Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-10-13

tunate wife, and with head bowed down upon its
now faded and dusty cover, is D'Vilton. Though
in the very prime Of life, care, sorrow and grief
are written upon his brow; for the torn hearthad
throbbed beneath the woe of many an untold sor-
row, and the weary head had been distracted BY
many an unknown agony. And did he not bave
cause to weep? did not Everything upon which
the eye rested, serve but to bring up from the
graveyard Of the past q thousand thoughts, each
of which was fraught with potency like unto
the power Of death? - ~ 80 !
There he sat, where once all was gathered
which was dear to the heart and pleasing to the,
eye. Now all was desolation, gloom and mystery;
now, the voice, whose music was sweeter to him
than the miustrelsy Of heaven, was hushed, and
the face that once looked lovingly into his oyn in
the far away years which were gone forever thriss
led the heart no more with its never ceasing look
of fond affection. -. ',r.s..s' %. - b --'f (
You do not mean to say, sir, that your wife,
was alone when she gave birth to the infant, I
asked Johnston suddenly pausing in. his walk,
and resuming his seat ',' -. .'''. - :
with the exception of old Susan, the nurse,
there was no one with her, replied D,Yiton, lift .
Shall proceed With my story!' ~ -
r Please do so sir, ,',ssid Dulson.9 -3i.5
From the old nurse, Tlearned, that about two
days before my arrival, two men called ct the
house and solicited refreshments and nights
lodgings. No sooner were they admitted, than
Frank, au old steward, vas stabbed by one of the
strangers. The poor fellow ran up stairs to his
mistress, hoping to secrete her and the infant be-,
fore the assassins could find her apartment Be-
fore he could utter O. word Of alarm, however, he
fell dead at her feet
Terrible ? exclaimed Dulson. g
-. sThe next moment continued D'Vilton, the
Williams rushed into the room, andseized Charlotte
and the old nurse; swearing to take the life OF
each If they made the least resistance or attempt
ed to give any alarm. OF course, the extreme
delicacy Of poor Charlotte's health prevented her
from making the least resistance while old Susan
was altogether unequal to the, task Of defending
her mistress against two powerful men!
Zounds if I bad been therep said DGlson,
taking out his pocket handkerchief, and nearly
blowing his brains out
The Williams continued DVilton, then forci-
bly, administered to my wife and her domestic, q
supplying potion, after having done which, they
proceeded to make themselves merry over my
| wines. Susan. Informed me that she made every
effort to prevent the natural effects Of the drug
upon her nerves bnt, finding it impossible to do
so, she took the infant from the bed, and, placing
it upon pillow upon the floor, she, commended
it, its mother, and herself, to the and protec
ton Of their maker, and then laid down beside
the child = y - .--7i
Poor, helpless thingsn said Johnston.
How long Susan lay. in this stupor, she could
not inform me. She only knew, that she had re-
! membered nothing from the time she yielded to
was plain, however, that poor Charlotte had been
abducted d--perhaps, murdered.-while under the
influence of the drug .,-r-... ,, .,s.....
! But, my dear SIR said Dulson, why did you
not take immediate and decided steps towards
her recovery, by apprsing the. authorities Of
hometown Of what had occured?''
Patience, and Twill expiain everything to your
psatisfaotion.' said D'Vilton..s 49,, 60
Proceed, sir; and, if possible, will not inter-
rupt you again. said Dulsou.
THE very first thing did, said D'vilton, was
to send Susan to hunt up one Of the COWS, SO as
to obtain milk for the babe, This having been
procured, dispatched the faithful creature to
hometown in search Of Mr.. Edgar Vsndry with
whom Irwished private interview before taking
any definite steps in the mysterious affair. Why
she did not return, know not but, since that
4 eVeutful, day,I have neither seen or heard any
thing concerning her. af, ..,..g =
Remarkable said Johnston:
I 4 did all could for the poor babe during the
first three days Of Susan's unaccountable ab-
sence, when I accidentally found, upon my wri-
ting desk, note addressed to myself, and infor
ming me that Charlctte's relatives in America,
having heard of the loss of my property, had
deemed it their duty to- restore her 10 her par.
ents until my business arrangements for the fu-
ture could be satisfactorily and permanently ad-
justed The note went on to say, that Charlotte
was perfectly safe, and would be on her way to
Liverpool before the note could be read by me.
THAT very night placed the babe in basket,
| IL hroo atat r1 tEo 1nfk 10
and packing few papers securely beneath its
body and, going TO hometown about midnight
secretly laid the basket beneath the portico Of st.
Mary's Church, most solemnly beseeching God
to protect and guard it. and care kindly for it un-
| til my return. When I made mp my mind to do
this, did not expect to be absent from this place
more than two weeks at most ss ~ p
| But why did you not leave the infant with one
of your friends . asked Dulson.
Friends beside old Mr.. Vandry had none
nor had time to ascertain whether he was in Mono
town or not. My object was to start at once for
Liverpool, in hope of reaching that port in time
to prevent my wife embarking for4America.
did not stop for thought<I was mad, gentlemen!
stark, raving madn
No wonder, my dear SIR said Dulson.
| 4 must confess said Johnston, that it strikes
me as an exceedingly strange thing, that you
| the statements contained in the letter which you
found upon your desk. 1t is not at all likely that
your wife's relatives would have hired assassins to
break into your house and carry off your wife in
q stupor.'
.My dear SIR said DVilton, it is very easy
for you to discover fraud in the letter, now that
you can cooly and dispsssionately consider the
matter. Place yourself in my position, however;
remember that in the short space of less than o
month, was thrustfrom the pinnacle ofhappiness
down to the very blackness Of despair and dis.
traction then ask yourself if you think it so won
derful that drowning man should grasp at a
straw
The peculiar circumstances in which you were
placed were we'll calculated to drive you to the
commission of the rash acts to which you have
alluded, said Johnston; 'but, I must confess,
that it strikes me as very unsccountable thing
that you should have thus abandoned your own
child
In the name of heaven, what could have done
with the babe . asked D'Vilton.
Certainly almost any person would have taken
it, had you stated the circumstances of it birth
and the diappearance of its mother, said Johnston
And do you suppose that any one would have
believed me? p asked DVilton impatiently. why,
sir it would have been as much as my life is worth
to have told such a tale. Was it not perfectly
plain, that the Williams who abducted my wife in
tended that should have fallen into this very
snaren -
4 do not understand you, said Johnston.
DO not understand me why, did not every
man in hometown know that my wife left this
house in my company
well, what Of that? asked Dulson.
'Who of them saw her return ?? asked D'Vilton.
None that know Of renlip1 nu1snn
Very we'll then: who would have taken the
babe from my arms without doubling the truth of
my story? Who would have taken care of it