The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-05-01

town. Before night they returned, bear
lug the news that Jack had left Lennox
in tho aftern5oh riding his good roam,
and in good health and spirits. The
most hopeful could no longer hepo that
no catastrophe had occurred. SoiHe-
thing fearful had certainly happened to
Jack.
And it seemed impossible to find a
clue to the mystery. Horse and rider
had completely vanished. There was no
broken boughs or tracks of cracked
horseshoe, or lost glove to trace them by
What was to be done2
When night came, Margic could hard
ly hold her head up for the weariness OF
crying. She sat on low seat on the
porch, resting her check on Aunt Nell's
knee, listening and waiting for sound
upon the road.
Suddenly the gate clicked. She start
ed up-there was football on the walk
but it was only Jennie Barlow, the
country gossip, coming.
ooh, Jenny how could you scare me
so," she asked impatiently.
"liighty tightly but our young lady
is out of temper. Well, well, it is try.
ing for you, Margie, but don't give up
L reckon Jack Lane is safe enough. 'Tis
just some freak of his perhaps he's run
away and gone to sea-"
Nonsense" said Nfargie. "tack is
out of his jackets"
"Well, Jaes is old enough to be tole.
rable steady=-that's fact-6ve and
twenty. l remember when he was born
He'll have right smart place when the
cid man dies, up on the Barrens there
you speak us if nothing has hap
pened, Jennie" said Aunt Nell. 81
think We have reason to believe tha,
something has happened to jack"
"Don't you believe it. He'll turn ur
all right. Lots Of trouble in this world
IS borrowed trouble. Lor, why, my hus
band never cU,lics liome when he says he
will think it's heap stranger wha,
makes the music in the old well. Why
you oan ust ha.r tho oAsunos. ~sod Z.
hear tell of fiirlcs when was little, and
thats enough to make person believe
i'll them. You can't think ANYTHING
natural makes music in well sixty feet
lcep?"
"Where is it."
"Why, old Duf1ey's we'll i'll the mead
ow; no one uses it now it's dried up,
reckon; but all the nciyhbors have been
down there this morning to hear the
music coming up out of it. | wouldn't
believe it until beard it for myself.
thought it was a cricket, or perhaps q
bird got down there, but no cricket OIL
bird that | ever heard, could jingle of
'Annic Laurie, and My Pretty Janc.
You'd better go and see for yourselves
What do you think it 2" askcc
Margie, when old Jennie had gone.
Il don't know dear. We might g
down and see; the moon is coming up
aud l presume there will be others
there"
"Oh, Aunt. Nell, l don't care abou
the we'll"
"But you had better go, rather thar
to sit here crying, Margic. Let HE ge
a shawl for yon."
So they wrapped up aud went down
across the fields. The air was very damn
but it was bright shining night BE
fore they reached the old we'll they saw
Ii kI;ot Of people crowded about it. They
stool around s;lcutly, though one or two
wondered aloud, and some tried to laugh
and said it was Observation-Disclosures
or something of the sort. No one among
tho many doubtcrs that there had been
disbelieved the tale then. The faint
strains struck the ear quite plainly. 1,
vas ike clin music, indeed.
1t was The "Mist!etoc Bough' that
was being played merrily enough as Mar
gie aud Nell came up.
Suddenly it stopped and another air
was commenced. 1t was the moro mo.
dern love ditty, "Margie by my side"
Sharply violent scream from Margie
sounded.
"Oh, it's Jack it's Jack !" she cried
Giles down the well. Bring ropes
Oh, know it's Jack I"