The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-06-25

] one. Neither Tom nor myself we're in humor
| to engage in argument with the man opposite
us, whose white tie our fingers were itching to
dlsarrange. We very soon, therefore, joined
the ladies' in Lady Berry's boidoir, in which,
since our numbers had 80 dWindled, We had
| met instead OF the grand drawing-room. 1t
was q good-sized room, pret,liy rurnlsneo.
There was piano in tan old. .fashloned one.
and out of keeping with the style Of the rest OF
the room. It was priced by Lady Berry;
| however, as having been the Gift OF her mother
upon the occasion Of her having learned TO
| play her first grand piece. AS We went up
| stairs, Harding whispered to me: "They have
come to an understanding. Meet me IN my
| room tonight. We must settle what to do:1
| We had now repetition OF our dinner be-
more forced than before. think Pellatt
mott .ed this; for he asked Alice Ferrers to play
Immediately as tea was over. When she mad
played two or three pieces, there was pause
as she shut the piano and returned to her seat
on the sofa; for neither her sister nor Lady
berry played. Then, to our establishment,
Pellatt volunteered to sing Us something,
saying he would play his own accompaniment.
None of us knew that Ee sang or played, as ne
had never before mentioned that he did either.
| As he passed Lady Berry, he said two or three
words to her in whisper; and go sseo py
calm. Then he went up to the piano anu
| opened it.
i can hardly describe to you, even now,
| Harereayes, what followed, much less give You
an idea Of its effects. He opened the piano
rather roughly, and there vas loud twapg,
% if a string had broken with the 1ar' causing
/ us all to start. The scund; however, was not
q single sharp discord, as when string breaks
| but q long, continuous, jarripg note. Louder
| and iouder il rose a,ltll the whole room seemed
| filled with the SOUND. 1t was Ike the noise
of an engine whistle but allied With the jar OF
broken music-strilg; the widest the mos'
unearthly and the most painful sound ever
heard. We all recoiled from the Instrument
| and stood trausfxed with astoDIshment, and
| NAV say for myself, and think for the rest,
| with terror Pellatt stood three PAGES back
from the piano. with his face deadly pale, as
| indeed, were all those present. and his hand
slightly raised before him, as IT to shield on
| tainted upon the sofa; Clara clung to Tom
Harding, who was standing by her; Sir Peter
| had advanced three hasY steps, and stood be-
tween his wife and the piano; while Lady Ber-
| ry stool with her hands pressing btck her
| hair from her temples. and her eyes set IN
fixed gt aslly stare. The only movement am
myself conscious Of having made was to put
nv hands to nv ears, to deadeu as far as pos
| sible that awful unearthly sound. How LONG
| 1t lasted I cannot say; it might have been one
| mInute-it might have been three; to me Ii
seemed an aee. Then, all OF sudden,
without change or warning 1t cea seq: e. For an
instant the silence was deadly; then Sir Peter
turned. lust in time to catch his wife, who fell
forward as If dead; and Clara Ferrers went of
into o 6t Of such terrible Mysteries, that for
l. one feared :hat her reason vas cone forever.
kI;ocether for the next Few minutes We haa
our hands too full 10 exchange word. BY
that time the Misses Ferrers were carried up
to their rooms, aud given IN charge or t5e
servants, wbo were OF more use than we could
be; while Sir Peter. having ordered q man TO
start on horseback for the nearest doctor. su-
periptended every endeavOr TO restore his wife
10 CONSEQUENCES. Then, hndlng that We were
onIy in the way. HardindRud went down to-
getner into the smokins-room do not think
e,ther OF us would have gone alone into the
boudoir tor a hundred pou1us.
When Hs bad closed the door, we lookea
at each other with blark faces. What was III
Neither OF us could hazard CONJECTURE;
neither had ever heard any noise luxe II; ou,
We agreed exactly iu our estimate OF tne S0uou
it was something like railway whlste pioMn
through two or three discordant chords OF tne
piano. As to what caused the polse nsitneI y.
ps Sored TO conjecture; and We turned almost
as relief to The terrible queston ot no" ~
would affect the Ferers.
IN an hour's lime we heard the welcome gal
lop of horse, aud knew that the DOCTOR naa
come, as Sir Peter bad asked hlm, on ms nes,
senpers horse to save time. yust IS ne arYeu
Pellatt came into the room. He mao oeen GIs a
in the night air, and was ghastly pae. ne
tried to speak unconcerre edly, bnG DIS up
nnivered and his band shook as be hlled him.
self strong glass of spirits and water.
Presently the welcome news came down tnat
the Misses Ferrers we're both sensible anu
ou,et, Lady Berry had recovered from ner NJ,
but was delirious. After this We eat very qhes
for some time; for neilher Harding nor mlseI
felt any inc ination to 60 OF to bed alone. Ia
another halt an hour serysnt came 10 %itn q
niece of folded paper, which he gave 10 feliatt
f"From Sir Peter" Pellatt read it through,
and, if possible, turned even2sler than Deiore'
He murmured something an61et the room.
In another two minutes We again aes.o nt .Ie
horses hoofs departing. We looked at each
otber significantly. ''She has been talking IN
her delirlum," Harding said; "apd Sir Peter
| has ordered him to leave the house at once
r. was 40. as We afterxard found; and his
clothes we're packed and sent after him the
next day. .,,,
minutes. We both knew and liked him.
..Wnst ;s all thus, gentlemen? Sir Peter, under
n promise OF secrecy has told me q not extla-
ord,nsry taIe-I shoald say. indeed, an lpcreol-
| be tale. we're it not that the state OF these
| three ladies' and the calmness OF BIZ fe.S,
render 1t Impossible for me TO doubt nls Wore:
We dnscribed the affair TO the doctor, who said;
| "WelI, gentlemen. doubt 1s Impossible slCer Il
what YOU have told me, strange and inc1eolole
ss n appears. 1t would almost seem to have
been provldentlally sent. as gather Tom nor
rawlings, as Wal ming to save the poor crea1uIT
no stars on the very edge OF destruction. I
mns, 90 mn again to Sir Peter" lis he alone
w,tb her ?" l ,sked: "No." the doctor answered;
..sbe has an old servant. who was her nurse ),
and who came with her when she was marr'eu.
In few minutes more we were joined oy eir
! perer. He looked years older than he had done
al d,bner time. He saw by our faces now
much we pined aud felt TOR him, ami holding
oat \ hand silently to each, hs sat down. ana
broke out CRYING in great sobs, 80 pslDiui 10
beor that the tears rolled down the cheeks or
both Harding and myself. "You should nav nave
| to, d me" he said at last IDele was uo'n.Gs .t1
as ', yeI ZIG 10 tell, Sir Peter SAID, gently. lt
Was oply this evening that our susp' clons tnas
ali was not right we're confirmed; anu We ma"
fnlly determined upon speaking 10 you to-moI-
row. IN order that you might, per6ans, resoive
nnon traye ling, and 80 taking Lady Berry OUT
of reach of temptation; for am sure that Lauy
| Rerrv "a innocent OF. aught save temporary
;ntat1at,on." II am couyluced OF that, BIZ
$500 d. solenuly. Would that warning
have been sent If it were too lale to save NO,
M INV frlepds,D aud be tried to speak queer
rnIlv. bul hIs llps qulvcred, "she is very young
and 1uexpel lenred-so young that Hne dlu noI
| knov what q p1eopico she WAS treading upon.
T was much older tn n She old enough 10 oe
her fatber-auu did not wait long enough lor
her TO be quite sure OF her love for me Delore
I married ner. Sill I dp 'hlnk-ycs, am sure .
hat she did love mt then. But s'nce 'nsn