Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-01-16

NO. 8.
simply closed it. Even this much must have been
but imperfecty done, or the old mans weight could
not have moved it from its position. .r' y s.t
Old Daniels quickly regained his feet and looked
wildly about him. The idea Of having entered 30
unceremoniously into the presence of the peaceful
dead, was somewhat shocking to his feeble nerves.
He looked eagerly and rather timidly around, and
discovered no less than five newly made collins IN
the vault, lying one upon the other, the occupants
of which were all victims of the terrible pesilenoe
then raging in the city. The case or coAin-tr its
construction was pecuiar-in which the body Of
Louisa was enclosed was lying apart from the 9TH
ers and on stone slab or table. To this the old
man turned and looking down upon the sweet
young face, suddenly started and uttered an ex-
clamation Of mingled surprise and horror; for the
eyes, awhile ago. closed, were now wide open, and
the lips apart. Recovering from the shock, and
thinking, perhaps, that his violent entrance may
have Jared the body and thus occaaoned the pres
ent condition of the corpse he ventured to look n
gain. That look decided him. 3. ~ tss'F
Running his trembling hands along the outside
Of the case, he discovered decomposition to be eth
er Of stone or heavy glass. Looking eagerly q,
round, he found hatchet, hammer and croWbar,
the former Of which he seized and began carefully
chipping away the hard, but brittle lid of the cof
fin. In an almost incredible short space Of time,
the breast and arms Of the body were exposed; and
now the the old gardener pauses looks doubtfully
into the still motionless face puts his ear close to
the shrouded bosom-then goes to work again with
redoubled energy ~. 3i.'.a:3 ~: assg a'se5
The lid is off at last; but the twilight shadows
are deepening and darkening around the vault.
What is to be done? Rushing breathlessly to the
entrance of the damp, dark, dreary abode of DEATH
he observes the parsonage across the street.-the
residence of his old friend the only house in
the vicinity of the church. Hprriedly divesting
himself of his overcoat, and lifting the body, as
gently as an infant, from the coffin, he wrapped it
closely about the now tremulous form, and with
the precious burden in hisarms, staggered exhaus-
ted across the street. ~ Il {. r,...l,
*,* ~: ~ \ n ~ #taz
daniels" said Mr.. Grayely, 'you are the very
man wished to see. Why do you thus shun me?
If have wronged you in my conduct towards
your poor wife, forgive me- I am to be pited,
Daniels. My home has been invaded by disease
and death and God knows how and where it viii
all end. -Four days ago poor Louisa left me, and
now my beloved wife and boy are down with the
same fever that sapped the life Of my beautiful
Louisa. Oh Daniels, can you harbor malice ii
your heart towards wretched man like me p ne
Daniels choked down the noble emotions Of his
bosom, and replied 'sMr. Gra7ely, I shall never
forget to whom am indebted for the present mis-.
cry of my existence. You haye, with careless,
negligent, cruel hand, let down the curtain Of an
impenetrable darkness between me and all my
hopes, and made my Life sad and weary pilgrim
age. As I once told you, in yonder splendid man
sion; 50 tell you now--I ,oiN be reuesgedF'
"Ohl Daniels Daniels u exclaimed Mr. Grave
| E 'Talk not Of revenge to mel What can you
infict upon me, equal to that which have already
suffered? Ny idolized child snatched from my
embrace and laid away in yonder tombl MyWIe
and darling boy evidently about to follow And
look upon these sdnke1 eyes and hollow cheeks Of
mine, and tell me, Daniels, f,you do not read in
that, the doom that awaits me, too?'' -
1 Daniels looked into the care-worn face Of the
speaker, but quickly averted his gaze 1t was elo-
quent in its expression of utter mental wretched-
ness, and emphatic in its shadowings Of physical
suffering and premature decay. rr
"What wish to ask of you, Daniels, !" said Mr..
Gravely, '.is, that you will sele;t some spot in
Greenwood Cemetery, or wherever you think best,
and remove poor Louisa there. Take herfom that
dark, dreary vault, into the warm sunshine where
we can make garden Of her grave. And, as one
after the other of my family drop Of, lay us side
by side in some cool, pleasant spot I have au-
thorized my banker to advance yoaa amount
you may deem requisite for these purposes You
will do this for us, Daniels+wl you not" ~
81 will, ," was all that Daniels ventured to reply
Mr.. Gravely felt in his vest pocket few mo-
ments; then, taking therefrom a roll Of money
wrapped in paper, he handed it to the old gar
dener, saying: This is about the amount Of my
indebtedness to you for your labor in the garden
OIL Danielsl at what a terrible cost to US both
was that contract fulfIledI Would to God, had
granted you the brief indulgence solicited thatun-
fortunate day!' ff+ q. .,..'r : =
my God what is this p said old Daniels;
and as MI. Grayely looked quickly up upon hear
ing the exclamation, old Daniels was holding a
strip of paper before him, while the tears were rol-
ling down bis withered cheeks
That scrap of paper, dear reader contained
notice of the safety and recovery of 'ipoor old
Maggie" and was a fragment of one of the city
journals. She had wandered out into the street du-
ring Louisa's inconsistencies |; been taken in,
tended and nursed, by humane lady and was
now convalescent. The lady had ascertained her
name some days before, but did not publish the
card, until she had twice called at Daniels house
and found it tenantless.
The week after this, Mr.. Gravely was handed
the following note: ~ s..aa
Dear Sir : I promised to remove your daugh-
ter's body from the church-yard and deposit it in
a pleasant spot. This have done; but not ex-
actly in accordance with your directions Instead
of cemetery have her IN a comfortable bed
room. In plain words, sir, your daughter was
found alive in the vault-was extricated from the
coffin by my hands and borne by me to the parson-
age We all thought it best to say nothing Of the
matter, until her recovery was at least probable.
It is now quite evident that she aoN recover; and
as her brother and mother are better, we have con-
cluded to reveal the secret to you, leaving it to
your own discretion, when, how and where to
break the dangerous news to your family,
And THIS was the old gardeners revenge!
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