Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-07-02
Am 0rigiual Stprg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
HOLLINGWOOD HOUSE.
BY. MRS. HENRY DEAS.
CHAPTER XVI.

Soon the news of what had happened spread
over the place, and the greatest excitement OF
course, prevailed. DIR. Norwood was anxious
to break the news, himself, to Ellinor, and also
to Sydney but, as he feared, the servants got
the precedence of him, and impaired it in
their own abrupt and startling manner. He
was met in the hall, by Ellinor, whose pale
and terrified face betrayed her knowledge OF
the disaster.
"Oh Doctor, this is horrible? y she cr'ed'
clasping her hands.
"Just like those fools, to 60 and tell you" J"
said the doctor, impatiently. 81 wanted to
keep it quiet, for little while, at any rate.
Now. YOU are all unnerved, and not fit for
anything at all"
"Oh 10, it is only the shock; will get
over it presently, and you need not fear that
it will destroy my usefulness as nurse Grand
papa is quiet now, and seems to be asleep, or
I would not have left him. But can you tell
me anything of this dreadful business-have
YOU an idea who could have -"
"None in the world, unless the thief and
the murderer were one and the same person,
and even that supposition does not enlighten
me much, so far. But we'll find out, never
fear; such an atrocious mystery is bound to
be cleared up, sooner or later. Now, my
dear, Just 60 back to your grand'father's room,
won't you? I am going to have the poor
woman brought in, and don't care to have
you encounter such sight-you could do no
good, you know"
Ellinor obediently retired; she had, in
truth, no desire to be in the way of the mel
ancholy procession, which presently passed
through the hall, on their way to the house.
keepers room, bearing their lifeless burden on
litter which the doctor had hastily prepared.
After giving the attendants all necessary d.
rections DR.. Norwood went to Sydney's room,
anxious to calm any undue excitement which
he might find him laboring under. He was
shocked to find him sitting up in bed with his
face deeply flushed, his eyes dilated and gilt
tering, and his whole manner denoting most
unusual and unexpected degree of agitation.
Around him were scattered the written sheets
of paper that had been left on the dressing
room table, one of which he held in his tremb-
ling hand.
doctor" he gasped, extending the paper
toward him, as he approached the bed, "tor
Gods sake, look-look here p
"Well, what's the matter?" asked the doc
tor, who was always cool in the most trying
and unusual situations.
"Tell me, is it true is she really murdered,
as they say?-for PHYS sake!"
Mrs Norton? Yes, poor woman, it is un-
fortunately too true-though WHY you should
have been told in this sudden way"
"Then," said Sydney, falling back upon his
pillow, 81 have murdered her."
"You pooh, pooh, my dear sir; what folly
are you talking? How on earth"
doctor, you don't know am the cause
of it all. Do you know who she was"
Haven't the least idea," said the DOCTOR
except that she is the ColonePs house-keeper" :"
"She ,cas my sOJe?'
The doctor stared at him, for moment, in
blank amazement, then said quietly
"You are raving, my young friend"
81 am no more raving than you are. AS
heaven is my witness, l speak the solemn
truth. Her name and her dress were only as
sumed her true name was Elsie Deane and
was married to her six years ago, in little
town in France"
His tone carried conviction to the doctors
mind but the revelation was so startling, so
utterly unlooked-for and incomprehensble,
that for moment it overwhelmed him, and
completely took away the power of replying.
He sat down on the foot of the bed, and looked
hard at Sydney's face.
"Do you mean to say, he asked him, when
he could speak, "that the assertion you have
Just made is actually true, or the result only
of some fraudulent imposition upon your Gre
dulity?"
"It is only too true," said Sydney, with a
groan "would to heaven l could find it a
delusion. Oh! Doctor, my soul is overbur-
dened with SIM have much, much to an
swer for. But you will find an explanation of
everything in these papers-the time for con-
cealment is past, and it is only fitting that
the knowledge of my guilt should be laid be-
fore those from whom it has been hidden so
long"
"Ill look at no papers," said the doctor,
with resolute air, "until 1 take some meas
ures to quiet you down again, or shall have
you in another brain fever before long be-
lieve now I shall find out the whole thing is
only deception-it's too irrational and ab-
surd to be true. Well, we'll, never mind" he
added, hastily, as Sydney was commencing
fresh asseveration, "do, for mercy's sake, be
quiet now, and do what l order you, and I'll
believe anything you say have an idea I'm
going distracted myself, amid so many sudden
catastrophes and discoveries was never in
such muddle in my life before"
This state of feeling, however, did not pre-
vent him from using his customary prompt
and skillful means for restoring his patients
disordered nerves to something like tranquil
ty; he gave him composing draught, talked
to him just enough to quiet his agitation, and
convince him of the sympathy he felt for
him-a conviction particularly soothing to
him in his present selfcondemnatory state of
mind-and then, assuring him that he would,
without delay, peruse the manuscript, which
would throw light on the strange revelation
he had made, he left the room, with the