Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-16
CHAPTER /.
A Star Boarder.

deep Joy he watched the trees shake
the raindrops from their new emerald
robes, and the flying clouds that fleck-
ed the western sky melt into seas OF
purple and gold.
A huckster turned into Fourth street,
crying:
Strawberries. Strawberries"
And the young lawyer laughed la
zily.
The chatter of the sparrows, the
shouts of children in the Square and
the huckster's drawing call seemed
the subtones of a strangely beautiful
oratorio of nature into which every
sound of earth had softly melted. Even
the roar of the elevated trains on Sixth
avenue and the screech of their wheels
as the cars turned the corner of the
filthy street in the rear were music. A
secret JOY filled the world. Nothing
could break its spell-nOt even the
devilsh incessant rattle of the ma
chine hammers fiattening the heads Of
the rivets on the huge steel warehouse
of the American Chemical Company
rising across the avenue. The music
he heard was from within, and the
glory of life was shining from his
eyes.
Again the huckster's cry rang over
the Square:
Strawberries! Strawberries"
The dreamer closed his eyes and
smiled. A flood of tender memories
stole into his heart from the sunlit
fields of the south. He had gone
hunting wild strawberries with Nan
North Carolina the day he first knew
that he loved her.
How beautiful she was that day in
the plain blue cotton dress which fit
ted her superb young figure to perfec-
ton. How we'll he remembered every
detail of that ramble over the red hills
he could hear now the whistle of a
bob white sitting on the fence near the
spring where they lunched, calling to
his mate. AS Nan nestled closer to
the old stile, they saw the little
brown bird slip from her nest in a
clump of straw, lift her head, and soft
ly answer.
Look" Nan had whispered eX-
cited. There's her nest!"
He recalled distinctly his tremor of
sympathetic excitement as her warm
hand drew him to the spot. With pc
culiar vividness he remembered the
extraordinary moisture of the palm of
yrit
est as he counted the eggs-twenty
beauties. But above all memories stood
out one! AS he bent c'Nse above her
he caught for the first time in his life
the delicate perfume Of her dark ricn
hair and felt the thrill of it's mystery.
It's their little home, isn't it, JIM"
she exclaimed.
Il hope l can build as snug a nest
for you some day, Nam" he whisper
ed gravely.
And when she stood silent and
blushing, he made the final plunge.
Looking straight into her dark eyes
he had said:
II love you, dear Mani
AS she stood very still, looking down
in silence, with a throb of fear and
aching tenderness he dared to slip his
his arm around her waist and kiss the
trembling lips. And then he noticed
for the first time a deep red straw
berry stain in the corner of her mouth.
In spite of her struggles he laughing
ly insisted on kissing it away-a fact
which led to his first revelation of her
character-could he ever forget the
glory and wonder of 1t! She had seiz-
ed his arms. gasping for breath.
"Don't-don't, JIM can't stand
that any more!" And then as a
suddenly threw her own arms around
his neck in passionate tenderness, re-
turning with interest every kiss he had
taken
Strawberries!
The man looked up and drawled his
familiar cry.
"Yes-yes!" he shouted Two
boxes. Put them on the st0op-and
keep the change!"
He threw the man a silver dollar
and the white teeth of the Italian sig
nailed a smile Of thanks as he bowed
low. lifting his dirty cap in acknowl-
edgment.
Nor was Mans beauty merely a
memory, it was the living presence,
the source of the joy that filled his
soul to overflowing today, for she had
grown more beautiful than ever since
her mother had moved to New York.
He had always believed that the real
reason in the back of Mrs. Primrose's
shallow head for this move to the
north had been the determination to
break his engagement and make
more brilliant marriage for Nan. And
so when they left he followed.
The mother had always professed
for him unbounded loyalty and admir-
alton. But he had never been deceiv-
ed. He knew that Mrs. Primrose lied
as she breathed-politely, but contin-
uOusly-by her involuntary muscles.
Day and night since they had reached
New York she schemed for Nan. She
had Joined every society, club, and
coterie into which she could buy,
push, or manoeuvre her way. She
had used her Revolutionary ancestry
and high social standing in the old
south as the entering wedge and had
finally succeeded in forcing her way
into at least one charmed circle OF
the rich and powerful through the
Daughters of the American Revolution.
She had leased a house in the FASH
ionahlr neighhorhOod of Gramercy
Park. and to meet the extraordinary
expense. began a careful and system
attic search for rich young men 10
whom she could let two floors. Stuart
had seen through her scheme at once
especially .as she had insisted with
increasing protestations of love that
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