Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-15
CHAPTER v
Her Glimpse of Life.

Her Glimpse of Life.
She went with her lover obediently-
penitent, curiously so, and as Harlan
looked down at her smoothing her sim
pie gown, going with him along the
moonlit street to any adventure, to any
end he wished, his heart smote him fol
his roughness. He had not spoken to
her for some time, and the matter
frightened her-it was something ter
rible from which he was trying to
shield her; but he was angry, very
angry, merely because she was pref
ty! Mon Dieu, was that 1t?
81 never gave any one my picture!
she burst out, at length. Il never knew
anything about it,"
81 know" he muttered. That's the
hateful thing about Wiley! He ought
to know better"
"Eh, must be very good-looking?
she glanced up at him with her quick
gaiety. when they want my picture
and to print things about me. And
give me a prize, Harlan!"
"Aurelie," he muttered sternly. This
is simply horrible! To be advertised
to be exploited-to have all sorts OF
slush written about you In the Sunday
papers!" -..rf
She was puzzled. trying to under
stand his view point. 1t seemed that
the brilliant world had beckoned> to
her, found her In her dolorous corner,
her defeated and stormy little life
and he who loved her best was angry
at it all!
"Oh, little grill" he whispered, lust
an hour ago I thought was going to
claim you-have you all my own, and
defy the whole world for you! Just
mine, Aurelie-and what we would do
would be big and brave. If mother
wouldn't have it, I'd run away with
you! I'd go to work at anything, give
up my law and chance with the firm
rything-for you!"
Yes! And felt like dancing, per-
fectly happy! And proud-oh, so proud
of you! But what's the matter? I'll
be famous, the editor said-and maybe
rich-and go to Chicago . and
have pieces in the paper! Oh, boy, is
that so terrible? Just because I'm
pretty" She looked at him with min
gled humility and rebellion. You
ought to be glad!"
His grave eyes were ruthless with
some new command. He took her
shoulders and held her so that she
could not evade him. She stared up
at him, then relaxed from her tense
ness, laughing. "Oh, we'll, then, Har-
Ian, just kept on in school this year
to please you'll only try anything be-
cause you want me to. And now you'd
think I'd committed some crime-and
I've done nothing except be pretty!
All. Name Of God! Sometimes / wish
I was a Cajun girl again, back on Ba-
you Perot, where We lived in a grass
house one time. l can remember!
wish we'd never come up here among
these cold Yankees!" She clasped him
passionately. But then 1 love one,
You don't know what that means, dear
to me! Down in the bayou country
we're women at sixteen-we marry
because we love-oh, just as / love
you-without thinking, or reason, OF
virtue!'
"I know" he whispered. you've
told me ALL"
"I saw a man killed once, down-river
A woman stabbed him and he fell on
the deck right where 1 was playing.
don't know why, eh?" She looked at
him with her alert challenge-"But
can guess! She loved him! Why, even
when l was a child didn't blame her
Harlan, suppose I'm a savage now
amt I-going to school with all those
nice girls in white dresses!"
"Aurelie," he answered slowly, I'm
going away tomorrow to school. And
l was going to take you to mother, to-
night. Tell her everything-ask her to
protect you, help you-make Of you
the sort of woman you can be If you
had a chance. / thought you'd be
waiting for me-and trying, always!"
Her eyes were quick with tears. Be-
meath her laughter they were never
far away.
'I wanted you to know my mother
he went on patiently. But I wanted
you to be yourself always. too. Good
and fne-the best in your gay little
self, because it's all there! And now
this ghastly thing of Wiley's-the fu-
ror and publicity of it. Why. my moth
er-she couldn't stand it,"
She watched him long; her fingers
plucked slowly at a tattered leaf upon
his shoulder We'll, them" she NUT
tered humbly, Il won't. I'll give it al
up-the prize and everything-if you
ask me to-"
Its too late for that"
No, 1t isn't won't have a thing
to do with 'em! My picture in the pa
per-or anything!"
He smiled at her simplicity. "Oh
Aurelie, I wish they'd never have dis
covered you!"
From the path they were descending
she watched a distant patch Of watel
touched by a mist of light. Beyond II
was the east, the radiant land; ovel
the silent hills of the river was some