Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-01-21

neither Of US can afford any. Bid fare
well to the Aid Society tomorrow. and
tell them to engage another seamstress
I-you are done with the needle. If
there Is any reason why you should
look SO sad at the prospect, darling.
name It."
Her lip trembled as she glanced from
Val to Aunt Affry.
my mother-you have both forgot
ten her." she said.
mot at ALL" answered Val, firmly;
I'VE have thought Of her and talked OF
her. You shall do with your mother as
you like Mercy, only she must not tor
ment you in the future as she has done
In the past-Tl not consent to that,
but swear to provide for her always
j Will not this satisfy your"
i You are too kind-too good" mur-
INJURED Mercy, "but I will not burden
you with my mother; it is too much.
Say no more"
But Val had good deal more to
say, and the matter could end only in
one way. With a sigh Of resignat ton
the girl slipped her hand, at last, into
her lovers.
II Will do as you wish," she said;
but II you ever regret your choice,
Val, I shall die"
Small fear Of that" cried Val, his
rugged, commonplace face glowing
with great fervor. II will keep you
tenderly-I will love you always-so
help me God! One week from this
night, then, you will be my wife?"
YES" answered Mercy Dill.
There In that twilight room the three
sat for long time and talked Of the
future and laid their humble plans, and
Miss Affry was the only one of the trio
who, in so doing, remembered the old
proverb, Man proposes, but God dis
poses." In all that she said there was
secret reservation-one thought per-
sistently thrust itself before all her
schemes for the future-"Somethi
may happen to Val and I-something
Is likely to happen at any hour" l.,
she spoke not word Of this to either
Of her companions And so the even
ing passed.
Il am the happiest fellow in the
wide world" murmured Val, as he
took leave of Mercy at the foot Of the
dirty stair.
And you are sure you will never re-
pent?" she said, with sad smile.
/ More than sure"
| How strange that any one should
think for me, plan for me, care for me!
It Is almost too good to be true"
/ 4 lS CTleQ val, DeCOIllIS very
demonstrative. Precious darling!"
rose, and fled up to her own little
| chamber.
| In a week she would be Val's wife.
| The words went singing through her
brain as she lighted her oil lamp and
folded up the last Of her sewing. Was
the cruel drudgery of her life indeed
over? Was there nothing before her
now but peace and happiness with Val
and Miss Affry? Stop! she had for
gotten her mother-what was to be
done with her? Val had left this ques-
tion with his betrothed to decide, and
a very knotty and perplexing one 1t
was likely to be-
/ Ten o'clock struck. Tormented with
many thoughts, shivering with impa-
tience, Mercy waited for Moll DilIs
step on the stair. It did not come.
She heard Miss Affry and her
nephew go away to bed; then she went
to her closet and took down an old
waterproof cloak, hood belonging to
Moll Dill, and a thick VEIL
/ Muf1ed in these, with all her riotous,
| golden hair tucked away under the
hood, and the veil tied closely over her
face, Mercy descended to the hall Of
No. 10, noiselessly opened the door
Il T.,
hot, dark night.
She knew Moll Dilps haunts. Shrink
ing from her duty, yet determined to
do 1t, she scurried away from Seedy
Court in search of her miserable moth
| er. ...
| The gaslights winked in the sultry
| darkness. Overhead the ever-watchful
stars looked silently down on the
hushed city. Now and then the steps
Of a policeman rang along the pave
ment, or the rumbling Of a distant. car
riaga broke the silence; but that was
all.
| Crossing streets, gliding round cor
ners, so swiftly that her muffied shape
was gone before any fellow-pedestria
could turn to look after 1t, Mercy ap-
preached a wretched drinking place in
a dirty, ill-lighted alley. Some men
ors, rough-voiced, uncertain Of gait.
Mercy fattened her 1.-THE body close to
the wall as they passed-her thick
breath almost choking her, fear and
shame tugging wildly at her heart.
Happily, they did not give her so much
as a look, but reeled on and vanished
at the first corner, Mercy gathered her
self up, flung back The dram shop door
and entered.
Two persons occupied the place,
both women. One, haggish, tousled
object, was rinsing tumblers behind
the bar, with ragged sleeves stripped
up to her red elbows. and untidy hair
loose about her eyes. The other stood
at the pine counter, in the very act Of
raising a glass Of liquor to her parch-
ed lips-a mournful wreck Of woman
hood, dark, wicked incorrigible-
Dill.
Strange that Mercy should have
been struck at that moment, as never
before, by the superior air which this
creature preserved amid all her sin and
misery-by the traces Of past beauty
on her haggard, clear-cut face, as the
kerosene lamps Of the bar flashed full
upon it. That look, that air, Moll would
take with her to her grave. She was
like some potter's vessel which, though
degraded to foul uses, still retained
something of its rare, original work.
manship.
At the opening Of the door both wo-
men turned, and the bartender, who
was talking shrilly to her customer,
grew suddenly dumb. Mercy burst
upon the two like an apparition. She
was as pale as death. The veil had
fallen from her face the hood from her
golden hair. Her great eyes flashed
unspeakable indignation and anathe-
ma upon the place. She swept straight
up to Moll Dill and dashed the glass of
liquor from her hand.
Come. home!" she cried, sternly and
peremptorily.
Moll stared as II petrifed. 1t was
the first time. her child had ever as
sumed this mien toward her, and its
effect was wonderful. Without word
or sound, she turned from the bar,
from the gaping woman behind 1t, and
with a cowed and guilty air, followed
Mercy out Of the place.
Come home!" said the latter for the
second time.
Lead the way" said Moll, sullenly:
Unmolested, unobserved, the pair
fitted back to Seedy Court. Mercy
fitted key in the door Of No. 10 and
crept silently up the stair, followed by
her docile and quite as noiseless COM
panion. How angry Val would be II
he knew what she had done! Fortu-
nately, he was fast asleep.
Having safely reached the back
chamber, the girl threw off hood and
water proof and confronted her moth
er.