Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-05-24

unturned tn possess nlmseil OF legal claim
upon your fortune. This claim he hopes
to acquire by forced marriage
sAnd what would you advise me to do
under the circumstances asked Minnie,
in tone of quiet self. possession, that sur
prised the clergyman beyond measure.
Let the wicked fall into his own snare,
he replied.
what do you mean p asked Minnie.
ALLOW him to be caught in the very act
of abduction
But would not that be rather danger.
ous2' asked Minnie, looking suspiciously
over her shoulder towards the dark, dreary,
inauspicious walls of old Harcourt Hall.
Would it be judicious or wise to venture
thus fart
sHearken to me- said the old man.
Then lowering his voice, and glaucing
nervously around, he said, almost in a whis.
per. Those clouds you see rising out of
the West portend dark and stormy night.
The evil eye of Sir Richard. who loiters
about these premises, unobserVed, is even
now lifted in hope towards the setting sun.
Depend upon it he will be here to night.
Now, mark what I say! Go back to the
house as quietly and unconcernedly ss
though nothing had occurred. Mention
nothing of this to any of the servants. As
soon as ii grows dark I will return with a
few gentlemen of my acquaintance, and,
placing ourselves under your command, be
posted in different parts of the house at
such points as will prevent the fellows
escape
But, sir, said Minnie, as the clergyman
turned to take his leave, would it not be
better for me to leave the house altogether,
and spend the night elsewhere?
by no MEANS replied the clergyman.
your absence would ouly provoke suspi-
cion, and delay the arrest of the baronet,
who would make another, and perhaps a
more successful, attempt at future day.
I pray you be guided and directed by me
in this one instance
Minnie made no further objection, so
after few words of caution and advice,
the clergyman retired and Minnie returned
to the house, wondering how this eventful
chapter of her life was to end. Much to
her alarm, Dinah met her upon the porch,
and, with look of surprise and wonder,
told her that she distinctly heard footsteps
in the upper story few minutes before.
This, coupled with the alarming intelligence
communicated by the clergyman, terrified
Minnie beyond measure. With a heroic
effort at selfpossession, she controlled her
rising fears, sufficiently to reply calmly, and
apparently uncoDcerued,
Nothing but the rats, Dinah; nothing
but the rats
Rat got on shoe den,' said Dinah, ian
kin cough too
How Did you hear cough?' asked
Minnie, now really and undisguisedly a.
larmed. sAre you quite sure of that,
Dinah p
Yes missy-maumma quite sure
Minnie said no more; but, hastily en-
tering the house and retiring to the privacy
of her own chamber, she locked the door,
threw herself upon her knees, and burst
into tears. How long she kneeled and
wept there, and what words we're those
that broke so passionately from her lips
ever and anon, we do not know, but when
she arose, her eyes were free from tears,
and the sweet, patient smile that illuuined
her beautiful, pale face, was not of an earth
ly origin She was ready now for any
emergency. You could see it in the glance
of her eye, the steadiness of her tread, and
the complacency and quiet of her whole
demeanor.
The evening shadows were coming
were growing deeper and darker; the plain
tive song of the whippoorwill was heard in
the grove, and myriads of insects joined
the chorus from the forest. One by one
the flowers were closing and the stars ap'
pearing. Here and there upon the face of
the heavens moved slowly, grandly and
majesticaly, lowering black clouds, one
moment shutting out the glory of the rising
moon, then unveiling her full beauty to the
world Night was comiug-a dark, stormy
and tempestuous highland yet the clergy.
man had not returned.
Suddenly the door-be! was rung-rung
by hurried and hasty hand, and Minnie
paused and listened with almost breathless
interest. A scream-a long, loud, ezult-
ant scream from Dinah what can it
mean?
oh missy! missy exclaimed Dinah,
few moments after, as she stood painting
and blowing at Miunie's chamber door,
soome down stairs directly! Bress de Lord
-maumma lib to shum come back safe
once more! o, missy missyp and the
poor creature burst into tears and flung
her sable arms around the neck of Minnie.
Who has come back, maummar asked
Minnie, gently raising Dinah's head from
her shoulder, while her poor heart seemed
about to throb its very life out.
A tall, handsome, richly uniformed Con-
federate officer stood at the door.
A cry of iuefable joy and rapture broke
from the lips of Minnie, as she broke from
the feeble embrace of old Dinah, and was