Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-08-27
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Bridqe of Jehennam.

in his dressing case mirror before go
ing to keep his evening appointment
at the doctors downtown office. 1t
was comfortably reassuring. So far as
he could determine. there was little
in the clean-shaven, square shoulder
ed, correctly garmented young fellow
who faced him in the mirror to sug-
gest either the bearded outcast Of
New Orleans or the unkempt and toll
.,dden roustabout Of the Belle Julie.
If only she had not made him speak to
her. He had a sharp conviction that
the greatest Of all the hazards lay in
the chance that she might remember
his voice.
He found the CHEEKY little doctor
waiting for him when he had walked
the few squares to the Main street Of
flee.
"I was beginning to be afraid you
were going to be fashionably late"
said the potential host; and then, with
humorous glance for the correct gar
menting: "Regalia, heh? Hasn't Miss
Grierson told you that Wahaska is still
hopelessly unable to live up to the
dress coat and standing collar? I'm
sure she must have. But never mind;
climb into the buggy and We'll let old
Bucephalus take us around to see II
the neighbors have brought in any
thing good to eat"
The drive was a short one. Broffin
was once more shadowing the house
in which, first or last, he expected to
teur MacHeath; and when
the buggy was halted at the carriage
step he was near enough to mark and
recognize the doctors companion.
'Not this time," he muttered sourly,
when the two had passed together up
fitting his latchkey to the front door.
Its only the sick man that writes
books. I wonder what sort Of book
he thinks he's going to write in this
inforgotten, turkey-trodden, come
along village of the Reuben yaps?"
Griswold, waiting on the porch while
Doctor Farnham fitted his key, had a
nerve-tingling shiver Of apprehension
when the latch yielded with click
and he found himself under the hall
lantern formally shaking hands with
the statuesque young woman of the
many imaginings.
"You are very welcome to Home
Nook, Mr.. Griswold; we have been
%,
she was saying when he had relin-
quished the firm hand and was hang
ing his coat and hat on the hall rack.
And then, with a half-embarrassed
laugh: "I am afraid we are dreadful
gossips; all Wahaska has been talk
ing about you, you know, and wonder
ing how it came to acquire YOU"
1T hasn't acquired anything very
valuable" was the guests modest dis
claimer, it's readiness arising out Of
grateful easing Of strains now that the
actual face-to-face ordeal had safely
passed it's Introductory stage. "And
you mustn't say a word against your
charming little city. Miss Farnham,"
he went on. "It is the friendliest, most
hospitable-"
The doctors daughter was interrupt
ing with an enthusiastic show of ap-
plause.
"Come out to dinner, both of you,"
she urged; and then to Griswold: Il
want you to say all those nice things
to Aunt Fanny"
In the progress to the cozy, home
like dining-room Griswold found the
contrast between the Farnham home
and the ornate mansion three streets
away on the lake front strikingly ap-
parent: as cleanly marked as that be-
tween Margery Grierson and the
sweetly serene and convcntial young
person who was introducing him to
her aunt across the small oval dining
table.
So far. all was going we'll. But a
little later. in the midst of a half-ut-
tered direction to the serving maid,
Miss Farnham stopped abruptly, and
Griswold could feel her gaze, wide
eyed and half-terrified, seemingly fix
ed upon him.
1t was all over in the turning of a
leaf, there had been no break in the
doctors genial raillery. and the
breathless little pause at the other end
of the table was only momentary.
When the dinner was over the doctor,
in the act of filling two long-stemmed
pipes for his guest and himself, was
called away professionally. Miss Gill
man, least obstrusive of chaperons,
had been peacefully mapping for a
good half-hour in her low rocker un-
der the reading lamp, and the pictures
in a thick quarto of Gulf Coast views
had pleasantly filled the interval for
the two who were awake, when Girls
wold finally assured himself that the
danger of recognition was danger
past. AS a mental analysis he knew
that the opening of each fresh door in
the house of present familiarity was
automatically closing other doors
opening upon the past; and it came to
him with little flush of the seer's eX-
OIlCt again
ings were finding their exact fulfill
ment. In spirit of artistic daring he
yielded to a sudden impulse. as one
crossing the fiimsiest of bridges may
run and leap to prove that his theory
of safety stresses is a sufficient guar
anty of his own immunity.
You were speaking of first impress
sions of places" he said, while they
were still turning the leaves Of the
picture book. Are you a believer in
the absolute correctness of first i'm
pressions?"
"I don't know" was the thoughtful
reply: but its afterword was more def
mite "As to places, I'm not sure that
the first impressions always persist;
in a few instances I am quite certain
it hasn't. I didn't like the Gulf coast
at all. at first: it seemed so foreign
and different and unhomelrH. AS to