Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-08-10
sass;n were dyed with the crimson

raplQly lrOm LIS nono nAon AAo :,
kerchief, and going to the foot OF the
bed, knelt down, and with some ct.
fort drew forth a strong, steel-bound
box. This he opened with the key
in his possession, and searched ca
gerly among its contents, which were
chiefly papers, till he found what he d
wanted. It was a document with
three seals; and for moment John
Henshard hesitated whether or not to
break them then and there. But a
noise in the street apparently decl-
ded him, and thrusting the paper
into his bosom, be locked and re.
placed the strong box, laid the key
under the dead mans pillow, and
stealthily but rapidly left the chamber
and the house.
Ten minutes later Bridget arrived
without Lizzie, whom she had been
unable to find at home-ten minutes
too latel
The old woman entered her mas
ter's chamber, beheld the ghastly
form stretched in death upon the
bed, with the blood still oozing from
the dropped jaws; and instinctly
recoiling from the awful shock, she
rushed down stairs and into the de-
serted street, startling its solitary
silence with the terrific cry Of
a Murder murder murder j.
X x.
Simon Henshard was a prodigal in
his youth, and miser in his age
not an uncommon transition. He
married, for money, atforty, and two
children were born to him, at FIVE
years interval, the last of whom,
John Henshard, cost his mother her
life. For this reason, perhaps, it was
that Old Simon (as he was even then
called) never loved his child, re-
garding him somehow as the cause
Of his wife's death; for he had come
to look upon her not exactly with
real affection, but as something ne
cessary to his selfish comfort. Shortly
after her death, Simon removed to
the squalid quarters described above,
and commenced the aordid life that
became .hem, leaving the younger
boy to the teachings, good and evil,
of vagabond chance, and his own
inclinations. The fruit thereof was
what had been briefly shown. The
wind was sown, and the whirlwind
inexorably reaped.
The elder son. Lester, meanwhile
had been taken by q distant relative,
Simon averring that he made too
much noise about the house, and was
a constant source Of anxiety rather
than consolation and was brought
up to manhood away from the intu-
ences that his home life must lnevita-
bly, have produced.
But when young Lester was one
and-twenty, his father had recalled
him, and for year made him a
drudge and a slave. Then, however,
he rebelled. and put y fatal seal upon
his rebellion by wooing and wedding
Lizzie Mardep. a sott-eyed, gentle
blonde of eighteen, good as sia Was
fair, but poor unto direst poverty,
and witl a crippled mother to sup
port. For this, Simon Henshard
drove his eldest son from house and
heart (if he ever had any forever.
So Lester had gone into tie army,
and to the battle-6elds, and upon
one of them had yielded up his lille
$50 said the war-bulletins, though
his body was never found. And his
death, Simon. with strange incon.
sistency, laid at Lizzia's door, instead
of his own, and theneefoftk hated
her, and forbade her name being
mentioned in his presence.
During this time, John Henshard
had grown prematurely old and har-
dened in evil courses, and was q bit
ter thorn in the side OF the old miser,
his father, who had been forced to
loosen bis grip Of many n beloved
guinea to save his name from infamy
in the person Of his son.
And 10 he had had at least his
reward An awful reckoning had
smitten him. But that of his son,
the parricade, the robber, was yet to
come. Simon Henshard had died
said the law-by violence at the
hands Of a person or persons un-
known.
John Henshard escaped suspicion,
for the time, both on account of his
known absence from the house at
the moment of the crime, and from
the admirable counterfeited horror OF
the deed, There was at first dispo.
sition to accuse Bridget of the fear.
full act; but she proved II complete
aHbi in her errand to the murdered
mans daughter-in-law; and besides
her faithful attachment to her mas
ter was fully attested, both by Lizzie
and by John Ilenshard himself.
The effects of the deceased were
duly searched, and no will being
found, the entire property went into
the possession of his only living issue
John Henshard, the parricide.
In a comfortable chamber, with
bachelor and somewhat sporting
air about it. sat three persons at {
table, The hour was late, midnight
having just chiped from the bron4'
clock on the mantel. and the tabli
was covered with the debris of
feast which vas verging upon al
orgie.
Il say, John," exclaimed one 9
the three boon companions, as hi
filled his glass with Bsrgundy ani
passed the bottle, if you didn't throt
tie the old man, it must have beer
the Old Boy himselfl Come, now
between staunch friends, own tina
you squeezed him. We won'tpeach
you know"
JOHN Heashard swallowed a bum
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