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

savage Struggle, but the ,nian seemed par
allied with surprise and terror. held him
in the firm grasp of desperation.
"Villain, scoundrel! demonm said /. tight
ening my fingers upon his throat, until his
breathing changed into short spasmodic
hiss, II have you nowl Either release me
this moment, without one seconds delay,
or, by the Eternal, i shall siranglo you on
the spo.p "Let me- gop he replied, "you
are free!"
i bounded to my feet, still retaining n
strong, though less painful grasp upon my
jailor, threatening to brain him without the
slightes! ado, If he ventured TO escape.
"Now, sir! release me!' The wretch
took small iron key from the pocket of
his waistcoat, and unlocked the manacles
with which had been confined.
So soon as | felt myself at liberty,
seized my companion more fierceIy than be-
fore, and, although be was person of pow
erful frame, dragged him bodily up from
the wine-vault, as / afterwards discovered
my place of durance to be, aud confronting
him in the honest daylight which flashed
cheerily upon me, sternly demanded an ex-
PLANTATION of the treatment to which had
been subjected. The mans answer was
strange enough.
"Is that your property" he inquired, pull
ling cambria handkerchief from his bosom,
aud extending it towards me.
at is my property" | replied.
"And the initials-the initials! what do
they siguifyl Your name, sir, for Gods
sake your name!"
"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 e commu.
nicatioh, started back with an indescribable
gesture Of fear and loathing, and uttering
one sharp shrek of anguish, fell at my feet,
gid-inanimate-dead.
The explanation of this mysterious mar
rative, which, let me assure the reader, is
not a 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 rs fol-
lows:
Many years before the date OF my story,
a gentleman Of French extraction owned
the gloomy old mansion in which aec
dentally sought shelter on the tempestuous
March evening Of l75-. The proprietors
father was certain Monsieur Auguste La
Roche, who had left his country upon the
revocation Of the edict of Nantes.
Burning with sense q the tyranny
from which he had escaped, NJ La Roche,
with a reckless desire to leave the despo-
tisms OF convention, aud $50 c',lled) legili.
mate monarchy far behind him, penetrated
into the back woods. and with the remains
oi n regal fortune, settled moodily down
amid the solitude of remote and 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, D
scholar, faithfully grounded them in the
"humanlties," 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 fo!i in love with her. In the course
OF time what had been mere boyish fancy
! assumed the most passionate strength and
earnestness. The brothers became deadly
rivals, aud the hatred which grew up be-
tween them, it 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 4 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.
riod to which now refer, Louis formally
offered his hand to Emily Montagn, and
was respectfully, but firmly, refused. lie
extorted from her a naughty confession oi
ner attachment to Augustus, whose cham
ber he instantly sought, subjecting him to
an unheard of indignity.
"Were you fifty times my brother" ex
CLAIMED the lnsulted party, snatching his
rapier from the wall, "you should answer
for this!-Come with me, sir, if you be a
mani" And Augustus rushed out of the
house like 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. At
length, Augustus fell, pierced through the
body, aud apparently quite dead. Horri
fed by the crime he had committed, the
survivor fled from the scene. lie abandon
ed his home for months, and when with
partially disordered reason, he ventured tc
return, it was only to find that Emily had
disappeared, and that his "houss was left
unto him desolate"
Led on by resistless fascination hC
sought the garden in which the fatal con
flict had occurred, aud there the tender
] Il hf