Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-01-09

dislike to her, the more especially, as ne saw
that his wife depended upon her more than ne
chose to think proper.
"I do not think, Lucy" he said one day,
that it lis suitable for you to have servant so
constantly about you. 1t seems to me that l
never come into your room that l do not lind
her there. Surely you cannot need her SER
vices all the time; and her conversation,
should think, cannot be particularly enter
tanning"
Lucy replied that it had always been Me-
lissa's custom to bring her sewing into the
house, and that she had not thought of making
her discontinue the habit.
"Let her discontinue it in the future" said
Stanley. "She can take her work into the
servants hall, which is the proper place for
her; suppose she is experienced enough not
to need your supervision"
So, to Melissa's unbounded wrath, she was
banished from her mistress's room except at
such hours only when her attendance was
necessary.
The overweening jealousy of stanley's dis
position would not permit him to endure any
object, however humble, about his wife, which
he thought engrossed too much Of her consd-
Grafton or affection.
Left thus entirely to her own resources, ex-
cept when acting in blind obedience to her
husbands will, Lucy passed much of her time
in reading, and the morbid state of her mind
led her to select books that were unfortunately
of the very worst description for one so cheer
lcssly situated as herself. Romances of a
gloomy and unnatural tone, abounding in
ghostly horrors and supernatural occurrences,
seemed to possess an unwholesome fascination
for her; and over these she would pore for
hours at time until her nerves would be
completely unstrung, and she would tremble
like an aspen at the sound Of a suddenly closed
door, the creaking Of shutter or the sighing
ofthe wind. These feelings we're fostered, too,
by ne scmbreness of her surroundings, and
the perfect silence and repose that pervaded
the atmosphere in which she moved. There
was certain long corridor leading to the
rooms in the "west wing" as one portion Of
the house was called, which she would not
have dared, after filling her mind with these
ideas, to traverse after nightfall alone; the
more especially, as she had been informed by
Melissa, who heard it from the other servants
about the place, that the house had for many
years been known to be haunted, and that in
regard to this "west wing" there was some
mysterious tradition, the exact nature of which
she was not positive about; "but "she knew it
was something bout ghos, and she wouldn't
sot her foot dere after dark, not she !"
The screech-owls, those lenizens Of the
woods with which every resident in the coun-
tryis familiar. but which, having always lived
in the city, Lucy had never become acquain-
ted with before, appeared to her like myste-
rious harbingers of evil, and she never could
hear their unearthly cry without shudder
of apprehension and dismay. Even the dis
NAL croaking of the frogs at twilight sounded
like prophetic chorus Of ominous import,
which often sent a cold chill through her
veins.
My readers must not think poor Lucy
very silly, weak-minded woman, but take
into consideration the peculiar circumstances
which surrounded her, and the unnatural bias
given to her mind by the mode Of life she
was complied to lead. So nervous and excl
table had she become, that the following in
cident, apparently simple one, agitated her
exceedingly though on considering the mat
ter afterwards she could not but acknowledge
to herself that her fears had been needlessly
aroused
She was walking alone one afternoon in the
grounds at the rear of the house, awaiting
Stanley's return from ride, when she per-
ceived advancing toward her, through the
trees, woman wrapped in cloak, with hat
and veil on, which shaded and partly conceal
ed her face. She stopped involuntarily, and
the woman stopped also, and confronted her
with somewhat peculiar expression, though
without any appearance Of incivility. Think
ing she might be stranger who had lost her
way, Lucy, again advancing, asked if she
wished anything, or if she was looking for any
body.
EYES," said the woman slowly, and still
keeping her eyes fixed on Lucy's face, II am
looking for somebody, but it isn't you, madam,
though I should be glad if you could direct
me in my search"
II will do so with pleasure, if it is in my
power" said Lucy courteously
"Then can you tell me, madam, if Mr.. AL
fred Stanley lives here? I was directed to
this place, but seem to think that my infor-
mant was mistaken. This is surely not Mr..
Stanley's resdence?"
eyes, it is" said Lucy. "Yonder is the
house, among the trees. Do you wish to see
Mr. Stanley?"
II do, madam is he at home?"
"He is not at home, just now, but will soon
return will you not walk on to the house, and
sit down?' rejoined Lucy.
II thank you, no-I will remain here until
he comes OHIO" said the woman, as if sud-
denly changing her mind, "that would not be
advisable, either-no, no, I must wait l
must see him alone, quite alone! I have
business with Mr.. Stanley, madam, which
must be attended to without witnesses-I have
an important fact to communicate. You are,
probably, his sister," she added, in an enqui-
ring tone.
"No," said Lucy, who now began to think