The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-03-21
Written for the WoRKNsnAN's ADVOCATE.
UNDER A SPELL!
CLOSE PLAY FORA FORTUNE!
BV WELDON ). COBB, JK
CHAPTER |.
A sTARTLIN0 REVELATION.
BV WELDON ). COBB, JK.


ia, wstered by streams which, rolling owe
| golden sands, yielded to the rich earth tn
fruits Of an lnexhaustible fertility, scarcely
hall century since, was situated the Mark
nam manor, one Of the stateliest and mos
capaclous edihces in that portion Of tn,
State. Rich III Legendary we'll rs rev0
| lutIOnary "reminiscences, the old manor
house was landmark IN its way, having
Sithstood the storms and ravages Of many
generations, and towering grandly in all It'
arch -tectural pride to the fair skies OF the
sunny south, lmperviOus to war or the de
structIve elements. Since its erection,
however, many modern improvements had
been lnaugurated and completed, and mas
sIve AddItIOns aGldsd to the beauty vi the
original structure, giving strength and dl
nenslOn, and ca lslng 1t to resemble some
ancient barunlal castle Such. evidently,
vas the intention Of the builder; bM il
"as tor succeeding generations to complete
the task left III n state Of Imperfectlon by
the primal architect.
At the time our tale commences, Mark
ham manor and its surroundings Was one
Of the most interesting spots IN TINS region
Ihe fair acres spread out On the one hand
meadows, as far as the eye could extend
and ON the other, terminating abruptly III
series of mountains, embracing some Of
the widest scenery Ia the State. High,
gigantic rocks, like tumulous monuments,
looked down upon the peaceful valley be
low, and dangerous prtcipIces trO~ned ON
lnously on all sides, and PIcturesquely nes-
tIIng III the very heart Of the valley sur
TO lnded by trees, titanic IN size and patri-
archal in age, was the manor house itself
place not unknown to the inhabitants If
adjoining counties, even for tie historical
commissioners linked with its erection, and
the retnembrances clustering around its
present owner, Raleigh Markham, man
as we'll known throughout the region iyr his
wealth, as for his austere, and at times, ret-
Icent manner.
Besides the servants of the house and
the occasional guest, or belated traveller.
no one occupied the mansion beside himself,
save An only daughter, Clarbel, young
glri Of nineteen, Just blooming into woman
mood, and celebrated III the nelghborlng
village of Calhoun, for her loneliness ana
nodesty OF grace The stern old revolu-
IUnary soldier, who was unapproachablt
oy all, the naughty lord Of the manor,
whose cold retIcence chilled those who came
III contact with him; became gentle as
lamb In the presence Of the apple Of his
eye, aud the sole consolation Of his lonely
heart-the innocent Claribel He had not
always been the same as at present f; many
could remember the time when Mr. Mark
ham had joined IN % viLls,re celebrations
with as much enthusiasm as any If them.
But that WAS before his beautiful wife had
fed from beneath his roof, fifteen years
before, gossip said, with one Colonel Dele
vas, leaving the old man desolate, and the
young ClarIbel III her lone fathers charge,
and soon after the news arrived Of Mrs.
Markhams death with her companion, the
Ill -fated steamer on which they we're pass
engers sinking i'll the Atlantic. Mrs. Mark
ham had ever been giddy creature, but if
she broke the old mans heart, he showed
no sign save an entire change in demeanor.
From the light hearted man, he became
merged into cynical being, whose manner
vas as frigid and repellant as an iceberg
But no one knew the real secret of the
cause Of separation, or flight, whichever it
was, but Markham himself, and he kept
the secret closely locked IN his own heart
A faint, a very faint breath of suspicion
against the honor of Colonel Markham
himself-rumOrs of former marriage, boy
Ish Imprudence and the like, had been cir
culated III defence of the part acted by his
wife but there was no apparent founda-
ton to the tale, and 1t was treated as an
idle gossip. And 50, since the eventful
day when Mrs. Markham fled her husbands 8
roOf-slnce the period when the light heart
ed man became gloomy recluse-things
had gone Ou much the same a. before, save
that no longer the sounds of gaiety and
festivity rang through the old halls, and
gave sunshine and brightness to the vener-
able old manse. A hroken-hesrted, disap-
pointed man, to whom all enjoyment Of
earth seemed vapid, proftless, almost intol-
erable. Colonel Markham settled down
into q deep impenetrable gloom, which
chilled all who came in contact with him
and from which he never emerged, save in
the sunshine of his idohzed daughter s
smiles and laughter.
A terrible storm was sweeping over the
mountains and through the valley on the
evening Of the day which ushers in OIL
story. All through the autumnal day, the
rain had fallen III sheets, accompanied by
vivid flashes OF lightning and deafening
peals of thunder which, reverberating
through the mountains, added ten fold tC
the terror likely to impress the mind of q
stranger to such scenes, for in the South
alone does the storm king marshal his full
batteries, and the elements give full vent
to their force. Yet as the shades of eve
ming were falling thick and fast over ter
| n horv vss,1u
hills, and the storm became intensified il
all its fury, a hOrseman wended his devious
way through one Of the most irregular o.
the many rocky de6les of that region, IL
the direction Of Calhoun, viewing tn,
awful progress of the stO.m as unconcern
edly as one would . smiling landscape
His stsed, too, though at times almos
blinded by the dazzling flashes Of light
gave no token of fear, and steady, a. i
with practical eye, plodded YEARLY ovel
the hard and unfamiliar road. The spiri
Of the reckless daring, defiant glitter o
whose eye showed Q master will, seemeC
to Undue the stsed, and no sign Of fear o.
alarm were evinced by either, when som,
gigantic tree fell riven asunder by the de
structive thunderbolt, or hurled over SOM
dark abyss, torn up by the roots, by SOM
fierce blast of wind. The rider enter
tanned himself by q humming cadence, q
though familiar with scenes Of peril an,
danger, his keen glittering eye marking tn
road with ~ ift but certain accuracy h
was young man not moIe than twenty
i've or thirty, and his GOODNESS and Perfsc
unconCeFn Of surrounding danger gave evi
dence of long experiences amid sucl
scenss. He wa marked N TO profile viii
that foreign cAst of countenance, whicl
puzzles even the most expert physiogno
mist, combining the element Of tn
spaniard, the Frenchman and the Italian
he was we'll formsd, handsome, and in hi
deep, keen eye and wsll-cut features ap
peared cunning, avarice, irony and decep
tion, veil concealed BY the defiant sneer
which seemed to be habitnal with him.
The stora wnB raging with izTsnistibl'
| vloisnce ~ he selected the most temMble o