispered:
My lady-Ruth."
And she moved slowly toward him.
like one that walketh in a dream, and
moment more she would have been
in his arms, but that she lookel beyond
him and there, lying upon the little
table, she beheld an envelope, sealed
and stamped. and addressed to her
self And Sir Jimmie, following her
eyes, also saw it and would have TAX
en- the letter up and have hid 1t in
his breast, but she held out her hand,
saying:
Give it me, for it is mine"
Nay" quoth he," it was written to
another"
But she stamped her pretty foot
on the floor.
Thou vert not wont to be a liar,
Jimmie" she chided. 1T is mine, for
This letter" quoth the knight
sadly. was written to a little cDun-
try maiden l once knew, and it deal
eth with a matter entirely betwiXt her
and me. But 1 was a chump to write
it, for that maiden l perceive is no
more, and it is not seemly that so
grand a lady as yourself should read
it. And you will pardon me l will de-
stroy the letter, and forget that l ever
wrote it."
Saying which, he took the letter in
his hands, and would have torn it.
Jimmie" she said; and she looked
the beauty of her eyes, and he gave it
to her.
Il know not what to say to thee, sir
knight" she paused and gaZed upon
him with troubled, questioning eyes
save that l sorrow for thy hurt. 1t
may hap that l will have a further
word for thee when l nave read this
letter to the little country maiden
the letter which thou desirest to hide.
If there be aught in it that deservest
an answer, thou shalt hear from me.
Adieu."
II am a chump," said Sir Jimmie,
when she was gone. 'Forsooth my
head is of solid bone"
And ever and anon he did call him
self a chump. and reproach himself
with other churlsh and unknightly
epithets, until an hour had passed.
Now it came to pass that when the
damSel returned to the hostel that my
Lord SkeeZinkS was there. and he said:
Right glad am l to find thee, hot
headed child. My lady hath worried
herself into conniption fit about
thee"
Tell my lady that l am safe" said
she
Nay and thou shalt tell her thy
self, sweet one. For the car is wait
ing at the curb. and thou art going
home with me, now"
But she looked at him coldly saying:
Thou canSt not wheedle me with
soft words, my lord"
And how should | know thou car
est aught for Sir Jimmie" he eXclaim-
ed testify. Il will make amends to
him, only come thou to the castle with
me, for l dare not face my lady alone.
She hath been giving me the dickens
all night, so that l could not sleep"
And how wouldst thou make
amends, my lOrd?"
Il would plaster his wounds with a
check"
At which saying the damsel shifted
with Scorn.
1T is not money that so valiant and
true hearted a knight careth for" said
she. But if thou wilt go and give
him the interview he cravest. then will
| forgive thee"
Now. when my Lord SkeeZinks did
learn of the penance she required he
| laughed and SwOre that it would be
great sport. So he took the damSel
| to his castle ana went straightway to
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