Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-12-13
By ETA w. PIERCE.


tlOn WITH WHICH He rSSdIuS you Sui S9
him."
Lawrence Harding was well-bred
person-these last two words escaped
him unawares.
Ethel drew up her naughty young
figure.
| YES" she answered severely, the
count is very attractive-he Is also
very polite-I am sure he never swears
in the presence Of ladies'"
This victim colo ed darkly under
this rebuke.
| mo, I suppose not 1 beg thou
sand pardons, Ethel; don't be angry
with me. If he does not swear, he has
other vices quite as formidable-fo
instance, a weakness for absinthe and
such recreations as ecarte, loo and
lansquenet."
"Lawrence!"
Fact! He is no stranger to me. l
made his acquaintance in Paris three
years ago, just before the death Of his
countess"
Ethel gave a start.
His countess!" she echoed, blank
| ly.
Yes. Do you not know that he Is
widower?"
Certainly not"
IT wonder he has not mentioned
the fact to you before this. His wife
was beautiful and young, a Russian,
| r hnr Ionnfn0 night
at ball at the Tuileries. She was the
belle of the evening-a creature with
sort of Amy Robsart face. The next
morning she was dead"
The dabbling white hand in the
water grew suddenly quiet. Miss
Sardis looked at her companion with
big, startled eyes.
Murdered, some people thought,
went on Harding quietly. "Oh. you
shiver- it is an ugly word. Others
believed it to be a case Of suicide-as'
no doubt, it was. A maid found her
living in her ball dress OH a couch In
her little boudoir, with an empty
laudanum bottle in her hand. The
aeair occasioned q great deal OF
talk in Paris, especially as valet OF
the count, whom 1t was surmised
might know more Of the matter than
anybody else, disappeared on the
night of the countess's death, and was
heard of no more. The count himself
mourned his wife wildly-she had
brought him a large fortune and was
scarcely more than twenty years old.
But he seems now to have fully re-
covered from the loss.'
THAT is the way with all men," re-
marked Miss Sardis, cynically. They
die and worms eat them, but not for
love. 1 did not suspect that you knew
anything about his private history.
Certainly neither of you showed any
signs of previous acquaintance when
YOU met here at Lucerne."
Lawrence shrugged his shoulders.
| "I fancy it is a case of natural de-
testation betwixt us, The count re-
CARDS all your male friends with
Jealous suspicion, and as for me,
felt no particular pleasure at meet
ing him again"
Miss Sardis kept her brown eyes
fixed on the frowning steep Of Pilatus.
Tell me about that dead countess"
said she; what was she like?"
personally"
YES"
"a blonde of the palest type, blue
eyed, fair-haired-not in the least
like you"
And she danced at ball the night
she died? Poor thing! Do you think
the counts valet killed her, Law
rence?"
His handsome face grew grave.
mo, she committed suicide with
out doubt. 1t was a bad matter alto
gether. After her death a story was
afoat in Paris, so foul that 1t seems
sacriligious to speak of it. Some peo-
pie gave it credence; others who
had known the unfortunate lady best,
declared her to be as pure as she was
fair. and rejected the calamity with
scorn and indignation"
Ethel withdrew her gaze quickly
from the mountains and fixed 1t on
Larry Harding. She was destined
long to remember this morning on the
lake, this conversation in the little
lrow-boat.
Tell it to me-" she commanded
recklessly. He looked a trifie dis
concerted.
THE countess was accused of cher
ishing a secret passion for her bus
bands valet, and her unhappy death,
as we'll as the fellows disappearance,
Twas attributed to that culpable pas
sion. Bah! to mention the matter,
even now, makes me feel as If had
struck her helpless dead body"
| Neither spoke for a little space.
The water rippled about the boat the
sun rose higher above the lake and
the mountain tops.
"I can understand" said Larry, at
last, with a carelessness that was
scarcely natural, "how interested you
} feel in everything pertaining to
your titled admir- r, Ethel. Good
Heaven! what a ania fashionable
Americans have for titles! Among
all the folies which the nation has
developed I know Of none more alb
surd than this
His ill-concealed jealousy and anger
did not altogether displease her, per-
haps. She gave lin an arch, be-
wildering smile.
How cross. how disagreeable you
are this morning, Larry! Did you
ask me out here only to quarrel with
me? We part so soon, that think 1t
is scarcely worth our while to be
angry with each other"
, His gray eyes filled up with a great
, light.
Angry with you? That can never
be. Ethel-whatever you do, you can
never make me that. l wish to heaven
you could-it would be better for me.