Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-08
an 0rigiual Storg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
DESTINY;
OR,
DOWN. .
BY NELLY MARSHALL McAFEE.
CHAPTER V.

Almost midnight!
A night.lamp, made of plated cottor
wick in saucer of oil, burns with weak ligh
and strong odor, casting its dull ray on the
white face of the invalid, and upon her two
nodding friends, who, utterly worn out with
the excitement and sorrow and bodily fatigue
of the day, are locked fast in the arms Of
Morpheus. The room-door was fastened with
bobbin latch-nothing stronger-and every
other tenant slept profoundly. Suddenly, old
Mrs. Dinwiddie snored loudly, and the woman
on the landing outside, who seemed moulded
out of the crapy shadows of night, started
back in alarm.
"The devil seize them !' CALCULATED Miriam
Halstcad, (for it was she) full of impatient
wrathfulness. "would they were dead and out
of my way she added, clenching her hands
fercely; II have taken divers aAd sundry
drinks, and yet have not the courage to
complete the job These Internal board:
creak SOL" she muttered, after pause, and
then softly advanced toward the door. Gen
tly she pulled the bobbin and the latch flew up
as silently Accomplishing this much, she
stood listening for few moments with her
head bent. Mrs Dinwiddie was now snoring
loudly in downright earnest, and in fainter
key Benna kept accompaniment. They were
fast asleep as the oldest church in Christen-
dom.
Miriam now pushed open the door, only a
little at time, and finally put her head in
the open space and gazed about her. She
could see that the slumber of the watchers
was too deep to be easily disturbed. She
thereupon drew sharp butcher-knife from
the pocket of her dress, and with this in her
hand, she noiselessly advanced, step by step.
1t was we'll that the sleepers were quiet; tor
had they stirred or wakened, this desperate
woman would have used her sharp knife for
a.rash and bloody purpose s,e had not at first
contemplated. Nearer, yet nearer, she ap-
preached the couch on which her dying sister
lay in feverish slumber. Every limb was
shaking as with palsy, for she trembled, lest
the dreamers should arouse and discover her,
and thwart her cruel errano
Presently she paused abruptly. The clock
in house across the way chimed out the
hour ofmidnight, in clear, tirkling sounds, that
made Miriam catch her breath in dread. But
the metallic strokes did not rouse the sleep
ers, and Miriam proceeded t. perform her mis-
sion without additional fearof peril or him
drance. With ice-cold anc unsteady hand
she used the knife, after sumry gentle frltter-
Jugs of the wood about the ock, to prize it
back and open the top drawer of an old FASH
ioned chest of theirs, and tase from thence
worn leathern pocketbook, out of which,
dozen times, she had seen oil Mrs. Dinwiddie
count her honest earnings.
She then retreated with ar hastier steps
than she had entered. Theprize was secure
in her hand, and her wicked heart was beat
ing loudly in exultation. AS she left the
room she stumbled over the bit of oil cloth
that Law untacked at the dor. The noise Of
her sudden and violent increment wakened
the unconscious but good ole woman and her
grand-child at the same tine They both
started to their feet with ,xclamations Of
alarm, for the room was completely dark, the
draught caused by the abrup closing of the
door having extinguished thenight lamp that
did not, at best, afford much relief.
"Mercy on me, Benna, l haze been asleep!
said Mrs. Dinwiddie, in half,wakened tones.
$50 have I, granny, do bdieve," answer
ed Benna, in whisper.
"Did you hear any voice, c(ild? ?"
II thought did, granny. What made the
light 60 out, wonder? Do you reckon it
burned out, granny"
"Where did you put the lighters 7"
Benna was so dazed she colld not remem-
Der. She tried to think, but gave it up. 81
don't know, granny; somewhges about!
Mrs. Dinwiddie groped about everywhere
On the mantel-then on the table-then in
the press-but without success. She could
not find the matchbox anywhere. Finally
she grew impatient and gave up the search.
II can't find 'em," she said ;"we must stay
in the dark till day dawns."
Il don't much like that, granny" answered
Benna with a shudder. ut isn't pleasant to
be in the dark with poor sick body near us
that may wake any minute. I'm all of Il
shiver like"
Mrs. Dinwiddie groped her way to tn"
couch and touched the sick girl, then returned
to her granddaughter
"The poor critters too much eat up with
fever to want anything. Daylightll soon be
here so don't let us bother about it, but wait
patiently as we CAM
So saying, the good old woman seated her
self, and putting an arm about Benna's plump
shoulders, they soon fell fast asleep again.
Meanwhile Miriam Halstead had stealthily
stolen from the house and secreted herself be-
hind pile of wood under a shed, and there
stretching herself at full length, she soon be-
came unconscious of the world around her
The beams of the morning sun rested upon
the face of good Mrs. Dinwiddie and her no
less worthy grand. d.daughter, when they next
opened their eyes. They wakened, by vital
sympathy, at the selfsame instant, and to-
gether stared about them. They did not
speak; the power of speech seemed lost to
them. Benna clung to her grandmother, and
she, in turn, clung to her, while thus voice
less and with loudly beating hearts, they gazed
first upon the fever-fushed face of the sleeper
and then upon the open drawer Of the chest
90, Lord!' Benna at last gasped forth, as