Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-05-10
CHAPTER V.

old negress. Seating her gently upon
chair by the fireplace, she stopped down
. and blew the embers into cheerful fame
then, putting on a fresh supply of wood
she sat down upon the rug, at the feet ot
her much beloved mistress, and swaying
her body to and fro, hummed doleful air
Minnie listened to her awhile in silence
Strange forebodings of coming evil, dark
presentiments of future sorrow, difficulty
and unhappiuess threw their sombre shad
ows over her heart, and poor Dinah's song
struck chord of sympathy in her bosom
and filled her overweight aud feverisb i'm
agination with strange interest
What is to be done, Dinsh p she asked
as the old woman concluded her song, and
looked up in her mistresses sad face. There
-merciful heavens "a pistol shot, as
livep
sDere goes aDudder one! exclaimed the
old woman, as a second loud report, followed
by dull, heavy fall, resoupded throughout
the old building, striking terror to the heart
of Minnie, and arousiug the entire house.
hold from their slumbers.
Cant be Mass Edgar so foolish fuh fire
pistol at speErit = said Dinah, trembling
from head to foot, and looking uneasily to-
wards the door. 'Enty you very heap O.
noise, missy|
The report of the pistol has alarmed Sir
Richard and uncle, 1 presume said Min
ME, hearing an unusual stir about the house,
sand they are no doubt arousing the SER
wants to ascertain the cause
Mass Edgar gil in trouble bout dis
ting, less old Dinah kin manage to show
him out de house fore Massa fine him
Wait yuh, missy. Maumma come back
arter vile So saying, before Minnie could
reply, Dnah left the room.
A few moments after the departure of
the woman, old Mr.. Hsrcourt tapped at the
door. Sir Richard stood without with a
lantern in his band, and awaited the old
gentleman, whom Minnie admitted.
you are up very late, my DEAR said the
old man, looking anxiously into the pale
face of Minnie you heard the report of
the gun or pistol, l presume? Do you
think it was in the house?'
Il do not know, SIR she replied in much
confusion, though, must say, that it
sounded very much like it,
Very odd exclaimed Mr.. Harcourt.
sSir Richard and myself had just conclu-
ded a game of chess and were about to re.
tire, when we were startled by the first re.
port. He is of the opinion that pistol or
gun has been discharged on the premises
BY some drunken soldier, but, at my re-
quest, has kindly consented to search the
house from top to bottom, from cellar to
garrett. You have the keys to the upper
rooms; so 1 thought I would just stop as
was passing, aud get you to hand them to
me at the door,
Minnie for reasons best known to her.
self, and which may be easily guessed by
the reader, detained her uncle as long as
possible, by pretending to have mislaid the
keys. Finally, however, as if she had
suddenly remembered the fact, she inform.
ed him, that she had left them in the door
of the Green Room, when last there With
an exclamation of anger and impatience,
Mr.. Harcourt hurried from the room, slam.
ming the door after him.
IF that shot was fired by Edgar, on the
supposition that the mysterious figure was
Sir Richard in disguise, he is wofully mis-
taken,' said Minnie, resuming her seat and
looking thougbtfully iHto the fire. what
if it be indeed the spirit of my father
o horrorp and she sbuddered from head
tof foot and looked uneasily around the room.
But the sound of heavy fall immediate.
ly after the report What could that be Z
A thousand pistol shots could have no such
effect upon spirit; and yet, something or
somebody evidently fell as consequence Of
the shot. Could it be Edgar himself?'
A cold, 10y chill ran through the heart,
and the perspiration gathered in thick
beads upon her forehead, as these terrible
thoughts and surmises came thronging into
her mind. Starting up from her chair,
like one demented, she pressed her hands
to her temples and paced the room to and
fro, in the most acute and agonizipg mental
excitement.
Great was the CONSERVATION and excite
ment in Hsrcourt Hall when the rays of the
rising sun penetrated the dark recesses OF
the old building and revealed the fresh
tracks of blood all down the back staircase,
and away up to the Green room in the gar.
ret, upon the floor of which had settled and
CONCEALED pool of gore, too horrible tc
look upon with any degree of complacency
The impenetrable, and inexplicsble mys,
tery connected with the whole affair added
to the horror of the deed of blood, which
evidently had been committed by some un
known hand, upon some unfortunate anc
equally unknown victim. Poor Minnie was
half distracted with anxiety and alarm or
Edgar's account; for DiDah, who had sc
nobly rushed to his rescue and relief, hac
made the most diligent search of the pren
ises, and returned to her disconsolate mis-
tress with the tidings of her vain and fruit
less effort to find him anywhere.
sTbey have killed him! Minnie exclaim
ed, wriDging her hands in the widest ago
ny of mind.