Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-04-26
CHAPTER l.

CHAPTER l.
Embosomed in a grove of mossy and
venerable oaks and overgrowu with ivy,
stands the ancient and somewhat dilapida-
ted mansion of the Harcourt family
Walking into the garden and up the wide
shell-walk, bordered on either side by box
myrtle and cedar; glaucipg right and left
upon the profusion of beautiful flowers, and
drinking in the exquisite richness of their
fragrance; lettering among the summer
arbours, overgrown with luxuriant vines of
woodbine and jessamiue, with their old rot
ten floors and Anticipated benches; looking
directly up the walk to the cracked, worn
and discolored marble steps, the large heavy
and vld fashioned door, over and around
which rises the mouldy gresnish brick walls
of the old colossal, dreary, but magnificent
building, known in other days as Harcourt
Hall.
The sole occupants of this venerable
mansion, were an old man of near seventy
years of age, beautiful young girl of six
teen, an old negress and several servants.
The basement or ground.aoor was allotted
to the negroes, there being no suitable ac-
commodation for them in the outbuildings,
they having completely fallen into decay
and ruin. The second story was appropri.
ated by the old gentleman and his neice,
while the two upper floors we're abandoned
to rats and mice and fabulous number of
spiders. These rats and mice, by the way,
were guilty of many misdemeanors, and
gave rise to the widest rumors and the silliest
reports of ghosts and hobgoblinS. None Of
the servants ever ventured to visit either of
the two upper stories, and were the reader
inquisitive enough to have asked reason,
q mysterious shrag of the shoulders, with
uplifted hands and disuayed couuteuanees,
would have been the only reply elected
from the superstitious party. Minnie, how
ever, was delighted, whenever sn opportu'
nifty afforded, to explore these abandoned
regions and ransack old trunks, boxes and
closets, to the great horror of old DiDah and
the rest of the servants, and much against
the wishes of old Mr.. Adam Harcourt him
self.
Mr.. Adam Harcourt was the last aud
oldest of four brothers, who hsd emigrated
to Virginia year after the great little of
Waterloo. Their forefathers were born in
the city of Lyons, France, but the stock
were no doubt of English or Welsh origin
Like their surviving brother, the Harcourts
had lived unmarried men, with the excep
tion of Eugene, the youngest, who had
married Cuban lady Of grealt wealth, high
position, aud surprising lovelipess. She,
unfortunately, in giving birth toa daughter,
sacrificed her own life, dying few days af-
ter, leaving the unconscious infant and in.
copsolable husband in possession Of imme nse
wealth-a poor compensation for the loss of
herself to the surviving sufferers. Under
the blessing of God, and contrary to the
fondest expectation, the infant thrived but
Eugene Harcourt, from inordipate and ex-
cessive grief, fell into rapid decline, and
was gathered to his fathers about year
after the birth of his lovely infant and the
decease of his wife. At the dying request
of its father, the infant was consigned TO
the care of its grandmother, with the ex.
press understanding that, in case of her
decease prior to the child's arriving at the
age of discretion, it should be given over
to Adam Hsrcourt, its uncle, who should,
in that emergency, take upon himself all
the duties, responsibilities and privileges of
guardianship. Minnie Harcourt-such was
the child's name-wss called upon again to
drink of the cup of sorrow and disappoint
ment, by the sudden death of her grand.
mother about ten years after. Adam Har.
court, true to the promise made to his dy-
ing brother, as soon as the intelligence of
his neice's situation reached him, hurried
to Cuba and removed Minnie to his own
home in Virginia. Her presence there was
electrifying upon the hitherto sad, solitary
and fretful old man drove out the darkness
from his heart and smiled away the agony
of many secret, cankering and consuming
care. All over the old mansion with her
clear, ringing, silvery laugh, her lively
snatches of Spanish airs; all over the gar
den, among the flowers, romping with Fido,
the dog, and culling the sweetest roses for
sdear old uncle Adam
That sdear old uncle ADAM by the way,
was about the only sentence the beautiful
girl could speak in English, and this both
cred and puzzled the old man beyond meas
ure. He could converse with her a little
very little-iu French; or, rather be could
manage to make out something of her
meaning, when she addressed him 10 that
language, but, this state of things, in sheer
Justice to the child, must be suffered to
continue no longer. She must learn En-
glish. The old man, with his queer no.
tions, hit upon rather quaint and doubt
full expedient, and one, I believe, the reader
would never have thought of.
Living some miles from Harcourt Hall
was bright and beautiful boy of twelve
summers, to whom Mr.. Adam Harcour'
had taken quite fancy. This boy was the
only son of planter in moderate clrcum
stances, who, for the benefit of his health
was about to undertake q trip across the
Atlantic and spend time among the high
lands of Scotland. The proposition was