Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-01-07

pug dog, came forward to meet her
visitors like brisk ocean breeze.
AT last!" she cried. II declare I
have grown quite tired Of waiting for
you. Cousin Cullen-you and I are
cousins, you know, two or three lines
removed. And this is your ward, Bea-
trix, the little western girl? Quite fresh,
quite charming, like q picture after
Greuze" She gave Bee kind kiss. Il
am delighted to take you in charge, Pc
tite. Welcome to Newport. We dine
In half an hour You will see no stran-
gers save one young friend Of mine
whom you will not mind in the least.
With my maids assistance. you have
just time to make your toilet"
Somewhat confused by her hostess's
rapid way Of talking, Bee took curl
Gus look at her.
| First Of all, Miss Vann was the de-
scendant Of an old Dutch governor;
next, she represented, in her tall, angu-
lar person, the respectable sum Of three
millions. She was sallow, passee, loud
in style, and bearded-at least, by this
term her enemies referred to the dark,
unbecoming line of down that marred
her upper lip She managed her wealth
with great shrewdness, and kept her
keen, black eyes wide open to the wiles
of the fortune-hunter. She lived with
her mother-her only near relative
and in spite of many eccentricities, held
an undisputed place in the creme de la
| creme Of New York society. She pa
tronized the fine arts, and dabbled in
them, too; she wore superb diamonds,
and her wines, her horses, her dinners
and her French cook were above praise.
Even at this first meeting, something
in her look, something in her warm.
kind manner, drew Bees heart instinc-
lively toward Charlotte Vann.
MY dear child" she said. with a
good natured laugh, your aunt Amelia
has written me minute instructions re-
garding you. 1 am to watch over you
closely. 1 am to keep you from all SUI
perfiuous acquaintances; I am to re-
mind you constantly Of the fact that
you are not yet out; I am to reform
your schoolgirl manners, your natural
brusquerie-oh, Heaven! don't look 80
dubious, child! In spite Of all these re-
strictions, think I can make life bear
able for you at Newport. Now go and
Dress"
A servant conducted Bee to her
chamber, whittier her trunks had al
ready been carried, and Miss Vanns
maid brushed from her garments the
dust of travel and prepared her for the
dinner table.
"Oh, how lovely!" thought the girl, as
betwixt the lace and muslin draperies
of her window, she caught glimpse Of
the darkening Narragansett and the
fleece white line of surf rolling up the
shelving shore. II shall be happy, /
know, with this great, glorious sea al
ways before my eyes. wonder-I do
wonder IL anything pleasant is waiting
for me here?" .... 49,
Thus far Bees life had not been par
ticularly joyous. Eighteen years before,
her father, Stephen Sardis, well-born,
dissipated spendthrift, had fed to the
west, after some disgraceful transac-
tions at home, and there married the
sole heiress of rich pork dealer. 1t
was the wealth Of this maternal grand
father which Bee had inherited. She
was an orphan. Her worthless father
had died in her infancy; her mother on
her eighth birthday, leaving the girl
and her fortune to the care Of her pa
ternal uncle, Sardis, the banker.
Ever since her mothers death Bee
had been at school, passing only her
vacations with her fathers relatives,
and cultivating the tie Of kindred and
affection with only one Of their number
Ethel.
With such a barren record as this, 1t
was not strange that Bee should long
for something pleasant in the new life
opening now before her.
She flung one half dissatisfied look at
her fair, young face in the mirror, and
| then descended to the drawing-room.
Her guardian and Miss Vann were
awaiting her there, but not alone. Two
other persons had joined them. One
was Madame Vann, a fat, over dressed
old woman, with gray hair elaborately
arranged, and a heavy face bleached
with pearl powder and spotted with
black moles that looked like little Is
lands rising in a sea. She was chatting
with the banker, in a thin, falsetto
voice, rapping his arm with her FAM
struggling her shoulders and lifting her
eyebrows with q frivolous air more
suitable for seventeen than seventy.
Society, when speaking of Madame
vann, always smiled expressively. Sne
was, like her daughter. eccentric; but
many, many things are pardonable In
| people of blue blood and great possess
sions.
AS Bee entered, this lady, so ancient
and yet so youthful, deigned her just
one glance and piped: "Very fresh and
simple, I'm sure" and then returned to
her conversation with Mr.. Sardis.
The second stranger in the room was
a man leaning, carelessly against the
dark, yellow-veined mantel and teasing
Miss Vann's ugly pug dog. He was as
handsome as a Greek god, young. not
pass five-and-twenty. with soft,
southern darkness of tint and unfath-
omable eyes of half dreamy, half mei>
ancholy splendor-a Raphael face. fit
to turn the heads and destroy the peace
of nine women out Of every ten on
ancholy splendor. A Raphael face. MT
to turn the heads and destroy the peace
of nine women out Of every ten on
whom it's dangerous charm might fall.
How does the marriage Of Hector
and Andromache progress?" was the
rather startling question which Bee
heard him ask of Miss Vann.
; "Indifferently," she answered; you
really must instruct me about the ar
Il l-.--o,ooot of Apdroroo cha'S headdreSS