Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-09-16
An 0riqiual Sturp.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
THE SEVEN NSISTERSOF YORK.
CHAPTER XVIII.

ny, and Hugh Thornton held him down with an
iron grasp. There was blood scattered about
the floor, and on the white bed.clothes, and
Hugh's left arm was bleeding profusely from
deep cut made by the knife in its erring
quest for a more vital part.
II call you all to Witness" said Hugh,
looking up to those around him as he held
his struggling foe, "that have not injured
this man, and have not touched him but in
selfdefence. He came to seek my life"
"Whats the matter with him now7" asked
the landlord, who, with two others, advanced
to relieve Hugh. already weakened from bis
wound, and secured the PROSTATE wretch.
"He don't seem to have much breath in him"
"It looks like ft," said another. "See
how his eyes roll, and look how black his lips
are"
1t was, indeed, sort of convulsion or
spasm which had seized their prisoner, who,
with set teeth, and eyeballs glaring frightful-
ly in their sockets, flung himself from side to
side, with violence that made it requisite for
the utmost strength to be exerted to keep him
from dashing his brains out against the wall
or floor. In few moments, however, the at
tack passed off. He became quiet, his dis
torted features resumed their wonted form,
and his eyes glared with conscious hate and
baffled revenge, at his escaped victim, who,
steadfastly regarding him, had sunk upon
chair close by.
II missed my aim," he Kissed out savagely,
in thick, broken voice, quivering with i'm
potent rage. 1T was the DEVILS own luck
that lost me that chance"
"It was the devil that had the bad luck this
time, I'm thinking" said the landlord. "Give
an account of yourself, you villain! What
is your bloody name?"
HE knows me-" was the gasping reply,
with look toward Hugh. "Ill answer no
questions now. Take me away from here"
"Ay, ay-we'll take you away quick
enough" said the landlord. "There's coach
and pair coming along directly to give you
ride and when you are safe behind the bars
you'll answer all the questions that are put to
you, I'm thinking"
"Hugh Thornton" said the prisoner, rails
ing himself on his elbow, "you did me an evil
turn once, which have never forgotten. l
swore to revenge myself on you as soon as
fate threw an opportunity in my way. lhave
sought to fulfill this VOW, and failed. ac-
cept my destiny. But the star Of your doom IS
fzed in the horizon, and shines there wiA a
blood-red g!sam 1t shines mockingly upon the
ruin Of oil your earthly hopes"
Fanatic !" cried Hugh. "Even in your
disguise, 1 recognized a familiar face, which
years had not obliterated from my memory.
1t is time that you should be called to account
for all the crimes of your miserable life !"
"Called to account by no human tribunal
before no earthly bar"
The hoarse voice died away in rattling
whisper. Again fearful spasm convulsed
the face of the guilty man; and writhing and
struggling, he was borne from the room, while
Hugh, sinking back exhausted, suffered his
injured arm to be attended to by the just.ar-
rived physician, for whom the landlord had
considerably sent
His account of the feud existing between
himself and the prisoner was briefly given.
Marcus Janin, an Englishman by birth, but
of French parentage, was mere adventurer,
who had lived a reckless life, and had man.
aged to gain a livelihood by almost every
other means but an honest one. 1t had fallen
once in Hugh's way to help him, soon after
his arrival in Italy, which he had done to the
best of his ability but some months later,
becoming cognizant of fraudulent act COM
mitted by Janin, he had deemed it proper to
make it known, thereby losing him an ap-
pointment he was on the eve of obtaining to
a position of high trust and honor in the SER
vice of a Neapolitan prince Janin escaped
arrest and fled, but vowed vengeance on the
author of his disgrace. Hugh, notwithstand-
ing his discovery of his guilt, had been dispos-
ed to pity him. He was an eccentric, Highty
creature, with wild and unbalanced mind,
full of superstitious fancies. and apparently
without moral restraint; yet with an intel.
lect, in some respects, sngularly acute, and
marvellous cleverness in adapting himself to
almost any position he was called on to gil.
He had lost sight of him from that time until
the present. and little imagined the deep thirst
for vengeance which his act of justice had ex-
cited in the breast of his foe, who hated him
all the more, because he had once received
benefit at his hands.
Anxious to obtain an interview with Janin
in the prison whittier he had been conveyed,
in order to arrive at clearer understanding
of the motives which had prompted his MUIR
derous assault, Hugh, Notwithstanding his
weakened condition, would have visited him
the next morning, but his physician forbade.
He was, therefore, obliged to content himself
with sending trustworthy messenger in his
stead but when the latter arrived at the
prison, he found that Janin had put himself
out of reach ofthe penalty of the law-he had
perished by his own hand. The gaoler, enter
ing his cell at eight o'clock, had discovered
the miserable man hanging to a rail behind
the door, by moose made of one of his gar
ments, which he had torn into strips for the
purpose. Pinned to his clothing was half
sheet of paper, apparently the back of an old
letter, on which was scrawled in pencil note
addressed to H. Thornton. 1t ran thus:
81 said would be judged by no human tribu-
nal, and keep my word. am tired of life un-
der any circumstances. The only object of inter-
est had-which was to destroy y0u, and blot
your name out from the face of the earth-is taken