Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-11-28
A D A R K . E E D
BY ETA w. PIERCE.
CHAPTER XXI.
At Millhridna

Work-hours were over in the grea
yoolen factories. A bell sounded an
the operatives came pouring into tn
street, like flock Of sheep-men an
women-with specks Of wool clingin
to their coarse garments, and on thei
faces the pallor and weariness borl
Of long day in the sitting mills.
| Some Of the girls laughed and talk
ed among themselves, flung ligh
chaff at the men, and gave rough jok
for rough joke; but there was one
who, as she hurried forth with tn,
others, looked neither to the righ
nor left-laughed not, spoke not Sh
vas among her fellow workers, bu
not Of them. The very shabbiness o
her cotton gown, her old gray shawl
her straw hat half covered with 1.
cheap veil, served to emphasize tn,
marvellous beauty of her face and fig
ure. Under the coarse straw shone
coil of hair golden as the silk of rip,
corn. Through the faded veil gleam
ed a skin like alabaster, and a pai
Of great pansy dark eyes full Of some
thing strange; unutterable-sad a!
death. Few persons in Millbridg,
eyer passed this girl without turning
| I'd look after her.
s"You're tired tonight, Miss Smith,
sighed an emaciated, hollow-eyed op.
erative, as she hurried along at tn,
heels of the person in the gray shawl
i"Yes-a little, Lizzie" answered thu
latter.
t"God knows it's a hard life!" sale
Lizzie, with a cough that seemed tc
rend her thin lungs. 1--WE been spit.
ting blood all day. sha'n't last much
longer here. Oh" with sudden child
ish eagerness, do you know, Miss
Smith. that there's a new music
teacher come to Millbridge, and some
of the girls have been saving theil
money and they are going to club to-
gether. and hire a piano, and take
lessons. Isn't that heavenly? How
wish 1 was one of 'em; but you see
what with losing days and days with
sickness, and buying medicine contin-
ual, I never have cent to spare"
Poor Lizzie!" sighed Miss Smith
gently.
The girl went on. No other person
spoke to Miss Smith. She was nc
favorite with the operatives. For two
years she had worked in the mills
and lodged with the herd Of common
men and women at the great board
ing-house by the river, yet she was
still a stranger in Millbridge. No.
body knew anything Of her past lift
nobody could boast of the smallest
degree of intimacy with her. She die
not lack civillty, yet she.-ha<l+-a-lway
Of keeping her -laborers at g
frigid distance.
Miss Smith did not hasten. as u.s.
ual, to her boarding g-house tonight
but turned mechanically from the
open street into a secluded footpatf
that stretched along the riverside.
AS soon as she had passed beyond
the reach of curious eyes, she sank
suddenly down in the faded fern OF
the bank, tore off her hat and veil
and threw back her old shawl, like
a person suffocating.
"'Oh, ye gods!
Why do you make us love your good
ly gifts,
And snatch them straight away?"
She murmured the lines under heI
breath. The sunset died in the west
the river grew gray with twilight. A
boat passed along its current, the oars
splashing softly in the water. Miss
Smith did not see it. She was sit
ting very still among the faded ferns
plucking absently at their brittle
frost bitten blades.
What was ID that aroused her al
last? The boat was coming back, go.
ing down stream toward the mills
Through the dusky silence the echo
of voice was waited to her ears: 81
must go tomorrow, Denham."
Only those commonplace words
part of a sentence, evidently. Den
ham was one of the mill-ewners, 6
hospitable millionaire. His pleasure
boats were often on the river, ant
usually filled with guests.
Miss Smith leaped to her feet. The
hue of ashes fell upon her face,
choking sensation filled her throat
On went the boat into the shelter o1
a clump of willows-she could bare
ly distinguish it's receding outline.
What strange trick had her imagi-
nation played upon her?-what NOR
bid fancy had got possession OF heI
senses? Was the buzz and whirr OF
the mills affecting her head? AS she
stood motionless, breathless, waiting
for she knew not what, a man with
roll of music under his arm appeared
suddenly in the footpath, passed Miss
Smith, glanced backward at heI
statue-like figure and uncovered head;
stopped as If thunderstruck, then ut
tered a sharp exclamation, and the
next instant stood, painting at hel
side.
MY God. Ethel Greylock!"
She had not heard that name fol
many a day. She turned quickly and
looked at the speaker.
Don't be afraid Of me-" stammer'
ed the new music-teacher of Mill
bridge, as he fell back from her q
step.
Il am not afraid" she said, coldly
Thank Cod" he cried. Il was mac
at our last meeting, but l am sane
enough now. How came you In this
place, and this disguise?" pointing ir
an agitated way to her cotton dress
She tied on her hat hurriedly and
drew the shawl about her shoulders
again.
1T is no disguise" she replied; !
am an operative in the, mills here
earning my living by hard work. anc
nv name is not Ethel Greylock' hui
plain Miss Smith"
They stood face to face once more
Arthur Kenyon and the girl whose
o.tar,ptai The man