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

the negro.
."Get up" said Pell, shaking with fright
"and come into my room."
Peter went in accordingly.
Fell continued, "Did you hear nothing
Peter?"
"No, Massa. What you hear that scare
you so?"
mo matter, want you to stay with me
and keep candle burning. I'll 60 to bed"
Pell accordingly prepared himself to turn
best to put the will again into the safe before
he retired. He advanced to the table fol
that purpose, and was in the act of taking up
the parchment, when the same unearthly voice
exclaimed
"Let the will alone old Pell!'
He started back with so much force as to
upset Peter, who, falling against the table,
upset that also-the candle on the table be-
came upset and extinguished, and all was to-
tai darkness.
"What in time all you, Nassau" asked Pc
ter; "what scare you dis timer"
"Didn't you hear voice?" asked Pell.
"No, Massa, hear nothing"
During the darkness and confusion, Tim
slipped into Pell's room, and with phospho.
ric preparation wrote on the wall the ominous
word "Forgery!" in large, cleaning charac'
!ers, picked up the will, and made his exit
back into Peters room. If anything could
add to the CONSERVATION Of the already hor.
ror-struck Pell, it was beholding that terrible
word blazing and twinkling on the opposite
wall. He swooned away with fright. Peter
raised his master on chair, threw some water
in his face, and relighted the candle. Pell
soon revived, and was about Fastening to bed,
after inquiring of Peter if he saw nothing on
the wall, to which the negro replied he saw
"nothing but massas cloak hanging there !"
and charging Peter to stay with lighted can
die in the room all night, he parted the cur
tains, preparatory to leap into the bed. .
"Don't come in here, you old sinner y
shrieked the same voice, issuing from the bed
clothes but Pell had already thrown himself
upon the bed, when he swooned again.
Peter threw some water in his face, and
Pell revived again; but he was so exhausted
with the numerous frights, that he was fast
sinking into sleep, when the same voice, in
singing strain exclaimed:
"Good night, good night, old Sammy Pell!
And recollect twill be as we'll
That naught of this nights scene you tell.'
Tim now made his escape from Peters room
and went home. The next morning he called
on Mr.. Fletcher, and after due consultation
with that gentleman, the subscribing witness
to the will, Mr.. Sampson, was found, and
before night the will was duly proved and
put on record.
"Do you intend to keep the will ?" asked
Mr.. Fletcher.
"No," replied Tim, "I intend to return it.
There is no danger of forgery now, since it
has been proved and recorded"
Fletcher laughed. Tim had, of course,
confidently communicated to him all the par
ticulars as to the manner in which the will
had been obtained. Fletcher replied that
Tim would make an excellent lawyer
Pell rose the next morning after his noctur-
nal scene, pale and troubled in mind. Peter,
in answer to his numerous inquiries, stoutly
contended that he had neither seen nor heard
anything the night before, except the acci-
dent of upsetting the table and extinguishing
the candle. - --,-~-,--
ut is very strange" said Pell.
On looking for the will, he found that it
had gone and he no longer doubted that it
was the apparition of the deceased testator,
who had visited him the night before, as he
was in the act of mutilating the instrument
by forgery, and had spirited it away in mi
raculous manner. He kept his room the most
of the day, gloomy and moody; and recol-
lecting the apparition's startling warning, he
was silent on the subject of last nights scene.
Night came IN, and he made Peter sleep in
the same room, but allowed him to put out
the light. Nothing occurred during the night
to disturb his slumbers, but what was his as
tonishment in the morning, on finding that
Peter had left him, and was snoring away
most unmusically in his own room. If this
little fact surprised him, how much was his
CONSERVATION increased by finding the centre.
table upset, the candle lying on the floor, and
the will also few feet from the PROSTATE
table, all in the same situation as they were
when in his fright he had overturned the
table the night previous to the last.
Old Pell now cautiously approached the
will, as it lay on the foor-6rst touching it
with his cane, and then listening, but hearing
no noise he grew more bold, and at last grasp
ed it up, and hurried it into the iron safe,
locked it, and put the key into his pocket.
He next went into Peters room, and after
awakening him, asked him "what he meant
by leaving him and going into his own room
to sleep, when he had been charged to the con-
trary2"
II no understand you, Massa Pell."
"Why, you black scoundrel didn't tell
you to sleep in my room last highland did
l not 60 to bed and leave you sitting there p
mo, massa," replied the negro, chow could
you tell me dat, when you have been fast
asleep yourself, eber since the night before
last!'
Pell opened his mouth in wonder, and ex-
claimed, "What do you say, Peter? Have l
been asleep since the night before last?''
eyes, you hab," replied Peter, "and found
it impossible to wake you all day yesterday"
Pcll scratched his head. The fright which
he had endured had in a measure affected his
Senses and having but an indistinct recollec-
tion of the scene he had passed through, find
ing himself contradicted by Peter in every
thing which he attempted to describe as hav-
ing taken place, and withal not little will
ing to believe that the horrors which he had
suffered were imaginary, he finally settled
down upon the conclusion that it was as Peter
had represented had been asleep thirty
six hours, and had been dreaming; and that
was all. He now resolved more 6rml ly than
ever not to be thwarted in his desig respect
ing Eliza so he goes to the safe, takes out
the will, and it being daylight, he felt fear
less He sat down by the table, and took up
his pen, and after some trembling, finally in
serted the clause therein, the purport of which
the reader has already seen.
He went to Eliza, and informed her that
she must be prepared to marry Benson within
month, limiting that it would be useless for
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