Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-02-25
Bv ETA w. PIERCE.

| lIllO Ills OWN.
You cannot! Then tell me that yo'
wrong by marrying the count"
She shivered in his hold.
Let me CO." heard her murmur
family.
His eyes were like live Goals. HI
looked ready to trample her under hi
feet, or kneel and adore her-indeed,
could not tell which. ...
you are SHINING against yoursel
and against me, Ethel; but it is not TOT
late for you to draw back"
You do not know what you say. 1
is weeks and months too late! Yol
once told me that / was no heroine
Lawrence. I am not. Do not be fool
ish any more, or ! shall regret that W.
ever met again after our return from
abroad"
You will marry the count, though
believe you care for me as much as i
is in your nature to care for any one
you will give yourself to him?"
II will marry the count"
He drew back from her with stern
set face.
Il love you, Ethel" he said, in low
deliberate voice. "ani I despise you"
She grew red, then pale.
You have said nothing that do no
deserve, Lawrence; therefore I forgive
you. Will you come now?"
She moved toward the door. He fol-
lowed slowly.
These are our last words, Ethel.
would not, for kingdoms, breathe the
air Of this place an .ther half hour with
you."
She made no reply. They vanished
| the door closed. was alone, with no,
tears in my eyes. Poor Ethel! poor
dear Ethel!
Presently 1 heard a footstep. The
drapery that sheltered my hiding-place
was swept swiftly back. I looked up
and found that some one had entered
the studio and was now standing by
my side-Baron Stro2zi.
Heaven above" he cried, you come
here to weep in secret? Loveliest ant
most obdurate of women, why these
tears?"
l arose to my feet, bristling with
wrath.
Pardon, that is no affair Of yours,
said I. II wish to be as you find me
alone"
His ugly black eyes snapped.
"Ah, how cruel! You send me for ar
ice, Miss Beatrix; while I go you rur
away. I will bear this treatment nc
longer I love you ardently. wish tc
make you my baroness-ze mistress OF
Palace Strozzi, on ze Tiber. Pardieu!
put my heart under your little feet
Will you marry me?
| I looked him full in his dark, marked
face, and, with all the scorn and aver.
sion I could muster, hurled full at him
that one expressive syllable:
mol"
Then I rushed for the door. but be-
| fore could reach 1t he put himself be-
fore me.
stop, Mees Beatrix," he said, auda.
ciously; and the glitter Of his white
teeth through his black mustache was
very unpleasant; Il haf ze permission
of madame, your good aunt, to urge my
suit. You must hear me-more yet
you must marry me! 1t will do no gooo
for you to fly into temper. Peste!
| have borne a great deal of your tenn.
per! and to say No--you are a ward
and your guardians accept me for your
future husband. Take back zat ugly
word, my beautiful and substitute
better. kinder one-Yes!"
| Never!
| "Ah but you will"
made a second attempt to reach the
door. He seized my arm and dragged
me rude!y back. I screamed out, part
ly in wrath at this outrageous conduct
partly in genuine feal; and, as did so
the door Of the studio opened from with
out, a man appeared on the threshold
and, taking in the situation at glance
seized Strozzi by the collar, and drag
ging him backward across the door
way, lifted him swiftly off his feet, ant
dropped him straight down the broad
carved stair!
How gracefully and dexterously i
was done, With thrill of wicked
delight heard him fall somewf ere be
low, and ran toward the person tina
delivered me, crying out:
How much I thank YOU
Then I stopped, as if turned t
stone. Merciful Heaven! 1 was fac
to face with Eric SAKE!
Face to face at last, after all thes
weeks and months! We stood starin,
at each other. I could not utter
sound. I felt as If was suffocating.
Since you can find 1t in your hear
to thank me for throwing the barol
downstairs" said Eric Sake, "it canno
be possible that he is your accepte,
lover, as gossip would fain make m
believe"
He took step toward me, and hell
out his hand. A great light swept owe
his face-that splendid, passionat
face, so like some Greek god, som
sculptured Antonious.
"Beatrixi'
That brought me to mysclf-remind
ed me also, of his strange conduct.
drew coldly back.
you mistake!" I corrected. with a.
the hauteur 1 could command: Il ar
} Miss Sardis."
He looked unuttcrably panied an
surprised.
"is this the way in which you defin
my position?" he said, land cut m
off from all hope?
gave him a scornful glance.
! 81 do not in the least comprehen
lyour meaning, Mr. SAKE. For the as
sistance you have just rendered me
thank you sincerely, and-here our &C
quaintance ends"
He grew pale as death.
And once you told me that fashion
, able life could. not change you, Beatri
lido you remember? And in defianc
Of my better judgment, l believed you
, I trusted the brave, pure soul In thes
gray eyes; and so trusting and so be
lieving have held aloof from you an
waited, If not with patience, at leas
with faith, for the time when l shoul
! be free to open my heart to you"
, II do not understand you in tn
: least" said l blankly.
You do not UNDERSTAND lnat ai
: trying. at infinite pains and cost
r myself, to keep my compact faithful
ly?"
What compact"
He stared.
, Surely you know, for l told you
my letter. l wished you to understan
clearly the restraint under which wa
: forced to place myself"
Il cannot think what you mean,
A cried sharply. Il never received lei
, ter from you in my life"
We looked each other full in the fac
= Beatrice, do you know what you al
saying? Did not your guardian delive
to you the letter which l wrote you
2 his presence on the day when you lei
Newport?"
mo"
] And then he stood there in the sol
e CLEAN of the waXlights and told m
the whole shameful, treacherous stor
E Oh, how angry l was, and how happy
I l have wronged him so much-I hay
2 accused him unjustly of many things
s What have you thought of me a
e this time?" he demanded, with the ligf
t that never was on land nor sea shinin
in his eyes. Remembering our last ir
terview, surely my silence has SCENE
. to you base, dishonorable. incompre
J, hensible Oh, my darling!"