The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-02-10

but just say another word against my
blessed mother, and I'll"
"You'u what2" retorted Harriet, lay
ing down her towel, and advancing to-
ward him with infamed face and arms
akimbo. "D'ye think I'm afraid of you,
you poor pretence of man, that you
dare to threaten me2 What is it you'll
do, I should like to know2"
"I'H teach you, once for all, who is
master here. I'll put stop to all this,
once and forever! I'll rid myself of ~
Here the words were lost to the lis
tcner outside the window, as Ezra cross
ed to the furthest side of the room, and
took down a clothes-lne which hung
looped over wooden peg in the wall.
Then he turned toward his wife, but in
30 doing appeared to catch sight of the
uncurtained window, and came directly
toward it.
Halliday, unwilling to be caught in the
act of eavesdropping, hastily slipped
aside but he saw the solid wooden
shutters drawn in, and heard again the
voice of Harriet Gentry in a high key,
then half-stihed scream, and the sound
of a struggle, and a chair knocked over.
He retreated, thinking over the scene,
and feeling rather glad that Gentry had
at last taken 80 decided a position-"a
thing" he said to his wife, in describing
the scene, (which, if he'd been a man
proper spirit, he'd have done long ago.
But she'll be more quiet after this, take
my word for it.
Very quiet, indeed, appeared the
homestead on the following day, as Hal
iday and his wife glanced curiously
across the road, watching in vain for the
appearance of either Mrs. Gentry or her
husband.
That evening, a neighbor of the name
of Grimes stepped overto have chat"
with the captain. Gentry himself an
swered his knock, and with very sober
and cast-down countenance, led the way
to the kitchen.
In answer to Grimes's natural inquiry
for his wife, he answered briefly that
Harriet had gone on visit to her re-
lations."
Grimes saw that something was wrong,
and, as the captain seemed depressed,
shortened his visit. The following
morning the house was discovered to be
closed, the gate nailed up, and the prem
ises entirely deserted.
Very soon, however, the matter as
sumed an aspect which was the furthest
possible removed from the ludicrous,
and aroused not only Gurnham, but the
whole country, into thrill of horror and
indignation.
Late one summer morning, Michael
Sweeney, having gone out to look for his
pigs, and having searched in vain about
their usual haunts, was returning home,
and "for shortness," instead of pursuing
the clrcuitous road, took direct cut
across the marshy waste known as Tyle1's
Track.
1t was wet, Shiny, and overgrown with
rushes, bushes, and briers. As Michael
trudged along, he had occasionally to
look carefully to his footsteps to avoid q
knee-deep plunge into the mire. Hisat-
tention was arrested by something white
just ut his feet, and at the same moment,
by sudden CLEAN or fash beside it.
He stopped, and bending, looked down
curiously. What was his surprise to see
that it was brilliant jewel, evidently set
in gold. In trembling fear and eager
ness he ventured to put forth his hand
and touch the mysterious treasure. He
next essayed to take it up, when, to his
horror, he lifted with it from the dark
waters of the marsh hand-a small and
white woman's hand. And at the same
instant he saw, by the rising moon
beams, the cold, dead face of woman
With cry, the affrighted Michael
dropped his new-found treasure, and in
few desperate leaps had cleared the
treacherous marsh. Never pausing until
he reached his own cottage, he there, in
broken gasps, poured out to the ears of
his wifs, and a chance visitor, his mar
velous story. Thence it soon got wind; ;
and in an hour thereafter some dozen
men were on their way to the haunted
spot-some believing, some doubling,
others ridiculing the story.
The cause of the believers was, how
ever, triumphant, when, upon reaching
the spot, under the guidance of Michael,
his courage fortified by numerous glasses
OF his national beverage, they discov-
cred, truly, the same dead, unnaturally
white and sodden womans face glaring
ghastly up in the moonlight.
They drew her out of the dank weeds
and dark waters. Halliday, who, living
nearest the spot, had joined the group
on their expedition, drew near, and with
the others gazed upon the face.
I" 1t is Harriet Gentry |" he said.
An inquest was next morning held
upon the body, and the identity estab-
lished by the testimony of more than
fifty persons who had known Mrs. Gent
ry while living.
The body Of the unfortunate woman
was horribly bruised; yet death had evi-
IDENTIFY been produced by strangulation, q
niaCa of roma about fbraa uor1o ~, L., III