Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-12-20

family?" demanded Miss Black, screw
ing her face into mock frown. Take
off your hat and jacket this moment,
child"
Let me go up to my room first
whispered Mercy, shrinking back, and
see about-mother."
She fed like a spirit up the stair, to
the back chamber She opened its
door with a reluctant hand and looked
In. On the old broken sofa in the cor
ner Moll Dill was sleeping the sleep
not Of the just but Of the unjust. A
rank odor of gin greeted Mercy's nos
trils, and turned her faint and sick. It
was too dark to see the woman's face,
but her stertorous breathing told that
she was deeply unconscious. Neither
Deer Island nor her child's passionate
pleading had cured Moll-Miss Black
was want to say that nothing would
cure her save death--the only creature
mad enough to entertain the smallest
hope Of her reformation was Mercy
Mercy who now laid her golden head
helplessly against the floor, and whis-
pered a faint, small heart-broken pray
er. After that she put her bundle OF
work inside the chamber, closed 1t
again with an irrepressible shudder,
and went back to the happy, the joyful.
the innocent room below.
Val came forward to meet her and
led her to a seat near the fire. He
looked absurdly happy. in spite of his
disappointment on the salary question.
A little, round tea table stood in the
center Of the floor, spread for three.
The cloth, though not particularly fine
in quality, was as white as snow, the
cups were real china Of eggshell pat
tern, and Miss Black had prepared a
feast indeed, in honor of her boys
birthnight There were chops, crisp
and brown, potatoes, baked. to turn
salad and a pat Of golden butter to
add color to the board, and lastly, an
extraordinary cake, stuffed with raj
sins and translucent bits Of citron, and
art in the center Of the table.
The room as Mercy looked around it
she was familiar with every object 1t
contained, yet every day 1t awakened In
her the same glow of pleasure-was
not at all like the chamber above stairs.
Its furniture was homely and old, but
full of comfort. The carpet had suf-
fered innumerable rents and darns, and
home made rugs now covered the frail-
est spots in its surface. A jolly, chintz-
covered sofa occupied corner, and the
walls were hung with inexpensive pic
lures, a shelf crowded with books. a
mirror in an antique frame and rack
of newspapers Undoubtedly these
Blacks were poor Miss Airy was for
the most time crippled with rheuma-
tism, and the rent of the rooms and
Vars small salary were scarcely more
than enough to make ends meet, even
in an humble place like Seedy Court. Yet
there was a sunny cheerfulness about
their poverty which robbed it Of half its
terrors. Brightly burned the lamp,
cheerily snapped the fire and the trio
seated themselves at the board and fell
upon Miss Affry's feast like three hap
py children.
After they had eaten the crisp chops
and the salad, and made gulf OF dark
ness in the side Of the fruit cake, Miss
Airy produced from under the table a
mysterious package, and cutting the
string that bound it, disclosed hand
some copy of Dante.
I'D be glad to present you with
kingdom If I could laddie," she said
fondly; "but your old aunt must be.
much fear, a burden 90 you always, and
not help. Such as have, give thee
dear boy"
Val took her offering. with look or
| his face that made it almost handsome
took it, and with it her poor, rheuma-
tic fingers, and carried the latter quick
ly to his lips.
Thank you" he answered; Il fee
no particular yearnings after king
dom. Aunt Affry, but am very glad tc
have a Dante Don't dare to call your
self burden, little woman; say rather
that you are the only mother / ever
| knew-that you worked for me, fed
clothed and educated me. when I cou!c
do nothing for myself; and now. in
reversed condition of things, when
am strong and you weak, the utmos
that can do for you will only seem
small part of great debt, all of which
shall probably never be quite able tC
pay"
Dear me! what long speech" sale
| Miss Affry, shaking her cap at him
and how solemn Mercy looks-jus
like a pretty owl. l doubt If she eve
got such an insight into our family his
tory before"
Mercy sat at the little spinster's righ
hand, with her damp. golden hair curl
ing all about her lily throat ant
temples, and her violet eyes brimful o
interest and attention. Why should no
everything which pertained to these
her only friends, interest her? Va
turned to his guest smiling.
You must know" he explained, tina
l was left in Aunt Aifry's care at an out
rageously early age, fatherless, moth
erless, and 1 dare say. graceless. Sh
took me in charge, she brought me VI
in the way I should go, and she and
are alone in the world. Here my knowl
edge of myself ends. and Aunt Afr!
never encourages me to ask question:
on the subject. If she has any secret
in reserve-she doesn't look like tina
romantic creation of the novelist,
person with a secret, eh?-she ha
never lisped a word Of them to me-
He spoke in a light. jesting tone an
was surprised to see Miss Affry drol
her eggshell cup so suddenly that 1t
contents spilled over the cloth.
"Val!"-her voice sounded sharp an
strange-"what are you limiting at
what do you mean?"
Mean! why. nothing at all to b