The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-06-27
PRISCILLA'S LOT.
A story i'm Three Chapters.
BY GEORGIANA N. CRAIK.
CHAPTER II.

twilight, andsa returning W nlS. place
the old man STOPPED down over the
fire and began to mutter oaths and
curses, gurgling them down low in his
throat, addressing them to no, one,
merely breathing and gasping them
forth on the Summer air out of the
rage and fear oil heart. He neither
spoke to his daughter, nor she to
him. She rose up and made the win
dow fast, and bolted and locked the
door, as slowly and quietly as she did
on any ordinary night, and then with
out a word to him went away. Vert
to her room, and to her bed, and layed
down without the relaxation Of a
muscle on her face and then lay awake
in her pain and misery. As hour af-
ter hour passed she called on God out
of her wretchedness to help her; but
she called for assistance from his stern
justice, not from his pity; she cried as
one who had right to demand free
dom from shameful bondage, not as
a helpless woman whose one prayer is
the strienen cry--God have mercy on
mel
The. morning came but it brought
no comfort with it, for early in the
day Skeeton returned. He.came and
hung about the place for hours, the
oldsman letting him stay, talking to
him Sometimes with coarse familiarity.
sometimes sitting in silence, watching
him with. a scowlzof fear and hatred.
They had been alone when he first
came, and had held a half hours talk
together. Priscilla had gone to buy
provisions in the village, and on her
return found him in the kitchen. He
greeted her with some louda coarse
compliment as she came in, to which
she made no answer, but passing by
him went about her work In silence.
Her whole soul rose at the sight of this
man; she shrank from hifh-she loath-
ed him. Several times that morning
he came where she was, and began to
talk to her, standing watching her as
she moved about, and boldly declaring
his admiration of her. She was ac-
customed, poor soull to the hearing
of coarse talk, so that it fell on her
ears sometimes and scarcely grated on
them, but the mere tones OF this man s
voice rasped upon every nerve within
her. His insolent familiarity, his
coarsely uttered admiration of her,
made the proud handsome woman feel
what she had never felt in her life
yet. that her very. beauty was pollu-
ton when 1t attracted such man as
this to hang about her.
She was forced that morning to en-
dure his presence for time; as soon
as that necessity was past she went
away, and shut herself up in her own
room, and stayed there until from her
window she saw Skeletons figure
sauntering down the road. Then, re-
turning down stairs, she went deliber
ately to the outer door and locked it,
and, having done that, went to her IA
theirs side.
What is that man business here,
father?" she said, sternly.
The old man looked up irritably.
His businessl What should
know about's business?0 He's nothin'
to me. What ha' | got to do with
other mems work. he said.
Then why do you let him come
here?" she answered, sharply. Hes
been here all day; has he gone for
good now?"
Gone for good! He never went
anywheres for good yet the old man
said. bitterly.
Then he is coming back?" she
asked
She nxed her eyes upon her fathers
face. not cruelty, scarcely even angri
ly, but with look in them as if they
could pierce through the false mask of
flesh and blood down into the old
man naked heart There was a mes
meric power in those dark eyes of hers
that had shot terror through him be-
fore now.
Il can't help tit amt my dom.
| say, l can't help it, Prisl" he began
to gasp out hastily. IF he likes to
come, how can | keep tn door shut
in FACET
How have you kept it shut in ev
erybody else's facet" she answered.
Wy on would keep it shut in his too, if
you weren't afraid to do it,
Il amt afraid-it's all his lies; [
ain t afraid!' he cried out in his high,
sharp key. But | M miserable man
I'm poor miserable old man." he
moaned suddenly, and then his voice
went off into thin wretched whine,
as he sat mutteripg and rocking to and
fro in his chair. ~
She broke out all at once as she
looked at him into burst of indignant
anger.
Yes, you may say you are misera-
ble-We are both miserable, and who
has made US SOP" she CRED. DAY
and night, from years end to years
end, who is it makes and keeps us
miserable and degraded? 1t is you,
as you sit there cursing God! There
isn 7 q good man or pure woman liv
ing who would take you by the hand
And yet have to live with you. And
you want to bring another devil into