Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-10-05
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CHAPTER xxx.
Dust and Ashes.

smoke Of forest fires far to the east
ward, was rising over the Wahaska
hills when Griswold unlatched the gate
of the Farnham inclosure and passed
quickly up the walk.
Since the summoning note had
stressed the urgencies, he was not sur
prised to find the writer OF 1t await
ing his coming on the vine-shadowed
porch. In his welcoming there was
curious mingling Of constraint and i'm
patience, and he was moved to marvel.
Miss Farnham's outlook upon life, the
point Of view Of the ideally well bal
lanced, was uniformly poiseful and
self contained, and he was wondering
IL some fresh ENHANCEMENT were
threatening when she motioned him to
a seat and placed her own chair so
that the light from the sitting room
windows would leave her in the
shadow.
You had my note?" she began.
Yes 1t came while / was away
from the hotel, and the regular trip
Oh tn6 lIlIl DIdhc WdS thS hiSs SoANSS
ance 1 could catch. Am late?'
Her reply was qualified. That re-
mains to be seen."
There was a hesitant pause, and
then she went on: do you know why
/ sent for you to Gomez"
mo, not definitely"
'I was hoping you would know; 1t
would make it easier for me. You owe
me something, Mr.. Griswold.'
II owe you a great DEAL" he admit
ted, warmly. 1T is hardly putting 1t
too strongly to say that you have made
some part Of my work possible which
would otherwise have been impos-
sible.'
II didn't mean that" she dissented,
with a touch Of cold scorn. Il have no
especial ambition to figure as char
acter, however admirable, in a book.
Your obligation doesn't lie in the lit
erary field; it is real-and personal.
You have done me a great injustice,
and it seems to have been carefully
premeditated."
The blow was so sudden and so
calmly driven home that Griswold
gasped.
AN injustice-to you?" he protest
ed: but she would not let him go on.
Yes. At first I thought it was
only a coincidence-your coming to
Wahaska-but now know better.
You came here, in goodness knows
what spirit Of reckless bravado, be-
cause it was my home; and you made
the decision apparently without any
consideration for me; without any
thought Of the embarrassments and
difficulties in which it might involve
me-"
Truly, the heavens had fallen and
the solid earth was reeling! Griswold
lay back in the deep lounging chair
and fought manfully to retain some
little hold upon the anchorings. Could
this be his ideal; the woman whom
he had set so high above all others in
the scale Of heroic faultlessness and
sublime devotion to principle? And
she was so much a slave Of the con-
ventional as to be able to tell him
coldly that she had recognized him
again, and that her chief concern was
the embarrassment it was causing her?
Before he could gather the words for
any adequate rejoinder, she was going
on pointedly:
You have done everything you
plete. You have made friends Of my
friends, and you came here as friend
of my father. You have drawn Ed
ward Raymer into the ENHANCEMENT
and helped him with the stolen money.
In every way you have sought to make
it more and more impossible for me to
give information against you-and you
have succeeded. I can't do it now,
without facing a scandal that would
never die in a small place like this,
and without bringing trouble and ruin
upon a family Of our nearest friends.
And that is why I sent for you today;
and why 1 say you owe me some
thing"
Griswold was sitting up again, and
he had recovered some small measure
of self-possession.
II certainly owe you many apologies,
at least" he said, ironically. Il have
really been doing you a great injus-
tice, Miss Farnham-a very grave in
justice, though not exactly Of the kind
you mention. 1 think have been mis-
apprehending you from the beginning.
How long have you known me as the
man who is wanted in New Orleans?'
"A long time; though 1 tried not to
believe 1t at first. 1t seemed incred-
ible that the man had spoken to on
the Belle Julie would come here and
put me in such a false position"
Good heavens!" he broke out; 'is
your position all you have been think
ing Of? Is that the only reason why
you haven't set the dogs on me?"
1T is the chief reason why cou dnt
afford to do anything more thai I
have done. Goodness knows, 1 have
tried in every way to warn you, even
to pointing out the man who is shad-
owing you. To do 1t, L have had to de-
ceive my father. l have been hoping
that you would understand and go
away"
Wait a minute" he commanded.
Let me get it straight! you still be-
lieve that the thing did was a GRIM
inal thing?"
I'VE needn't go into that part of it
again." she returned, with sort Of
placid impatience. "Once 1 thought
that there might be some way in which
you had justified yourself to yourself,
but now"
That isn't the point" he interrupted
roughly What I want to know is
this: Do you still believe it is a crime?'
"Of course. it is a crime; l know It,
you know it. all the world knows it,
Again he sat back and took time 10
gather up a few Of the scattered
shreads and fragments When he spoke