The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-04-28
COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE, FRIDAY, APRIL 2s, 1871

i really troubled as to Lilies wherca
bouts. IL was just possible that sh,
t might have stopped at some firm
, house, and accordingly he spent con.
: siderable more time searching and
. linquiring among these, but with nc
Q result-she had not been seen. Then
! he became really alarmed, for the
, land about was marshy, and extended
to q great distance in all directions
and he feared she might have lost her.
| self. How his search resulted will be
: told in the sequel.
The yacht sailed without them,
, every one commenting on the extra.
ordinary freak Of Miss Lille Gordon,
and wondering what Mr.. George
Hartley would think of the matter
when he should hear of it, which they
were sure he would, though one and
all of them asserted they would be the
last ever TO communicate such q dis
graceful and improper proceeding
"for the sake of her poor mother, you
know"
| And so the yacht sped on its home
way; the sun sank slowly down; the
blue sky turned gray, and then black,
and became studded with stars, as is
Its wont the moon rose mp in richest
fullness and this last, shfning fairly
in the face Of the silent figure lying
out there alone in the jersey marshes,
at length, with it's own peculiar IN
fluence, brought, her again to life.
| Slowly she raised herself to her
feet numbed and aching, and passing
her hand through her hair, asked her
self the old question-whcre she was.
After q little her scattered senses
came to her-and she remembered.
| But she had now no idea Of the d.
recti0n of the railroad her limbs were
bruised and torn, and her impulse
was very strong to sit down again
and cry. But she was q plucky girl,
and concluded to make an effort to
gain the depot, which she supposed
to be not far away and accordingly
set forward on her lonely journey,
picking her steps carefully by the
moonlight.
Thus che bad walked some diftance
how far she had no idea-wben
she saw, q long way of, dim and
Pickering light, and toward this she
hastened with what speed her tired
limbs would permit.
1t seemed very long way indeed
but at length she drew nearer to the
light-near enough to see that it pro-
ceeded from small house, and situ-
ated very near the water, on which
she could see the moon beams glisten-
ing, as it seemed to her, cold and
mockingly. S2dira
Presently she heard sounds as of
hammering, apparently issuing from
the house and at length she reached
it, and could look intV the window
whence proceeded the light-a small
oil lamp on table in . room other
wise devoid of furniture, aud unoccu-
pied by any living thing. iaolii
Still she heard the same regular
hammering and now strange dread
came over her. Uniformed and mys-
terious imaginings disturbed her
mind, and she was on the point of
fleeing from the place, when q door
in the room opened, and man enter
ed from another part of the house.
His back was toward her, bu: she felt
a thrill, for the 1gure seemed familiar
he carried something heavy with the
assistance Of another who followed
him. 1t was small chest which they
placed upon the floor; and then they
opened trap door, and thcn-Lillic
screamed shrieked at the highest
pitch of her voice, for the ono who
had first entered the room and turned
his face toward her, and she saw that
it was George Hartly.
The scream was hardly uttered
when coarse, heavy hand was over
her mouth, and she felt herself rudely
grasped by strong arms, while harsh
voice muttered, 'Gf you speak or
move again Iii cut your heart out.1 |
Then the speaker sounded . whistle
which he held in his hand, and which
was evidently signal for the two
men inside the house, pushed the box
hastily down the trap, which they
closed. 9-ft
But now q loud shout was heard
near by; several lights appeared, and
a moment more Lilies captor was
dashed to the ground by . strong arm,
and she found herself held tight in
well yes--the embrace of-John Rut-
ledge. ii
Men rushed rapidIy-half dozen
at least-into the house there was a
crashing of glass, oaths, screams, and |
general melee ; and of all of it Lille
could maze nothing, excepting that
she had been saved from some dire |
disaster--and by John Rutledge, tho
man who had so grossly insultcd her
by his impertinent allusi0ns to her
lover, who--cOuld it be possible ?--
she now saw dragged from the house,
struggling and cursing, handcuffed,
clothes torn, and in general dilapi-
dated condition.. ....
Five minutes after she was seated
in a wagon, with Johns arm support
ing her, as they jolted over the rough |
road, and then she could stand il no
longer. l
"Oh, John what docs it all mean 2"
She had never called him john be- |
fore but suppressiDg an exclamation /
of delight, and the wild impulse to
turn somersault over the horses |
head, he said, quietly:
at means, Lille, that Mr.. George |
Hartley is the leader of a gang of
counterfciters; that you happened |
sOmehOw--God knows how--to strag-
gled upon his den; that the man ont
side saw and seized you; that you
screamed; that who was looking for
you, and the officers, who werc look
ing for him, came up in the nick of
time to save you from-what 1 dare
not think of" ,a.aa ..t.
And here poor John broke down;
and it is OF record that this outrage
Gus little firt of Lille Gordon said,
thereupon, "DOn't cry, John," and
that she even put up her handker-
chief to see that he Obeyed her orders
then and there. .r.t..-..
Great JOY was there in the house of
Gordon that night, when, at about,
midnight, Mr.. Rutledge made his ap-
pearance with the lost one.
Great surprise was there in society
next day when Mr.. George Hartley
was duly arraigned i'm the proper court |
for cOunterfeiting-not greenbacks,
good people, but The sterling old gold |
and silver of this republic, in use in
those happy days when We were
children.
Great fluttering was there not ma
nv uooEc n flor whom Mr. and Mrs