Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-02-21
CHAPTER XVI.

"Take her to your own house, Phil.
lips" said Cullen Sardis. hastily plac'
ing his inanimate burden In the arms
of his clerk. For Gods sake, let there
be no scandal! I will attend to the
An officer lifted Moll Dill from the
pavement. She was foaming at the
mouth and writhing in frightful con-
tortions. He exchanged few words
with Cullen Sardis; then a carriage
was called, and the woman conveyed
to the nearest hospital, where she was
placed in q private room and the best
medical attendance summoned to her
| aid, A servant took the bankers va
lise from the depot carriage and bore
It back to the hotel-Cullen Sardis
would not leave the city tonight. The
gaping crowd dispersed and went Its
way, with its curiosity for the most
part ungratified.
A little later, at the quiet hospital
whittier the outcast had been carried,
in the parlor of the sovereign surgeon
Of the place, who was an old college
| class mate and warm personal friend
Of the banker, Cullen Sardis, haggard
and uneasy, waited for tidings OF his
would-be murderess:
| A door opened at last, and the sur
geon himself appeared-a small, thin
man with a firm mouth and calmly
speculative eye.
"Spasms Of the heart" he said, In a
low voice that was vibrant with secret
sympathy.
The banker stood with downcast
eyes and a cold, rigid face that be-
trayed no agitation.
rs she likely to recover"
mo. Her constitution Is shattered
by excesses. 1t is doubtful II she lasts
| the night out"
cullen Sardis grasped his friends
arm convulsively.
rs she conscious?"
mo"
| IN Heavens name, bring her to her
senses for q few moments! 1t Is mat
ter of the greatest importance-she
has something to tell mel"
II will do what I can"
Yes, that wicked, wasted life was
drawing now to a sudden close. The
murderous hand had done its last work
The restless brain, maddened with long
years Of drink and ineffectual agonies
Of hate, remorse and despair, lay dor
mant under terrible weight.
| Swiftly the end was coming. Stretch
ed on her white bed, Moll Dill awaited
II, senseless as q log, and not far away
Cullen Sardis, the banker. whom an
indulgent fortune had lifted far, far
above such creatures Of the gutter
| Cullen Sardis, I say, walked the sur
geon's parlor in maze OF troubled
| thought, unable to quit the place, will
ing to barter half Of his earthly pos
sessions for speech with this miserable
dying outcast. Verify, his aristocratic
wife and peerless daughter would have
wondered greatly to see him then and
there.
It was almost morning when the sur
geon came to the door again and look
ed in at his friend.
"She is conscious. Come!" was all
that he said.
In utter silence Cullen Sardis fol-
lowed him to the bedside Of Moll Dill.
She was lying upon her pillow, her
hands moving in ghastly. uncertain
way over the counterpane, her black
eyes set in a fixed stare. The attendant
drew back from the bed as the banker
approached. She recognized him in
stantly. A wild gleam shot into her
cavernous eyes; with stified cry, she
sought to lift herself up. He bent over
her. A name which he had not spoken
for many years fell mechanically from
his ashy lips:
| "MarieI"
| She heard It; a shudder passed over
her wretched figure. The subdued
gleam of the night-lamp wavered along
the bed over the awful face Of the
place in a scene like this.
Then did not kill you!" she gasp
| ed, burying her long fingers convul-
sively in the counterpane.
| Was it regret at the failure OF her
murderous attempt, or relief only,
which sent a spasm over her death
stricken face?
where's Mercy?" Then with a
shrek she added: Did I kill her?"
| The banker could not answer, for
having been at the hospital all night,
he knew nothing Of the condition Of
the girl who had saved his life at the
risk, perhaps at the sacrifice, Of her
| own.
| Whom do you mean by Mercy?" he
said, scarcely able to control his
voice.
1.-The girl-the girl" whispered Moll
Dill.
ION your SOUL tell me the truth! Is
that the child who was once called
Mabel-the child that you stole nine
teen years ago?"
| She nodded.
"Yes-yes! Did I kill her, say?"
He drew back a step and passed his
hand across his eyes.
| II hope not-I trust not. Merciful
Heaven! what an unutterable curse
you have been, alike to yourself and
to mel" he groaned.
Moll Dill glared up at him with
something of her old ferocity; but her
strength was too far spent to give 1t
voice.
The girl-the girl" she whispered
again.
Sardis drew nearer to the bed.
| HStanin0 What do xUiC6
to say?"
Take care of her. Don't visit any
sins upon her head. You are rich-take
care Of her!"
II will" answered Cullen Sardis.
Moll Dill shrank suddenly into her
pillow, as If clutched in an invisible
grasp. The hands in the counterpane
grew rigid and still. If the banker had
further questions in mind. 1t was now
too late to give them voice.
"Tell-Mercy-to-
These words, spoken with great diff
ficulty, closed the drama Of a dark.
sad, perverted life. The surgeon and
attendant hurried to the bed. Moll Dill
heaved herself up once on the latters
sustaining arm. There was a groan,
then silence. With a face like ashes,
Cullen Sardis cast one look upon the
dead, and turned and rushed from the
room.
Half an hour later he left the hospi-
tal and, haggard from want of sleep
and the wear and tear Of many dark
thoughts, he set his face toward a re-
tired street in a highly respectable
though not fashionable, South End
quarter. A pure, sweet wind was
abroad; the dawn hung tremulous!y In
the primrose sky; the city-that part
of 1t at least-was still sleeping. God
have mercy on the dark soul which
had passed with the night!
Cullen Sardis mounted the steps OF
an unpretending house and rang the
bell It was the home Of Jacob Phil
lips, and that small, gray, perplexed
man appeared in person to admit his
. master.
rs she living?"
That was the bankers first question
, put in an agitated voice.
YES" answered Phillips.
; 'Is she much hurt?"
, Yes"
, AS the two stood face to face in the
wan morning, Phillips thought he ha6
| never seen his master look so weary
and worn and troubled.
"T u,ish to GOO her for a moment " he