Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-02-11
Discordo stepped lightly before her.

er, see. Not this day, nor for many
| day to come, will you leave your pres
ent retirement. Ze house Is old, but
has strong locks and bars; and you
two old friends, Joseph, ze grinder o
organs, and his excellent wife. vii
watch you like bulldogs, for haf mad
it their interest to do So and they vii
do anything for money. Now listen
had two good reasons for snatchin
you from Mr.. Black. One was, to pre-
vent him from making you his wife
and ze other was to give you chanc
to reconsider ze answer you made t
my suit when I asked you to love me
Do you remember? You haf treated m
badly, my beautiful-you haf scorne
me without pity, and now haf you Il
my own hands, and, my faith! I shal
hold you till you grow kind. In thi
place you are cut of from ze world
| Here you shall stay till you haf takel
back all your scornful words-till yo,
love Discordo even as he loves you"
Her eyes blazed with righteous wrath
She confronted him with a face lik,
ashes, and her slim hands clenched in
voluntarily at her side.
How will you keep me?"
by force, my fair one, since IT.
plain Eat can do It in no other way"
"And do you think my friends vii
not miss me? Do you think they will
will leave me in your power?"
Discordo, leaning back against the
door, elegant, unruff1ed, caressed his
waxed mustache with one careless
hand.
"Ah, petite how little you know OF
the rules of strategy! have left nc
traces behind me THAT can be followed
II any person in Seedy Court saw you
enter my carriage, they will swear you
did 1t of your own will, which Is quit
true. Eat will be so much evidence
against you, my own. Then, too, have
a plan by which can soon check your
lovers inquiries. He knows Eat adore
you, Mees Affry knows 1t, for told heI
sieur Black will receive a letter from
you, dated at New York. in which you
will inform him Eat you haf fed with
meat you are my loving and beloved
wife; Eat he need look for you no long
er, as you are on the eve of sailing fol
my own Italy. This letter have just
sent to trusty friend In New York
with instructions for him to mail II
again to Mr.. Black at Seedy Court Ia
tai"
The white face Of the girl kept its
brave look. She was what Signor Dis
cordo called game.
wal will never believe it," she said
simply.
win he not?" replied Discordo with
cruel lesr. Alas! my innocent,
think he will. He Is by nature as jeal-
GUS as Turk. He will search the city
over for you, and find you not; he will
remember Eat loved you ardently, and
falo
ze old aunt she will say, What better
could you expect Of Moll Dill's daugh-
ter?" Bah! Both will take my letter
for gospel truth. You will see."
A great pang Of fear and foreboding
pricked through Mercy's sinking heart
Oh, God! II 1t should be even as ne
said!
You have kidnapped mel" she cried
with white lips; you threaten to keep
me here against my will. I am poor
and ignorant, but know that such
things are crimes; there are laws In
the land to protect the weak and friend
less, as we'll as the rich and strong"
"True-too true" answered Discordo
mockingly; but ze law will know nc
more about you than will your lover
Mr.. Black-I shall take good care OF
Eat. It's an easy matter to keep you In
the house for weeks and months and
years, and no living being will be re
WISER" it r'si
"IIave We come SO far, then 2"-a- said
Mercy. 1T is not dark yet; we cannot
be many miles from Boston-surely not
beyond the reach Of human help. have
a voice and will use 1t. Men and wo.
men are everywhere. Some one VIII
pass this way, hear me, and hasten to
my assistance"
Discordo laughed.
mo person ever willingly comes neal
this house, my beautiful! Twenty years
ago ze owner of 1t, an old farmer, was
murdered in this room, on Eat bed there
in ze corner, and his money carried
away by ze murderers, and now his
ghost comes back and haunts ze place
and none can live here, and every one
thinks 1t accursed, and fees from 1t as
from. purgatory. So your chance OF
making yourself heard is but small. II
you grow too noisy, Joseph and his
wife will gag you. Take my advice, and
do nothing violent. It haf cost me
much trouble and money to get yog
you fast. This chamber is your prison
Here you will haf plenty Of time tc
think upon your own hard-heartedness
and by re time three months are over
zat fine spirit Of yours-zat high, brave
spirit will be well tanned"
His voice and look were full Of dark
menace; but II he had expected tears
or cries or supplications from his cap.
tive. he was disappointed. Mercy con-
fronted him with an almost superhu-
man courage In her face, although al
that very moment she was thinking OF
Val Black returning to seedy Court
through the twilight, to find her gone
gone on her marriage eve, and HG
which she had falIen-of the cruel foe
who was holding her from him at this
hour Of hours.
you are not a man." she said; "bu,
a devili"
| Discordo smiled.
True, petite; therefore be wise, ant
| do not provoke me. ] once killed wo.
man, as young and almost as beautiful
as you-killed her with no more com.
Function than I would feel in crushing
a little gnat, and she never did me any
harm, either. Now do you understand
ze man with whom you haf to deal?"
He advanced toward her. She waved
him back with a gesture Of unspeak
able aversion.
II understand you," said Mercy Dill
Il loathe and abhor you, but I am no
afraid of you!"
You are not afraid OF me who cal
grind you to powder If he will?" hisset
Discordo.
| God is between US. He will take car
Of me-" replied Mercy.
A wrathful gleam shot into the man.
black eyes.
Twill God take care Of you?" HI
scoffed. "Ah, my beautiful, Eat re-
mains to be seem"
| He seized her roughly in his arms. Al
he did so loud rap echoed on th'
door of the chamber.
| "MasterI" called the voice Of Joseph
"the carriage Is waiting, and the driv
er swearing flt to raise the roof b
lively, or he'll make off and leave you.
Discordo started back, and released
Mercy.
II must CO." he muttered, II ha
business in another quarter Eat will no
let me stay. I haf secured you, m!
lily, but, alas! I cannot stop to wo'
you now. Look out for my return
however at an early day. Rest assur
ed zat will make my visits here a.
frequent as possible. Let me kiss you
leetle hand. You will not? Unfortu
nately, haf no time to urge Ze mat
ter; but when l come again, take goot
care Eat l find you in a more amiabl
mood"