Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-09-11

! not De 80 easily Caken. LID, WHO SIoou w
saw this exhibition of Benson's courage; and
in return gave him blow under the left ear
which sent him reeling to the floor. At this
the whole school shouted, and Tim was ever
after hailed by the youngest as protection
against the tyrannies of Benson.
But Tim himself was not entirely at ease
on the score of Miss Ayres. The old uncle
had frowned on him, as he entered the house,
and had given sundry hints that Eliza was
not for him while at the same time he had
attempted to lay his commands upon Eliza
respecting the acceptance Of Benson. This
uncle's name was Pell. He had been made
the sole executor of the will of Eliza's father,
himself having the profits of the large estate
of the deceased gentleman, after supporting
and educating the daughter in her minority,
or until she should marry. An item in the
will was to this effect-that if Eliza married
person of moderate fortune, the whole estate,
amounting to sixty thousand dollars, was to
come hers on her marriage day, or when she
became of age-but if her husband was him
self heir to thirty thousand dollars. half of the
estate became the property of her uncle
which sufficiently explains the anxiety on the
part of Mr.. Pell, that Eliza should marry
Benson, as he would thereby become possessed
of snug little property.
Tim visited Eliza one evening, and found
her in tears. On his inquiring the case, she
informed him that Benson had that day re-
peated his suit, and had again been rejected
that on learning it, her uncle had come in and
upbraided her, and threatened if she did not
accept Benson, to dispossess her of 1her prop.
erty alleging that he possessed the means of
doing so, as nobody had ever read the will Of
her father except himself that the subscrib-
ing witness did not know the contents-that
probate had never been taken on it, and that
it was in his power to insert therein clause,
recurring if she married it must be with the
consent of him, as her guardian and the exc
cutor of the will ; and then if she married
Tim, it would be without his consent, and she
would thereby become disinherited forever.
"Can't you get possession Of the will? in.
quired Tim of Eliza.
II should think it impossible, as my uncle
keeps it we'll secured in an iron SAFE"
"I'll manage it my DEAR" replied Tim, and
we'll get the will from the old tyrant, or am
no conjuror. You have told me, think,
that your uncle was very superstitious ?"
"He is," said Eliza; she imagines often that
he hears the voice of Mr.. Jones, and others of
his former tenants who are now dead; and no
wonder, for his expressions were the ruin OF
those poor men," Z.
"In what part of the house does your uncle
lodge?" enquired Tim.
"On the first floor of the wing, at the ex-
tremity of the building" she replied.
Tim bade her good evening, and then went
to consult Mr.. Fletcher, his attorney.
After sometime being spent in the consulta-
ton, Tim departed, and was vending his way,
in brown study, toward his boarding house,
when he was accosted by Peter, the black SER
want of Pell, with
"Fine evening, Massa Jocelyn-l want to
speak to you"
Tim stopped and urned round to the negro.
He was stout, humorous looking fellow,
and approached Tim very gracefully. He
had been brought up by Eliza's father, and
was favorite domestic of that gentleman in
his lifetime. Peter commenced
"Look here, Massa Jocelyn, you not know
what going on at Massa Pell's since let you
out of the gate this evening. Dat feller Ben
son he come again to see Missis and she scam
per off to her room and shut herself up, and
then Benson went away. Pretty soon Massa
Pell Che wicked old chap, Massa Jocelyn)
come and call young Missus out, and told her
she must marry dat Benson in a month, or he
turn her out Of door. Poor young Missus cry
and take on so, dat l couldn't stand it, and so
l fell blubbering too-caze you see, she's
my old Massas darter, and I carry her in my
arms when she little piccaninny. Dat ole
Massa Pell berry cruel, Massa Jocelyn, and
he say she no hab any property if she no
marry Benson. Now, Massa Jocelyn, what's
to be done? Can't you lick dat Benson ?
Be sure you can"
Peter was here interrupted by Tim, who,
finding from the tone of the negro's converse
ton, that he did not like his present master
over much, and would, therefore be of service
to him in furthering the plan he was about to
propose, asked him where he slept.
"In little room ia de wing, close by Massa
Pell's bedroom. He make me sleep dare,
cause he 'fraid-and sometimes he talk in his
sleep, and say he see ghosts and den he call
me to set up all night wild candle"
Tim here informed the negro of the circum-
stances relating to the will that he was anx-
ious to obtain possession of it, for the purpose
of having it proved and recorded; then it
would be put out of old Pell's power to injure
his young mistress. Tim, have said before,
was ventriloquist. He explained this to
Peter, and they together formed the project of
frightening old Pell out Of the possession OF
the will. 1t was arranged that Tim should
come to the negro's room about twelve o'clock
that night, and their preconcerted manage
ment while there, is now about to appear
1t was five minutes of twelve o'clock. The
night was dark and stormy, and the wind
howled over the branches Of the trees, and
creaked the shutters of the mansion. Old
Pell had retired to his room, and undressed
himself, put on his night cap, and was busy in
mind respecting the thirty thousand he was
to obtain if Eliza married Benson. He went
to the safe, and took out the will, and thus
soliloquized:
"The jade must be compelled to submit or
she gets no property. Here is blank in the
will sufficiently large to insert what is neces-
sary, and as drew it originally, it will be the
seme hand writing, and never be detected.
So I'll just insert here, where it says Eliza is
to become possessed of her property on her
marriage day-'Provided she marries with
the consent of Samuel Pell, whom have con-
stituted guardian, and sole executor of this
my last will and testament Peters room
was adjoining that of old Pell; there was a
glass window in the door between them, and
there was one who had been an attentive OBJ
server and listener to the conduct and solilo-
guy of old Pell. The old scamp had dipped
his pen in the inkstand, smoothed out the fol-
ded parchment, and crooked his elbow to
write, when
Z, ar;od q loon tonod hollnu nd