The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-07-30

savage struggle, but the ulan seemed par
allied with surprise and terror. held him
in the firm grasp of desperation.
"Villain, scouudre! demon!" said |, tight
ening my fingers upon his throat, until his
breathing changed into short spasmodic
hiss, 81 have you now! Either release me
this moment, without one seconds delay,
or, by the Eternal, / shall s,rangle you on
the spot" 'Let me go!" he replied, "you
are killing me-only let me 60, and you
are free"
l bounded to my feet, still retaining
strong, though less painful grasp upon my
Jailor, threatening TO brain him without the
slightest ado, if he ventured TO escape.
"Now, sir release map The wretch
took small iron key from the pocket Of
his wastcoat, and unlocked the manacles
with which had been confined.
So soon rs | felt myself at liberty,
seized my companion more fercely than be-
fore, and, although he was person of pow
erful frame, dragged him bodily up from
the wine-vault, rs | afterwards discovered
my place of durance to be, and confronting
him in the ,:ouest daylight which flashed
cheerily upon me, sternly demanded an ex-
planation of the treatment to which I had
been subjected. The mans answer was
strange enough.
"ls that your propertyi" he inquired, pull
ling cambria handkerchief from his bosom,
and extending it towards me.
at is my property" | replied.
"And the initials-the niiialsl what do
they signifyi Your name, sir, for Gods
sake your namel'
"My name is La Roche-Augustus Ed
ward La Roche!"
The effect Of this announcement seemed
to Inc miraculous. The tall. athletic man,
to whom had made so natural commu.
nicatioh, started back with an indescribable
gesture of fear aud loathing, and uttering
one sharp shrek Of anguish, fell at my feet,
rigid-inanimate-d
The explanation of this mysterious mar.
rative, which, let me assure the reader, is
not fiction, for have it in my power to
demonstrate the truth of every word of it,
was revealed to ma some days subsequent
to the singular catastrophe which have re-
corded. The explanation is briefly as fol.
lows:
Many years before the date Of my story,
a gentleman Of French extraction owned
the gloomy old mansion in which | acci
dentally sought shelter on the tempestuous
March evening of l75-. The propretors
father was certain Monsieur Auguste La
Roche, who had left his country upon the
revocation of the edIct Of Nantes.
Burning with sense . tho tyranny
from which he had escaped, NJ La Roche,
with reckless desire to leave the despo.
tisms of convention, aud $50 called) legii-
mate monarchy far behind him, penetrated
into the back woods, and with the remains
Of regal fortune, settled moodily down
amid the solitude Of remote an,l savage
wilderness. His family consisted of twin
children, both Of them boys, and the infant
daughter of a dear friend, who had perish
ed IN the civil wars of that unhappy pc.
rod
Madame La Roche had died some months
before her husbands departure from France
The young La Roches' grew up, tall, vigo-
rous, and manly, we'll skilled in woodcraft,
and with considerable general information
derived from their father who, himself, .
scholar, faithfully grounded them in the
"humaniues," and whatever else was then
consldred necessary 10 the education of a
gentleman.
Emily Montaign, the old mans ward
matured, as the years passed, into maiden
OF exquisite beauty. Louis and his brother
Augustus Edward La Roche both very natu.
rally fell in love with her. In the course
OF time what had been n mere boyish fancy
assumed the most passionate strength and
earnestness. The brothers became deadly
rivals, aud the hatred which grew up be-
tween them, II was terrible to witness. As
for the fair Emily, she could not conceal her
preference for Augustus, and that the girls
love was sincere will at once be conceded
when l mention that Louis, being by few
hours the senior, was looked upon as the
heir OF his fathers estate. Upon the death
of his parent which occurred about the Pc
nod to which now refer, Louis formally
offered his hand to Emily Montaign, and
was respectfully, but firmly, refused. He
extoried from her q naughty confession OF
her attachment TO Augustus, whose cham
Der he instantly sought, subjecting him to
an unheard Of indignity.
" ere you nlly times my brother, ex'
claimed the insulted party, snatching his
rapler from the wall, you should answer
for this!-Come with me, sir, if you be a
man" And Augustus rushed out of the
house like a maniac. Louis followed him
more calmly, but with deadly purpose in
his soul. They met in an adjacent garden
and a ferocious conflict took place. 1T
length, Augustus fell, pierced through the
body, and apparently quite dead. HOrri
fed by the crime he lad committed, the
survivor fled from the scene. lie abandon,
cd his home for months, and when with
partially disordered reason, he ventured tc
return, it was only to find that Emily had
disappeared, aud that his "houss was left
unto him desolate"
Led on by resistless fascination he
sought tho garden in which the fatal con
flict had occurred, and there the tender
al. i L..