Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-11
CHAPTER w
In the Way of Lovers.


In the Way Of Lovers.
Presently they went along the back
ward path, on one side the stubble and
oak groves silvered by the moon, and
on the other the abysmal valley beyond
yond the sumacs on the cliffs's edge His
arm was about her, and at times she
stopped to look up into his grave face,
to brush back the curls from his tenn
pies and tell her story. She moved him
with this trust; all their secret nights
together this amazing summer she had
been a thing of wild woods lightness,
grace and gaiety, a defying little Gin
derella, proud Of her beauty, eccentric
in her dress and posing. He had not
stopped to think where 1t would all
end. His cool blood of the east had
never reckoned on such passion as had
summer long, famed in her; he could
not guess that she was thanking God
for his strength which held her pure
ly. even while the call Of youth TO
youth was in her eyes. Summer night
and young night have no morality, and
either lust or virtue is an easy thing,
costing nothing of the price the years
bring. !
81 wondered" she whispered, IF
you'd come tonight! After the trial and
your father sent Papa John to jail
hate him! 1 wanted to hate you'll" she
shivered in the moonlight; then kissed
him. "In never come again and meet
you here-oh, boy, won't go on loving
you!" She stood with closed eyes, the
black hair falling straight from Its
parting down over her ears giving her
face the fixity of penitent. But In
her hair she had put, as always q fiow-
er. He drew her to him and kissed the
blossom, and she struggled murmur-
ing: It's not right-you know how
weak am and then, to-
morrow-next day-youll go leave
mel"
Wild bird" he whispered, with his
grave smile. while it's tonight, let's
not think of that!" And at her quick
surrender in his arms, the curious re-
morseful rapture that had stung him
all this summer of his vacation, meet
ing her here alone, came to him. BY
days he thought of it with cool reas-
sertion of his blood and tradition-he
really could not love her, he reasoned;
vet by night he met her there and
laughing, gave up to 1t and to her. He
tried to tell himself that it was all q
summer trysting, that she would for
get with the cooling days and he away
But she had seemed stupefied by this
miracle of loving him, the complete
ness of yielding. Her days she went
about in a dream, lying blithely for his
sake, protecting his name, living onl.
for the hour she could steal to the hills
and await him.
It's monstrous," she cried, putting
him in Jail! What did the lawyers say
we'd win for? It's bad enough to be
crippled, but to lose and be imprison.
ed. It's just devilish-your father and
everything!"
He muttered some patient phrase o
his culture and understanding.
Dear heart, it's rough. But yol
wouldn't understand. His own negli'
gence was part Of the accident-that':
how tha law holds it. And the law, my
dear-the judge interprets that as III
finds it,
What did Lafe Mason say we'd viii
for?"
He smiled at the outrage in her tone
Its way they have. Maybe Masol
thought he could win"
Nobody could win against Tame
in COURT"
"Aurelie?" He shook her sternly. 1
she had damned his paternity 1t woul'
not have hurt more. MY father is tn
Judge, you must remember"
And he sent Papa John to jail-fo
nothing. For swearing? Why, I ca
swear, tool"
He smiled his patience. "Lindstror
committed the worst Of contempt"
Contempt, Who cares for that
Suppose you had lost-suppose tn
case meant everything to you? You
family at home, waiting-hungry, Har
Ian? Really hungry, and you saw yo
were crippled and cheated and don
for? There's times when Knute and
have gone to school with no breakfas
and for lunch we dug wet butternut
from under the leaves. And I'd go
school with a flower in my hair an
laugh and nobody'd know! Just prou
i wouldn't even tell you!"
"Aurelie-not hungry" There wa
horror in his tone. Not to have enoug
to eat-to his class and breeding-wa
disreputable.
She smiled up through her tear
Mon Dieu, yes-but what Of that
Many times we've been hungry"
He was more shocked than she coul
guess. Hunger was a luxurious sat
of mind incident to picnics and atf
letics. One never really met peop
hungry from having nothing to ca
And to dig nuts and eat them and the
come into town, proud-oh, so Ver
proud-with a flower in ones hal
marching into the recitation room
high school without deigning to spea
to any one! He thought back 20 tn
time he was a senior, and Aurelie ha
been-a gypsy child with short dress'
and long legs-he wandered what
amazing change had come to her in IL
four years. He had forgotten her unit
this lazy summer when, fishing alor
Sinsinawa, he had come upon III
gravely watching his threshing OF